14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is right on track to deliver the next iteration of the Office System in June 2010. It appears that the Redmond company has scheduled the general availability deadline of Office 2010 in mid-2010, although this piece of information is unconfirmed at the time of this article. Microsoft has yet to offer any comment, be it to confirm or to deny, reports from third party sources that Office 2010 will be made available for purchase to customers no later than June 2010 (via Neowin). (read the Office 2010 Beta Build 14.0.4536.1000 75-Screenshot Gallery)
The software giant has stated previously that the successor of Office 2007 will be offered to the public in the first half of 2010. Of course, Microsoft did not specify in any way a General Availability deadline or even a release to manufacturing date. According to the Redmond company, customers should look to 1H 2010 for the moment when Office 2010 will hit store shelves. Still, ahead of GA, Microsoft will have to RTM the next generation of its productivity suite.
Taking into consideration a June 2010 GA deadline, the company will have to wrap up the code for Office 2010 months before the official launch, which means that some customers, such as MSDN and TechNet subscribers will be able to run the RTM bits earlier in the first half of 2010. The RTM date for Office 2010 continues to be kept under a tight lid at this point in time.
At the Professional Developers Conference 2009 (PDC 2009) in Los Angeles, earlier this month, Microsoft released the first public development milestone of Office 2010. Users can now grab various versions of Office 2010 Beta 14.0.4536.1000 along with the product keys to activate the release from Microsoft. Early adopters will be able to run Office 2010 Beta 14.0.4536.1000 until October 2010, the software giant explained, at which time the product, which is time-bombed, will expire.
Office 2010 comes in a variety of flavors including Office Web Apps, Office Mobile, Office Home and Business 2010, Office Professional 2010, and Office Professional Plus 2010, all of which can be tested in Beta. When it will be released on the market, Office 2010 will feature additional SKUs, some reserved for Volume Customers, some for those buying new OEM computers, such as the Starter edition which will come free of charge, but will be ad-supported.
“Microsoft Office 2010 offers you rich and powerful new ways to deliver your best work - at work, home or school - on your computer, from a Windows Mobile-based Smartphone or via a Web browser. Quickly and creatively grab your audience’s attention and inspire them with your ideas by using enhanced and easy-to-use tools, customizable templates, color schemes, and photo-editing capabilities. With a new co-authoring experience, you can work with people from different locations at the same time. And by offering more ways to access your files from almost anywhere, Office 2010 puts you in control of getting things done according to your schedule. Simplify your tasks and create amazing results with Office 2010 — wherever life takes you,” Microsoft explained.
Office 2010 Beta 14.0.4536.1000 is available for download here.