Microsoft Office 2010 Pricing Revealed

Microsoft Office 2010 is currently offered as a beta version for anyone interested. We have published Microsoft Office 2010 download details and information about the various editions in the past but the prices to buy Microsoft Office 2010 were not revealed by Microsoft back then.
Update: Microsoft Office 2010 is no longer sold by Microsoft. It is still available on third-party marketplaces though where it can be purchased.
A Technet article published on the official Microsoft Office blog details now how much consumers have to pay to buy one of the Microsoft Office 2010 editions.
Microsoft will release four different versions of Microsoft Office 2010 with the core difference being the programs (like Word, Excel or PowerPoint) that ship with each Office 2010 edition.
Here is a list of the Office 2010 editions and the programs they come with:
- Office Home and Student (Not for use in any commercial, nonprofit or revenue-generating activities, or by any government organization.): Word 2010, Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010, OneNote 2010
- Office Home and Business: Word 2010, Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010, OneNote 2010, Outlook 2010
- Office Home and Business: Word 2010, Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010, OneNote 2010, Outlook 2010, Publisher 2010, Access 2010
- Office Professional Academic (Office Professional Academic 2010 is available through authorized academic resellers only): Word 2010, Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010, OneNote 2010, Outlook 2010, Publisher 2010, Access 2010
The price to buy Office 2010 editions:
Microsoft lists boxed products and product key cards in the table above. Product key cards are a new way of distributing Microsoft Office 2010. This product key card is only available if the consumer buys a new PC from a participating OEM.
For consumers who purchase a new PC, Microsoft is working with major PC manufacturers and our retail partners to make it simpler than ever to try and buy Office 2010.
Through our retail partners, Microsoft is introducing an all-new Product Key Card to help consumers more easily access and experience Office 2010 on new PCs that have been pre-loaded with Office 2010. The Product Key Card is a single license card (with no DVD media) that will be sold at major electronic retail outlets.
An added bonus: The card’s packaging is smaller than the full package (DVD) product, and is eco/retail-friendly. The key number contained on the card will unlock Office 2010 software that has been pre-loaded by the PC manufacturers on their PCs, and enables a simpler and faster path for consumers to begin using any one of three full versions of Microsoft Office – Office Home & Student 2010, Office Home & Business 2010, or Office Professional 2010.
Other useful information about the Office 2010 purchase:
- Microsoft will offer an Office 2010 Family Pack that allows usage on three PCs in one house
- Purchase rights for Office Home and Business, Office Professional, and Office Professional Academic boxed product allow for usage on two of your PCs.
- The Product Key Card is valid for a single installation of the product.
Microsoft has reduced the number of editions of Office significantly. Office 2007 Small Business and Office 2007 Standard seem to have been removed from the portfolio to make it easier for customers to select the right Office edition. Pricing on the other hand seem to have remained the same for comparable editions.
