office 2013

Microsoft late Thursday announced that development of Office 2013 is finished meaning the company will now focus on distributing the new version of Office to consumers and enterprises. The so-called Release to Manufacturing build will roll out to enterprise customers in November, and home users will see the new Office in early 2013. Microsoft also reiterated that a preview version of Office will be available on ARM-based Windows RT devices when Windows 8 launches on October 26. A final version for Windows RT devices is expected sometime between November and January.

With Office 2013, Microsoft sets the bar high. The reworked suite of applications runs on a range of devices, including new Windows tablets; it has a new look, which is fast and fluid, yet has familiar commands; it responds to touch and stylus, as well as keyboard and mouse; and everything's cloud-connected.

Microsoft confirmed Monday that the new Office 2103 will not run on older PCs powered by Windows XP or Vista.

Microsoft launched its "customer preview" version of Office 2013 and a revamped Office 365 at a media event in San Francisco today. The company's next-generation office suite looks to be tightly focused on mobile devices, touchscreens, and the cloud.