It’s been a while since Microsoft announced the launch of Office 365 apps on the Windows Store, now the Microsoft Store. The company originally launched Office 365 apps on the Microsoft Store for some Windows 10 S devices such as the Surface Laptop. The company later tested the apps with a small group of Windows Insiders, and now it’s finally bringing them to all Windows 10 users today, including users who are not on Windows 10 S.
Microsoft has flipped the switch which enables all Windows 10 users to install the Office 365 suite on their Windows 10 device from the Microsoft Store, reports Neowin. The entire Office suite isn’t available from the Microsoft Store, but the core apps are here — which means you are getting Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, Access, and OneNote UWP.
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Like Skype, Microsoft Store will be the default way of Windows 10 users getting Office’s desktops apps on their Windows 10 machines in the future. But Microsoft opening up Office 365 apps to everyone right now suggests it’s only a matter of time till Microsoft recommends users to get the Office 365 suite from the store in Windows 10.
Microsoft will need to improve the reliability of the installation process and figure out some quirks before any of that happens, though. The main deal breaker right now is the fact that you are required to uninstall the existing Office 365 apps on your device to be able to actually install the Store versions.
skane2600
<p>I don't think these can be full Office apps since some functionality isn't possible in the UWP environment even when an app is "bridged".</p>
skane2600
<blockquote><a href="#240131"><em>In reply to SvenJ:</em></a></blockquote><p>Are you referring to VBA functionality within an Office application? I was referring to the ability to automate an Office application from outside Office which is an important capability. </p><p><br></p><p>In other words can one from outside Office do this within the UWP environment? </p><p><br></p><p>set ComWordObj = CreateObject("Word.Application") // VBScript</p><p>or</p><p>var ComWordObj = new ActiveXObject("Word.Application") // JScript</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>
skane2600
<blockquote><a href="#240888"><em>In reply to Jeremy_Petzold:</em></a></blockquote><p>Using the centennial bridge doesn't guarantee 100% compatibility with the non-bridged version, and thus not full versions.</p>
skane2600
<blockquote><a href="#240122"><em>In reply to Maelstrom:</em></a></blockquote><p>Good point. "Programs" might be even better to use than "applications" given that "app" could be considered an abbreviation for "applications"</p>