Technologies

It’s Easy to Get Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Here’s How

These tips could save you $100 a year.

This story is part of 12 Days of Tips, helping you make the most of your tech, home and health during the holiday season.

Microsoft 365 is the most recent version of the Microsoft Office set of tools, and it includes programs that you already use at home, school or work. Some of the programs include Word, Outlook and Powerpoint, and buying a Microsoft 365 membership is still the most popular way to access these tools and more.

On Jan. 11, Microsoft announced the release of Microsoft 365 Basic which costs $2 a month, or $20 for a yearly subscription. However, you can snag Microsoft 365 at no cost under some circumstances.

Microsoft’s suite of productivity software consists of classics like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, as well as newer apps like Microsoft Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint.

The suite typically costs $20 to $100 a year for subscription access across devices and family members. Microsoft also has a standalone version of Microsoft Office for Windows and Mac, called Office Home and Student 2021, for a flat $150 — no subscription required.

Here are the versions of Office 365, Microsoft 365 and their apps that you can find online for free.

Get Microsoft Office 365 Education free if you’re a student or a teacher

If you’re a student, teacher or faculty member with an active school email address, you’re likely eligible to get access to Office 365 for free through Microsoft, with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Teams, plus other classroom tools.

All you have to do is enter your school email address on this page on Microsoft’s website: Office 365 Education. In many cases, you’ll be instantly granted access thanks to an automated verification process. If you attend an institution that needs to be verified, it might take up to a month to confirm your eligibility.

College students can also get Microsoft 365 Personal for $3 a month with a valid school email address.

Best Laptops of 2023

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How to get Microsoft Office suite free if you’re anyone else

Anyone can get a one-month free trial of Microsoft 365. However, it does require you to enter a credit card number. And if you don’t cancel before the month is up, you’ll be charged $100 for a one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Family (formerly called Office 365 Home).

The good news is if you don’t need the full suite of Microsoft 365 tools, you can access a number of its apps online for free, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Outlook, Calendar, My Content, Skype, Designer and Clipchamp. Here’s how to get them:

1. Go to Microsoft365.com.

2. Click Sign up for the free version of Office under the «Sign in» button.

3. Log in to your Microsoft account or create one for free. If you already have a Windows, Skype or Xbox Live login, you have an active Microsoft account.

4. Select the app you want to use and save your work in the cloud with OneDrive.

Microsoft Word running in a web browser — Use the browser-based version of the Microsoft Word app for free.

Screenshot by Alison DeNisco Rayome/CNET

So what’s the catch for the free version?

You may be saying, «Wait a minute, if I can get all of those apps for free, why pay for Microsoft 365 in the first place?» Well, the functionality of the free apps is limited: They only run in your web browser and you can only use them while you’re actively connected to the internet. They also have fewer features than the full Microsoft 365 versions.

There are still a number of benefits, however, including the ability to share links to your work and collaborate in real time, similar to what the Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) productivity tools allow. If you’re looking for basic versions of each of these apps, the free version should work well for you.

For more productivity coverage, check out what Microsoft 365 Basic offers customers, all of the best features in Windows 11 and how to take screenshots in Windows 10 or 11. You can also take a look at CNET’s list of the best Windows laptops.

Check out Microsoft 365

See at Microsoft

Technologies

Apple CEO Tim Cook Steps Down, John Ternus Replaces Him

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, April 21

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 21

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I thought that 4-Across, 7-Across and 3-Down were pretty fun — little puzzles inside of the puzzle. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Like the name Phil Quickley, for a speedy crossword solver?
Answer: APT

4A clue: What connects these names: Al Green, Betty White, Rose Byrne
Answer: COLOR

6A clue: Star ___ (plant with a pointy pod)
Answer: ANISE

7A clue: What connects these names: Tennessee Williams, Georgia O’Keeffe, Denzel Washington
Answer: STATE

8A clue: Teslas and Rivians, for short
Answer: EVS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Assumed name
Answer: ALIAS

2D clue: Washington paper
Answer: POST

3D clue: What connects these names: Chris Pine, Zach Cherry, Willow Smith
Answer: TREE

4D clue: Detective’s assignment
Answer: CASE

5D clue: Currently broadcasted
Answer: ONTV

Technologies

OnePlus Reveals New Phones Despite Uncertain Future

Amid rumors of leaving certain markets, the company introduces the Nord CE6 and Nord CE6 Lite.

There’s uncertainty about OnePlus’ future in the UK and Europe, but it’s full steam ahead in Asia for now. The Chinese-based tech company said Monday in a post on X that it will launch two new phones — the Nord CE6 and Nord CE6 Lite — in India on May 7. OnePlus didn’t say when the phones would be available in the US and other markets and didn’t say how much they would cost.

That’s unfortunate, as both Nord phones build on the brand’s recent set of phones with large-capacity batteries. But whereas last year’s flagship OnePlus 15 has a 7,300-mAh one, the Nord CE6 has a massive 8,000-mAh battery, which should last for 2.5 days on a full charge, according to the phone’s listing. While it doesn’t share how fast the phone’s wired or wireless charging is, it does note that the Nord CE6 has 27-watt reverse charging to donate battery charge to other devices. The Nord CE6 Lite, presumably the cheaper version, has a 7,000-mAh battery.

The Nord CE6 and CE6 Lite, visible in a listing on Amazon in India, don’t have prices yet, but they do have a launch date of May 7.

The OnePlus Nord CE6 is powered by a Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 system on a chip alongside a Touch Reflex chip. The Nord CE6 has a 1.5K AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate that reaches up to 1,800 nits of peak brightness. The cheaper Nord CE6 Lite includes a MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Apex chipset, and its screen also has a 144Hz refresh rate.

The Nord CE6 will be available in three colors — fresh blue, lunar pearl and pitch black — while the Nord CE6 Lite will have two options: vivid mint and hyper black.

The announcements come amid uncertainty about OnePlus’ status in non-Asian markets. Android Authority reported that several high-level employees in the UK and Europe have recently left the company, which is reportedly «evaluating its regional roadmap and product strategy.» There were also rumors that the company might shut down its operations in the UK and Europe. OnePlus is owned by Chinese conglomerate BKK Electronics, which also owns phone brand Oppo.

A representative for OnePlus did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

We loved the OnePlus 15’s battery

Earlier this year, CNET revealed its picks for the best battery life among phones, after rigorous testing of 35 models. The iPhone 17 Pro Max was our winner, and the iPhone 17 and OnePlus 15 were both tied for second place.

CNET also compared the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 15R, with the choice basically coming down to whether you want a bit more premium (at a higher price) or a decent version for $100 to $200 less.

Austin Evans, a tech tester with 5.76 million subscribers to his YouTube channel, said he’s «really happy» that the Nord CE6 and Nord CE6 Lite phones are at least launching in India for now.

«I like OnePlus, they’ve been a disruptive force for years and generally provide pretty good value,» Evans said. «That being said, I’m wary of how ironclad their commitment to the US market will be. Everything I’ve heard suggests they’re narrowing scope significantly to focus on growth markets like India. Fair play, but I’m still a bit concerned about the long-term plans for the company.»