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Microsoft Office is finally available in the Windows Store

Microsoft Office is finally available in the Windows Store

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Microsoft is finally bringing its full version of Office to the Windows Store today. To coincide with the release of the new Surface Laptop running Windows 10 S, Microsoft Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, and Publisher will all be available in the Store. While Microsoft previously listed Office in the Store, this is the first time the company will let you download it and update the apps directly from the Windows Store.

The addition of Office is all part of Microsoft’s new push to convince developers to migrate their desktop apps to the Windows Store. After failing to convince developers to build new universal apps for Windows 8 and Windows 8, Microsoft now hopes its Centennial Desktop Bridge tool will help developers move traditional apps to the Windows Store. Surface Laptop owners and anyone with a new machine running Windows 10 S will have to download this version of Office, as 10 S is restricted to apps from the Windows Store.

In a support article, spotted by Twitter user WalkingCat, Microsoft notes there are some limitations on this Office version for the Windows Store. You’ll only be able to install 32-bit versions of Office, and COM add-ins are not supported. Microsoft isn’t including a OneNote desktop app in the Windows Store, but the existing UWP app will be installed instead. Windows 10 S users can still use the existing Office mobile apps, and Microsoft is placing its install and update process for Office in the Windows Store in preview until it’s fully tested.