Microsoft has released two versions of Office 2024 for Windows PCs and Macs, the latest edition of its productivity suite that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and (in the Home & Business version) Outlook. These are the so-called "Locked-in" versions of the software, in that they don't require an annual subscription to Microsoft 365 and are priced at $150 for Office Home 2024 and $250 for Office Home & Business.

In addition to adding Outlook, the Home & Business version also is licensed to allow the apps to be used for commercial purposes, Microsoft says. The company says Office 2024 is compatible with Windows 10 and 11 and the last three versions of MacOS.

The new Office arrives just as Microsoft released a significant Windows 11 update, 24H2, that adds support for Wi-Fi 7, new features for Phone Link, visualizations in File Explorer, support for advanced hearing aids, a new energy saver mode and new Copilot AI features. Settings now allows Windows 11 users to reverse the scroll direction on their mouse and the update includes Sudo, a tool for developers. The update also removes a few apps from Windows 11, including Windows Mixed Reality, Tips and WordPad.

While 365 subscribers have been getting regular improvements and updates to Office, some of the features Microsoft is touting for the Office 2024 release will be new to those who have been using the last edition, Office 2021. Some of the major upgrades include:

• Faster performance. According to Microsoft, Excel will run more quickly even with multiple workbooks open. Excel also has a new feature allowing images to be added without format changes.
• Outlook's search feature has been revamped and it now includes an accessibility checker.
• Office has a new default theme the company says applies fluent design principles.
• Support for OpenDocument (ODF) 1.4.
• Android users can now insert photos into files directly from their devices.
• Comments in documents can now be Liked as a thumbs up. (No, thumbs down is not an option.) 
• In PowerPoint, you can now embed live camera feeds, create videos and add closed captioning to video and audio.
• Auto-recovery of Word documents in the event that the software closed before saving.

Both the Home and Home & Office editions are meant to be installed on only one Mac or PC and don't include Publisher and Access, which are available for PC with a Microsoft 365 subscription. 365 costs $70 a year for its Personal edition and $100 a year for Microsoft 365 Family. Both versions of 365 work with up to five devices at once, with Family extending its use for up to six people. Both include cloud storage, unlike the stand-alone Office 2024.