Is it Time to Switch to iWork? A Comparison of Office 2019 Mac Soft-Brick and iWork

Microsoft has recently announced that Office for Mac 2019 users will face restrictions in creating, editing, and saving documents starting July 13. This limitation is due to an expiring digital certificate that will render the productivity suite essentially unusable. The affected Office 2019 apps include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. Once the digital certificate expires, these apps will be forced into “reduced functionality mode,” where users can only open, view, and print existing documents but not create, edit, or save new ones.

This issue impacts both Microsoft 365 subscribers and users of non-subscription software like Office 2021 or Office 2019 on macOS, iPhone, and iPad. For Microsoft 365 users and Office 2021 owners, updating the operating system and apps to their latest versions will resolve the problem. However, for Office 2019 owners, the solution involves purchasing or subscribing to a newer version of the Microsoft Office suite.

While Microsoft could renew the expiring digital certificates through software updates, they have chosen not to do so for Office 2019, as support for this version was dropped on October 10, 2023. As a result, users are left with no choice but to upgrade to Microsoft 365 or Office 2024 to regain full access to the suite’s features. Alternatively, users can utilize Microsoft’s free web apps.

This decision by Microsoft has sparked backlash from users and IT professionals, who view it as a money-making tactic rather than a genuine effort to support their customers. Some users have accused Microsoft of gaslighting Office 2019 users by changing the original announcement about the end of support for the suite.

For users unsure of which version of Microsoft Office they have, they can check by opening the Word app and clicking on “Word” > “About Word” in the menu bar. If the version is listed as “Microsoft 365,” it indicates a subscription, while “Office 2021” or “Office 2019” signifies a one-time purchase. iPhone and iPad users are typically using Microsoft 365 apps for mobile.

Moving forward, Office 2021 users should be aware that support will end on October 13, 2026, after which feature and security updates will no longer be available. Users are advised to explore alternatives to Microsoft Office, such as Apple’s iWork suite or the free and open-source LibreOffice suite, which offer similar features and compatibility with Office documents. Transform the following text into a different format or style?