Microsoft to phase out free Office 2010 Starter Edition

Microsoft played the role of Santa Claus for a few years already by offering a free, ad-supported version of Office 2010 to those who pick up new computers with Windows running on them. Obviously, the Starter Edition, as Microsoft calls it, will lack all the relevant features that you tend to see with the full version of Office running, where it will carry only Word and Excel, but then again, for the entry level computer user out there, it is more than enough for the day to day tasks.

Well, word has it that Microsoft is ready to pull the plug on Office 2010 Starter. After all, when the time arrives for Windows 8 to roll out, most of the computers would already come with links that direct users to a page for them to perform a download of trial versions of Office. There is an alternative though for those of you who want something free – Microsoft will not stop their free Office web apps.