Laptops with Microsoft Office

Microsoft offers Office in two models. Office 2024 (Home or Home & Business) is a one-off licence: you pay once and use that version indefinitely, but don't get new major versions. Microsoft 365 is a subscription with ongoing updates, cloud storage and use on several devices.

Laptop bundles usually include an Office 2024 licence, sometimes the Pro Plus edition. Make sure the offer clearly states which version and which licence type is included, and that the dealer issues an invoice stating the licence.

Many dealers upgrade branded devices themselves (more RAM, larger SSD) and pre-install Windows 11 Pro and Office. That's convenient, but check the following: is the manufacturer's warranty still valid after the upgrade, or does the dealer provide its own guarantee? Can the Office licence be transferred to your Microsoft account? And: a bundle is only worth it if laptop plus Office together cost less than buying them separately.

Free programs are enough for many tasks: LibreOffice opens and saves Word and Excel files, the web versions of Word and Excel can be used free of charge with a Microsoft account, and Google Docs runs in any browser. Pupils and students often get Microsoft 365 through their school or university. Check this before paying extra for an Office bundle.

For Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, an all-round laptop is enough. With a Core 5/i5 or Ryzen 5, 16 GB RAM and an SSD, even large Excel spreadsheets and lots of open documents run smoothly. A Full HD display is a must, and at 15.6 or 17.3 inches the number pad helps with spreadsheet work. If you type a lot, look for a backlit keyboard with a good actuation point – business devices often have the edge here.

With used laptops that come with Office, look especially closely: the licence must have been transferred legitimately, and the dealer should state which version it is.