If you are in business for yourself or currently enrolled in college, then chances are, you probably use Microsoft Word. However, if you’re thinking about buying a Chromebook, then you may be wondering if you can still download and use Microsoft Word or other Office programs with it? The answer to this question is both No and Yes. Let’s explain.
If you have a Chromebook, Microsoft Word will not be as accessible as it has been for you in the past. So to answer the question, yes, you can use it to some extent, but no you cannot download it on the Chromebook. Here’s how you can get your Chromebook to work along with your Microsoft Office programs.
Use Google Docs
First and foremost, you can use Google Docs to open and edit your office documents. If you’re already using Google Docs, then this will not be such a challenge for you. However, if you’ve never or rarely used Google Docs, then you’ll need to learn more about how to do so.
Google Docs, simply put, is Google Chrome’s version of a word processor. It is 100% free and most importantly, it has the ability to read Microsoft Word documents. Which versions of Word can it read? So far, it can read them all. Unfortunately, though, it’s not always perfect. If you have any special formatting in your Word document, then the Google Docs word processor may not translate it correctly, resulting in a distorted-looking document. This does not always happen. But oftentimes, it may.
Use Office Online
With that being said, you can also create and edit Microsoft Word documents via Microsoft’s www.office.com website. They have developed an online version of their office suite so that anyone can access and edit documents directly from the Internet. Of course, nothing is perfect. This version will require an investment. And although you can easily create new documents from your office.com account, you will still need to use a virtual storage program, such as Microsoft’s SkyDrive in order to open and edit existing office documents.
So if you choose to buy a Chromebook, this is what you’ll run into with Chromebook Microsoft Word. In fact, this will be the case for all of your Microsoft Office programs. However, for every negative, there’s a positive. And the positive here is that you can, in fact, still use Microsoft Word with Chromebook. You just can’t download it onto Chromebook, and you have to take alternative measures in order to make it work for you. Can it be frustrating? Sure, it can. But is it doable for now? You bet!
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