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The chances are high that you’ll use some office software on your work computer each day. Microsoft Office is the leader in office productivity software. One well-used title that is part of it is Excel. It’s likely that you may use Microsoft Excel on a daily basis as part of your work.
There have been several versions of Excel since it first got released back in 1985. Today’s current version is powerful, flexible and can even get used on tablet devices! We all know that spreadsheets make light work of big data.
Some of us open up Excel to update customer data. Others may use the software for statistical purposes. There’s no denying that Microsoft Excel is a well-used and dependable application. These days, there are other competing spreadsheet titles. Examples include OpenOffice.org Calc and Calligra Sheets.
So, why do millions of us still love using Microsoft Excel? And why don’t we move across to other alternative titles?
Almost everyone in business uses Excel
When we wish to send spreadsheets to other people, we’ll often do so in the familiar .xls (or .xlsx) format. What we seldom do is look for alternative file formats.
Pretty much everyone in the business world uses some version of Microsoft Excel. To lower compatibility issues, we can save our files so they work with older versions.
The downside to using other spreadsheet programs is they are seldom compatible with Excel. It makes sense to stick with an industry leading software title that everyone uses!
It’s familiar
Over the years, the menu structure and icon layout for Excel has seldom changed. Sure, the “ribbon” interface has spiced things up a little. But, the general look and feel of Excel and its powerful macro language remain the same.
If one were to move over to another program, they’d have to spend time “working things out”.
It’s easy to learn
Many people find it easy to learn how to use Microsoft Excel. Of course, if one is new to spreadsheets, there are many Excel training classes out there. It’s also possible to learn online through video tutorials.
To be honest, most people use Excel’s basic functionality. It’s easy enough to pick up how to do the most common things in the software.
It’s affordable
There was once a time where people loathed the thought of paying for Excel. Nowadays Microsoft has made their pricing model more flexible. Thanks to the Office 365 system, it’s possible to pay a small monthly fee to use Excel each month. In return, one can enjoy free updates for the lifetime of their contract with Microsoft.
Even in standalone format, Excel is cheaper today than it was before Office 365 came on the scene.
We can work from home with Excel
Let’s assume that you get to spend some time working from home. The good thing about Excel is that some licenses let you install the software on two computers. That means you could have it on your work system and your PC at home.
Even if you had to pay for your home copy of Excel, the cost is low. The beauty of Excel is that it runs on most hardware. You don’t need a specific type of computer to use it. In fact, you can even use it on a Mac too!