After instigating one of the most radical shake-ups of its Windows operating system in recent years, Microsoft has confirmed the much-loved Start button is to returning to the desktop mode’s taskbar for June’s Windows 8.1 ‘preview’ update.Some commentators appear to...

At the risk of alienating international readers and appearing a little insular, please excuse us for reporting on a local (Australian) highlight, albeit released to little fanfare.What seems like 35 years after it was released to the rest of the world, Microsoft has...

April saw Microsoft announce the availability of the project currently code named “GeoFlow” Preview for Excel 2013 (a catchy title I thought), an add-in for Excel that allows users to view information over the twin parameters of space and time.Essentially, chart data...

Many of you will have been considering PowerPivot, the ‘new’ add-in for Excel 2010 and later versions. As companies and individuals consider migration towards Office / Excel 2013, you should be aware that if you still plan to use PowerPivot and its sister feature Power View, you must exercise caution regarding which version you or your IT department buy. Picked at random, it is unlikely you will procure the necessary business intelligence analysis your business requires or deserves. Although Office 365 subscriptions may be upgraded, this option is not currently possible within the Excel 2013 ‘product’. Therefore, inappropriate non-subscription purchases may prove to be a very costly mistake. In subscription form, you’re going to need the Rolls Royce version, Office 365 ProPlus. For the regular, non-subscription variant, Office 2013 on the desktop, you will need the similarly-titled Microsoft Office Professional Plus to use the PowerPivot add-in or to use Power View in Excel.