Exploring the New Interface and Managing OneDrive
Welcome to the first chapter of Learn Microsoft Office 2021. This chapter will highlight the difference between the standalone and subscription versions of Office 2021. In our previous edition of this book, Learn Microsoft Office 2019, we provided an in-depth explanation of all the Office applications and covered the very basic to advanced skills. In this book, we will build on the skills that were presented in the first edition.
First, we will look at what Microsoft Office 2021 offers within the single-user license compared to that of the Microsoft 365 online version, then progress to upskill you on the new interface features. We will also become familiar with the importance of OneDrive when working with Office 2021, learn how to manage OneDrive, and learn how to save files in Office 365. Lastly, we’ll point out any new formatting elements, as well as quick ways to control attributes and ways to speed up the document formatting process.
The following topics will be covered in this chapter:
- Exploring standalone versus online 365 apps
- Highlighting the new interface features
- Managing OneDrive
- Saving and renaming files in Office 365
The skills mentioned in this chapter will help build your confidence so that you can work on the later chapters in this book.
There are various purchase options for the desktop version of Office 2021 and your requirements will determine the best option. The following applications are always included as a standard:
- Word 2021
- Excel 2021
- PowerPoint 2021
Other applications such as Access 2021, Outlook 2021, Publisher 2021, Teams, and OneNote 2019 form part of the offering, depending on the plan you choose:
Figure 1.1 – Microsoft Office 2021 plans
The Microsoft 365 contribution (2021 apps) is divided into Home and Business plans, with a range of different options under each. Visit the following website for details: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/buy/compare-all-
microsoft-365-products-b?. Regarding the operating systems that Office 2021 requires, it can run on Windows 10 and 11 (as well as macOS).
In this chapter, we will refer to OneDrive and SharePoint. It is important to note the difference between these two online storage apps. OneDrive is a personal online storage and sharing tool that is provided, along with other apps, when you sign up for a Microsoft account. As a personal user with OneDrive, you can grant others access to files, known as file sharing. Note that some plans are free, while some must be paid. SharePoint is used to collaborate on files via a team within an organization. SharePoint offers a higher level of security and access to files is managed by the Admin team.
Let’s move on to the next section, where we will look at what changes have been made to the Microsoft Office 2021 interface.
