The new ARM version of Office for Windows 11 is currently in beta, available to Office Insiders.
This week Microsoft announced that the next version of Office for Windows 11 will have a native 64-bit ARM version. The company says this will deliver improved performance on large or picture-filled documents, and support 64-bit add-ins.
Microsoft also announced a redesign of Office. The new version uses a similar design to Windows 11, and will be available to users running Windows 11 Preview or Windows 10. Office will also adapt to your Windows light / dark mode, the company says.
Introducing Windows 11 – AI powered
Panos Panay, chief product officer for Windows and Devices at Microsoft, described the new version of Windows in a blog post last week. “New in Windows 11, we’re introducing Snap Layouts, Snap Groups and Desktops to provide an even more powerful way to multitask and stay on top of what you need to get done. These are new features designed to help you organize your windows and optimize your screen real estate so you can see what you need just the way you want in a layout that’s visually clean.”
“Windows 11 brings you closer to the news and information you care about faster with Widgets,” Panay writes. These include “a new personalized feed powered by AI and best-in-class browser performance from Microsoft Edge,” he adds.
A 64-bit version of Microsoft Office to complement the new Windows 11 platform
What better way to power those new AI-driven widgets than with a 64-bit processor? And what better way to boost productivity than with a 64-bit Office suite?
This week, Mike Smith, an Engineering Manager on the Office team, blogged about the native support for 64-bit Arm. “This new version of Office is designed specifically for the next version of Windows on ARM.,” he states.
“It has been recompiled for the ARM architecture to run fast, bring greater memory availability, offer better support large documents, and maintain compatibility with existing 64-bit add-ins using the new x64 emulation capability provided by Windows.”
If you want to try out the new Windows and Office versions, check out the requirements in Mike’s blog post.
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