Office 2013 Service Pack 1

Pros

• A free service packs that improves on Microsoft Office in some truly meaningful ways
• Includes all the patches that preceded this release

Cons

• Runs on an outdated version of Windows Office

The first service pack for Office 2013 is a necessity if you want to keep your version of Microsoft Office modern, offering security updates as well as bug fixes and a variety of quality life features that can make your experience with collective services like Outlook, SharePoint, and PowerPoint. It's completely free to use, and leaving your software unpatched can leave it vulnerable to a wide variety of different patches, so you'll want to download this service pack as soon as possible if you're still running a relevant version of Windows and Microsoft Office.

It's rare for a piece of software to roll off the line working exactly like it's supposed to, but the advent and increased accessibility of the internet means that minor bugs and problems don't have to be a nightmare to patch, and they don't have to simply remain there for the sake of convenience. Software can now serve as a work in progress, and that's why the dispensation of service packs like this one have become such common practice. Chances are decent that your version of Microsoft Office is already updated to include the service pack, but if not, you can check the status of your software to make sure. It's a pretty large and inclusive pack, so you're going to want to make sure that you don't miss out on it. Part of the reason for that is because it includes rollup patches. That means that it folds in all of the prior patches made to improve the quality of the program, so you won't have to hunt them down and install them manually.

But the real meat of this service pack comes in the new functions it offers. As is often the case with patches like these, compatibility is a main factor, and Microsoft has focused on bolstering up the effectiveness of Office in terms of both hardware and software. You can expect your copy of Microsoft Office to work with Windows 8.1 better than it ever has before, but this patch also includes compatibility improvements with both Internet Explorer 11 and Windows Server 12. These performance, stability, and security improvements can make a big difference whether you're running your machine for work or pleasure. Compatibility improvements extend to hardware as well with a particular focus on the next generation of hardware like precise mice and DPI touchscreens.

While a lot of these smaller changes won't mean much to all but the most tech conscious, there are some more tangible additions in this pack as well. Perhaps the biggest is the transition from SkyDrive Pro to OneDrive for Business, a change that brings new functionality in terms of cloud-based storage solutions for businesses. It comes further bundled with new APIs, a visualization tool for mapping in Excel, and improvements to virtualization tech.

Pros

• A free service packs that improves on Microsoft Office in some truly meaningful ways
• Includes all the patches that preceded this release

Cons

• Runs on an outdated version of Windows Office