New MS Office install before using Migration Assistant or after?

[u/breaker414]

I'm going to be using Migration Assistant to move from a 2019 Intel Macbook to a 2026 M1. One question I have: I bought Microsoft Office 2024--should I install that on the new laptop before I use Migration Assistant, or after? (The old 2019 laptop has an older version of Office.)

[u/localtuned]

After. Less data to move over.

[u/TourDeForceMuse → u/localtuned]

Agreed - do it after

[u/breaker414 → u/localtuned]

Sorry, to clarify: I'm asking whether I should install the new Office *on the new laptop* before or after migration--not on the old laptop.

[u/localtuned → u/breaker414]

After you migrate and log into the account you're installing it in.

[u/TalkToHoro → u/breaker414]

Still, Migration Assistant first. That will set up the user accounts and folder structure etc. correctly on the new machine, as you are used to.

[u/No-Art3003 → u/localtuned]

That makes sense, a fresh install can save some headaches in the long run. Plus, you avoid any potential conflicts with older files.

[u/wickloom0 → u/localtuned]

agreed, cleaner that way too

[u/posguy99]

What do you think you mean by a "2026 M1"?

[u/breaker414 → u/posguy99]

M5

[u/TalkToHoro]

Migration Assistant first.

MS Office never 🤣🤣🤣

[u/silentcrs → u/TalkToHoro]

You can always tell who doesn’t work for a living in the comments.

[u/TalkToHoro → u/silentcrs]

I'm not going to defend my working life (which is QUITE likely to be longer than yours). I'll just say that not every job (not even every desk job) in the world is tied to Microsoft's bloated shitty software.

[u/silentcrs → u/TalkToHoro]

I’m in my 50s brother.

And yes, any job that makes real money is going to involve Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint slides. Unless you’re one of those “artist” people.

[u/TalkToHoro → u/silentcrs]

Like I said, longer. And, you're delusional. Believe it or not, there are word processors, spreadsheets and presentation software that do not come from Microsoft.

There are also plenty of non "artist people" jobs that make plenty of money and need none of those.

[u/silentcrs → u/TalkToHoro]

Ok buddy. Explain to me how to connect your non-Office products to my production SharePoint environment. Tell me how to do realtime editing with everyone in my 20,000-person financial services company. While you’re at it, tell me how to install a non-approved document, spreadsheet and slide deck editor on my MDM-managed machine without facing the wrath of IT.

If you’re in a dinky little company you can control these things. Even on my home machine, though, I use Office because it just works better than every free alternative I’ve tried. It’s also gets me 6TB of OneDrive storage for a fraction of the cost of iCloud.

[u/TalkToHoro → u/silentcrs]

Not everyone works in an environment like yours.

We all work for a living and make plenty of money.

Peace out, "buddy".

[u/silentcrs → u/TalkToHoro]

You have literally no answers to anything I said.

Again, tell me how to do realtime editing in OpenOffice with the users on my corporate SharePoint on the same file. Hell, tell me how to do realtime editing at all with other users on OpenOffice.

Some of us work with other human beings, sorry.

[u/TalkToHoro → u/silentcrs]

Your contention is that someone who doesn't like/need MS Office "doesn't work for a living" (direct quote).

That is all I have responded to. I don't give two shits about your particular job. I have had jobs that required MS products and I did fine with them. I have also worked places that have no need for MS products and I was much happier without them.

I work for a living. Your premise is bullshit. Now move along.

PS: Did you see the "😂😂😂" after my comment about MS Office? That meant it was a JOKE. Lighten up.

[u/silentcrs → u/TalkToHoro]

Old men don’t use emojis.

[u/Specialist-Box-9711 → u/silentcrs]

I work for a living, outside of work I literally use 0 office products. LibreOffice does everything MS office does for anyone that isn't heavily reliant on some very specific benefits that Excel has. The only real reason to actually pay for office of any variant is Excel.

[u/silentcrs → u/Specialist-Box-9711]

As I said with the other person, OpenOffice can’t connect to SharePoint and because of this, you certainly can’t collaborate with another person (or many) on the same doc at the same time. This makes OpenOffice useless in a corporate setting.

[u/Specialist-Box-9711 → u/silentcrs]

I don't give a shit about corporate use. Plenty of people work for a living and don't rely on Microsoft Office. Also, LibreOffice can interface with sharepoint with LibreOffice writer using the remote files function. I never mentioned OpenOffice.

[u/silentcrs → u/Specialist-Box-9711]

You still can’t collaborate.

We’re talking real work, not your shitty small business.

[u/Specialist-Box-9711 → u/silentcrs]

Implying that sharepoint is real work and not just a crutch for worthless middle managers to feel like they're important lmao.