On our test system, however, this was unsuccessful. For reasons that aren't immediately obvious, Office 2016 cannot coexist with Office 2013. Signing in to the beta is done through Microsoft's Connect site, and in theory running the installation script Should Just Work™, but it's not always smooth sailing. The install process also seems to be a little janky. Last year's Outlook for Mac update was similarly an Office 365-only benefit. A consumer-oriented preview should be released later in the year, but it's pretty clear that Microsoft wants people to subscribe to Office 365, and the company is going to continue to offer small perks for having a subscription. The preview is currently aimed at IT professionals and developers, and as such it requires an active Office 365 subscription. This is a minor update with some small new features and a visual refresh. Office 2013 is fresher than Office 2011 was, and so it's not altogether surprising that Office 2016 is to Office 2013 much the same as what Office 2013 was to Office 2010.
In fairness, Windows isn't in such desperate need for an updated Office. Hot on the heels of Office 2016 for Mac, Microsoft today released a preview of Office 2016 for the operating system that it actually earns money from.
