Microsoft Office 2010 Beta now available

The Microsoft Office 2010 Beta is now live. The previously available Technical Preview is now outdated, and users can download and install the official Beta versions.

The official website for the pre-release office suite offers lots of information to everybody about the different applications offered within the suite, its functionality, what's new, and the most important thing: the actual suite itself. Similar to other beta programs from Microsoft, testers will need to submit a Live ID in order to download the suite and retrieve a product key to activate it. TechNet subscribers can also find this in their catalogues.

Along with the desktop suite, users can test the Office Web Apps and Office Mobile. The first one is an online adaptation of Office 2010, available for use through Windows Live Skydrive (the files have to be uploaded via Backstage View in the desktop version of the application in order to use this functionality) allowing for work from anywhere with Internet access (and isn't blocking SkyDrive), while the latter is for Windows Mobile users.

Office 2010 Beta does not offer many new features over the Technical Preview, though it has been improved both visually and performance-wise. The co-authoring (collaboration) feature is something you may want to check out, and of course, the Web Apps.

The desktop version requires a processor running at 500MHz, 256MB of RAM, 3GB of hard drive space, and a 1024x768 resolution. It also requires one of the following: XP SP3 (x86), Vista SP1+ (x86/x64), Server 2003 R2 (x86/x64), Server 2008 SP2 (x86/x64), or Windows 7 (x86/x64).

Download it here (Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 Beta).

With Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010, your people get a wide range of powerful new ways to do their best work from more places – whether they’re using a PC, smartphone or web browser. From insightful updates to Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Outlook, to new server integration capabilities that make it easier for everyone to track, report and share vital information, Office Professional Plus 2010 offers the complete package through familiar, intuitive tools.