Get Kingsoft Office Professional 2013 (Win) free
It's only a one-year license, but why not enjoy the Pro version while you can when there's nary a string attached?
This is an update of a deal I wrote about a few months back -- for those who missed it the first time around!
Earlier this year I noted that Kingsoft Office Free 2013 might just be the best Microsoft Office alternative you can get, especially if you need only the core elements: word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations.
Kingsoft offers a Pro version, of course, one that includes more goodies. A one-year license normally sells for $29.95, but today only, BitsDuJour has Kingsoft Office Professional 2013 (Win) absolutely free.
Why bother with the Pro version when the free version is already crazy-good? One big reason: Pro lets you save documents in DOCX format and spreadsheets in XLSX format, while Free can merely open them; saving is limited to the older formats (DOC and XLS). (Neither version currently supports saving to PPTX, but both can open and save PPT.)
If you want to learn more about the differences between versions, Kingsoft has a comparison table -- though it still hasn't been updated to reflect the 2013 editions. Weird.
To take advantage of the giveaway, click through to Bits Du Jour, then click the big yellow Get It Free button. From here you have two choices: you can "like" both BitsDuJour and Kingsoft Office on Facebook, or you can complete an 11-step questionnaire (look for the tiny link at the bottom of the pop-up box). You may also notice (in that same box) that BDJ is offering 50 percent off a lifetime Office Professional 2013 license, which works out to $35 -- just $5 more than you'd pay for a one-year license. That's a no-brainer if you plan to use Pro for the long haul.
What happens after one year if you decide not to pay anything? No problem; although the suite effectively reverts to a document viewer, you can simply install Kingsoft Office Free and get back to work (minus that handful of Pro perks).
Personally, I get everything I need from Kingsoft Office Free 2013. But I always like the option of going Pro when it's similarly free. If you need a Microsoft-caliber office suite without the Microsoft price, you can't go wrong with either one of these.
Bonus deal: Ending today, you can get WonderFox DVD Video Converter (Win) absolutely free. Although it's provided without technical support or future updates, this version includes support for ripping your DVDs and converting your videos to iPhone 5C and 5S (which, of course, have the same specs as the original iPhone 5, so this isn't really that big a deal). The utility normally sells for $49.95.
Bonus deal No. 2: Today only, and while supplies last, Sellout.Woot has three versions of one of my favorite products: the Powerbag. Specifically, you can get the Business Class Case for $19.99, the Messenger bag for $29.99, or the Rolling Office Case for $39.99 -- all way less than you'll find them anywhere else. (Amazon sells the Messenger for $63, for example.) The bags include a 6,000mAh rechargeable battery and built-in Apple 30-pin, Mini-USB, and Micro-USB charging plugs. Don't pass these up!
Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.
Curious about what exactly The Cheapskate does and how it works? Read our FAQ.