Here’s a great idea! MSI is giving away Microsoft 365 office suite with some of its laptops in Japan — so when will that be extended globally?
- MSI launches two business laptops powered by Intel’s Core i7-13620H CPU
- Includes Microsoft Office 2024 and Microsoft 365 Basic software
- Both models have limited battery life
MSI has released two new business-oriented notebooks in Japan, the Modern 15 H B13M 5039JP and Modern 14 H D13MG 5029JP. These laptops, designed with productivity in mind, are powered by Intel’s Core i7-13620H.
Both models come pre-installed with Microsoft Office Home & Business 2024 and a year’s subscription to Microsoft 365 Basic, giving business users access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, along with 100GB of OneDrive storage.
This offer is currently only available in Japan, and MSI isn’t the only company providing it; Dynabook has included the same software package with two of its new laptops, suggesting a possible trend. It’s certainly something we’d like to see rolled out globally.
Why Windows 11 Home?
The Modern 15 H B13M 5039JP offers a 15.6-inch full HD (1920 x 1080) non-glare LCD, 32GB of memory, a 512GB NVMe SSD, and runs Windows 11 Home.
Connectivity options include USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with video output and USB PD compatibility, three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, HDMI, a 920,000-pixel webcam, an audio combo jack, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. It measures 359 x 241 x 19.9 mm, weighs about 1.9 kg, and its 53.8Whr battery lasts just four hours during video playback (up to eight hours when idle), so you won’t want to stray too far from a power outlet.
The Modern 14 H D13MG 5029JP is the smaller counterpart, featuring a 14-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) non-glare LCD, with the same memory and storage configuration as the 15.6-inch model.
It includes Thunderbolt 4, three USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a 920,000-pixel webcam, HDMI, an audio combo jack, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. It measures 313.7 x 236 x 18.6 mm, weighs approximately 1.6 kg, and has the same battery but with a longer life – up to six hours during video playback and 14 hours when idle.
Interestingly, although Microsoft’s productivity software is included for free with these two laptops, they ship with Windows 11 Home. MSI recommends Windows 11 Pro for business, so it’s surprising the firm didn’t upgrade the default OS to suit the productivity package. Both laptops come In any color you like, so long as it’s Classic Black. No word on pricing or availability yet.