For those who have been waiting patiently for the full version of Microsoft Office 2013, there's some good news - the wait is coming to an end. The new Office 2013 is expected to launch within the next few weeks, and prices are not too bad.

Microsoft Office 2013 is a bold step for the company and the first Office suite to have been designed with touch in mind. It is also the first to come with a subscription model that Microsoft hopes users will take advantage of, rather than purchasing the software right out for the full price. If you are unable to cough up the full amount at one go, then maybe paying a monthly subscription is right up your alley.

The list of available standard SKU's is as follows:

Ø Microsoft Office Home and Business 2013

Ø Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013

Ø Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 RT

Ø Microsoft Office Personal 2013 (available in Japan only)

Ø Microsoft Office Professional 2013

Ø Microsoft Office Professional Academic 2013

Ø Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013 (for volume licensees only)

Ø Microsoft Office Standard 2013 (for volume licensees only)

The prices for the above SKUs range from $139 for the Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013/RT, to $499 for the Office Professional Plus version. It is not yet known how many computers the cheapest offering can be installed on, but for a $139 price tag, we expect only one.

List of available Office 365 SKU's:

Ø Office 365 Small Business

Ø Office 365 Small Business Premium

Ø Office 365 ProPlus

Ø Office 365 Midsize Business

Ø Office 365 Enterprise

Ø Office 365 University

Ø Office 365 Home Premium

Office 365 is the subscription model version of Office 2013. The cheapest here is Office 365 University for $3.30 per month, to Office 36 Enterprise and Government for $20 per month.

The good thing about Office 365 is the ability to download Office products to 5 PCs and for use up to a year. It is not yet certain if consumers will buy into a subscription model version of Office, but if they do it would open a new revenue stream for Microsoft.