Those interested in trying out the new version of Office Web Apps can log in to their SkyDrive online storage service account via this special link: http://skydrive.live.com/?officebeta=1.

Another way of testing the new Office Web Apps suite is to participate in the of the new Office 365 suite, which offers full-featured versions of the Office applications delivered and upgraded remotely via the cloud, but ultimately installed locally on users' machines. Office Web Apps is part of the Office 365 beta suite.

In addition to the Office 365 model, which lets each user install the suite on five computers, Microsoft will also sell the new version of Office in the traditional way, as a shrink-wrapped product with a perpetual license that can be installed on a single machine. The latter option will be branded Office 2013.

It's not clear to Wettemann where Office Web Apps fits in with the companny's broader Office strategy. "Microsoft needs to make it clear for whom exactly Web Apps makes sense," she said. "Moving forward with Office and Office 365, does Microsoft need the Web Apps product?"

When asked about this earlier in the week, a spokeswoman for Microsoft spokeswoman said via email that users of the new Office might find Office Web Apps useful in situations when using the browser as the client software is most convenient.