With Microsoft having already discontinued upgrades for the Windows Office 2010 earlier this year, the company announced on Monday that it will not sell upgrades for its forthcoming Office for Mac 2011.

Revealing that in yet another move, which is also similar to an earlier Windows decision, the lowest-priced edition of the new Office suit – scheduled for an October-end release - will also lack a dedicated e-mail client.

With the October launch of Office for Mac 2011 in the offing, Microsoft has also announced a free offer for buyers who purchase the Office for Mac 2008 between August 1 and November 30; and has also overhauled the editions it will offer and their prices.

Noting that its decisions aimed at bringing the Mac version of its suite in line with the more widely-sold Windows edition, Microsoft said in a statement: “For better alignment across platforms, the Office 2011 pricing and edition options map closer with Office for the Windows operating system.”

Meanwhile, saying that the launch of the Microsoft Office 2010 will be accompanied by an extensive list of features, additions, and tweaks, a Microsoft spokesman told azcentral.com that the Microsoft key focus for the upcoming production suite was to make it more powerful and more accessible to users who probably felt somewhat nervy while using the earlier editions.