Apple offers money off Microsoft Office

Apple has quietly launched an offer to give Mac buyers money off Microsoft software.

The 'Office Bonus' offer, which runs until the end of January next year, gives shoppers 50 per cent off Microsoft Office for Mac when they buy a new Apple desktop or laptop.

Savings on the software bundle could range from £50 for a Student and Teacher edition, to more than £200 for the Standard edition.

Apple is seemingly hoping to cash in on the 'iPod halo' effect -- where new buyers of Apple's signature music player then go on to buy more Apple kit. Analysts believe that more than one million Windows users may have made the switch to Mac this year, mostly driven by this halo effect.

Apple sold 1.2 million Macs during the most recent quarter of this financial year.