If you are using Office 2010 already, skip this part else here are four reasons that might tempt you to download Office 2010:

Reason #1. This Office 2010 release is still in beta but pretty solid and you can continue using the software for free until October 2010. That’s like renting Microsoft Office for 350 days but without paying a cent.

Reason #2. Office 2010 includes several new features. For instance, you can now directly save documents to the cloud or deliver remote presentations without leaving PowerPoint.

Reason #3. Office 2010 can co-exist alongside Office 2007 and other older versions of Microsoft Office. Or if you don’t want to touch your existing desktop applications, install Office 2010 separately using virtualization software.

Reason #4. Other than Office 2010, you can also get a free beta of Visio 2010 and Project 2010 that again won’t expire until October 2010.

First Look: Microsoft Office 2010 (PDF)

First Look: Microsoft Office 2010 is an upcoming title by Katherine Murray that will quickly walk you though most of the new features in Office 2010 including video editing, photo effects, backstage view, co-authoring documents, sparklines, etc.

The book has the following chapters. It was written before Office 2010 beta was released in public and therefore barely mentions Office Web Apps and Office 2010 for mobile phones.

• Chapter 1: Welcome to Office 2010
• Chapter 2: Express Yourself Effectively and Efficiently
• Chapter 3: Collaborate in the Office and Around the World
• Chapter 4: Create and Share Compelling Documents with Word 2010
• Chapter 5: Create Smart Data Insights with Excel 2010
• Chapter 6: Manage Rich Communications with Outlook 2010
• Chapter 7: Produce Dynamic Presentations with PowerPoint 2010
• Chapter 8: Organize, Store, and Share Ideas with OneNote 2010
• Chapter 9: Collaborate Effectively with SharePoint Workspace 2010
• Chapter 10: Create Effective Marketing Materials with Publisher 2010
• Chapter 11: Make Sense of Your Data with Access 2010
• Chapter 12: Putting It All Together
• Chapter 13: Security in Office 2010
• Chapter 14: Training Made Easy

It’s worth your time and the good news is that you can download the book [PDF, 10 MB] from SkyDrive for free courtesy Microsoft Press who are the publishers of this book. Grab it fast because, according to MS Press, this free download is available only for a limited time.