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Microsoft Announces Mac Office 2008
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The announcement is weak and hedges.
"...intends to..."
I think this is a subtle threat to Apple since they are worried about iWork 07.
Either way, I'd love not to buy this product. Microsoft free, once and for all.
But it will take iWork 07 to be awesome. Keynote is pretty much there, and given what we saw today in Job's presentation, the next version looks awesome.
The key is Pages and a spreadsheet. Pages needs serious maturation and the spreadsheet not only must rock, but allow data linking into pages and keynote.
Man, I hope I can dump MS Office. My whole company too. But it's up to Apple at this point.
"...intends to..."
I think this is a subtle threat to Apple since they are worried about iWork 07.
Either way, I'd love not to buy this product. Microsoft free, once and for all.
But it will take iWork 07 to be awesome. Keynote is pretty much there, and given what we saw today in Job's presentation, the next version looks awesome.
The key is Pages and a spreadsheet. Pages needs serious maturation and the spreadsheet not only must rock, but allow data linking into pages and keynote.
Man, I hope I can dump MS Office. My whole company too. But it's up to Apple at this point.
Adobe FrameMaker has had an extra side menu like the Ribbon for a long time.
It works great. Some the functions you use all the time is just one click.
Much better than digging through the menu or playing twister with your fingers for basic stuff.
I havent tested Office, so YMMV.
It works great. Some the functions you use all the time is just one click.
Much better than digging through the menu or playing twister with your fingers for basic stuff.
I havent tested Office, so YMMV.
It was supposed to have a 2007 designation but it won't be available until half the year is over so it gets 2008. Besides, that helps the confused technical support people who think that everything runs on Windows.
Ever since Microsoft started giving its apps model year designations, the Mac version followed the Windows version by one year. This is a continuation of the pattern.
Ribbons
That Ribbons interface actually looks pretty good on OS X. They seem to have found some balance between OS X (menu bar) while still bringing in the Ribbons UI. (I understand it is well thought of in the Windows community.)
As others have noted, it does look kind of cluttered, but I might be able to get used to it. I'm sure we'll be able to fiddle with the interface if it isn't done by release. I'd like to get rid of the text ("New", "Open", "Save", "Print", etc.) and shrink the toolbar icons down (if not get rid of them completely).
One thing that I like about the current Office UI is that since everything is in a floating palette, when you switch to another app the only thing showing from Office is the current document (no controls like Save, Bold, etc.) This saves screen real estate, and lets you look at the document while working in other apps. With this new Ribbons interface, this would (probably?) all be thrown out the window. (Maybe it the Ribbons shrink down to nothing when the app loses focus, but that might be too clunky.)
The other possibility would be there could be the option of putting the toolbar and the ribbons into their own floating palettes. I would probably like that solution best.
That Ribbons interface actually looks pretty good on OS X. They seem to have found some balance between OS X (menu bar) while still bringing in the Ribbons UI. (I understand it is well thought of in the Windows community.)
As others have noted, it does look kind of cluttered, but I might be able to get used to it. I'm sure we'll be able to fiddle with the interface if it isn't done by release. I'd like to get rid of the text ("New", "Open", "Save", "Print", etc.) and shrink the toolbar icons down (if not get rid of them completely).
One thing that I like about the current Office UI is that since everything is in a floating palette, when you switch to another app the only thing showing from Office is the current document (no controls like Save, Bold, etc.) This saves screen real estate, and lets you look at the document while working in other apps. With this new Ribbons interface, this would (probably?) all be thrown out the window. (Maybe it the Ribbons shrink down to nothing when the app loses focus, but that might be too clunky.)
The other possibility would be there could be the option of putting the toolbar and the ribbons into their own floating palettes. I would probably like that solution best.
I will buy Office 2004 when it hits its cheapest price, so that I get the Visual Basic component that I need for my work. I can always download NeoOffice to get the Open XML functionality ... or I might just wait for all the VBA stuff to be incorporated into NeoOffice ... looks like they are working on it already: http://trinity.neooffice.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=116
Publisher compatibility?
Anyone know if there's MS Publisher compatibility bundled into Office for Mac 2008? Publisher sucks big donkey, but I've got a number of clients who keep insisting on sending me stuff in Publisher format.
Anyone know if there's MS Publisher compatibility bundled into Office for Mac 2008? Publisher sucks big donkey, but I've got a number of clients who keep insisting on sending me stuff in Publisher format.
Sounds good. I hope they improve Entourage. I like the way you can view names and numbers in Outlook. What 2004 Office Entourage has isnt as good to view your address/phone book in as Outlook.
Good job on this MS, BUT you need to allow us mac users to watch Windows Media DRM files. They cancelled Mac Windows Media Player, fine, but allow us to get DRM files. there are alot of restricted play content out there, yet we have no solution to watch them.
pretty lame
Good job on this MS, BUT you need to allow us mac users to watch Windows Media DRM files. They cancelled Mac Windows Media Player, fine, but allow us to get DRM files. there are alot of restricted play content out there, yet we have no solution to watch them.
pretty lame
iWork will never edge out microsoft office
no way in hell. iWork is so imature compared to office. i dont see why people want this to happen.
Office have many years under evolution and development. It did not become the # 1 office suite around the world for nothing.
iWork compared to office dont even out like holding a candle in broad daylight.
The new UI is awesome-i use word, excel and entourage every single day
and the inetrface iis far from cluttered.
I think people are too used to apples simplicity which is a bad thing
considering when you go after your career or a job there is a 95% chance you will use office and windows.
no way in hell. iWork is so imature compared to office. i dont see why people want this to happen.
Office have many years under evolution and development. It did not become the # 1 office suite around the world for nothing.
iWork compared to office dont even out like holding a candle in broad daylight.
The new UI is awesome-i use word, excel and entourage every single day
and the inetrface iis far from cluttered.
I think people are too used to apples simplicity which is a bad thing
considering when you go after your career or a job there is a 95% chance you will use office and windows.
I doubt it, publisher has never had a Mac version, you have to get them to convert it or install Office via parallels.
Yay!!!!
I AM SOOOO EXCITED FOR THIS i dont know about you guys but i use word alll the time and i have a macbook and i need it to use a universal binary and this will help soo much this is the first thing made from microsoft that i am actually excited about
1 for microsoft 500000000000000000000000 for apple
I AM SOOOO EXCITED FOR THIS i dont know about you guys but i use word alll the time and i have a macbook and i need it to use a universal binary and this will help soo much this is the first thing made from microsoft that i am actually excited about
1 for microsoft 500000000000000000000000 for apple
In Office:Win 2007, you can go back to the previous interface style, right? I hope so in Office:Mac also... I like the palettes much better than the past Windows interfaces, and I also do not like the ribbon. But usually MS lets you keep the old interface when they create a new, irritating interface.
That is not the case. You are stuck with the ribbon in 2007 whether you like it or not.
I think the new UI looks great. I'm glad they're finally getting rid of the floating toolbars and moving to a more "Mac like" interface.
This will be a definite buy for me, but that said I can't do my work without Office. Sorry folks but OpenOffice and NeoOffice are simply not good enough to replace Office right now.
This will be a definite buy for me, but that said I can't do my work without Office. Sorry folks but OpenOffice and NeoOffice are simply not good enough to replace Office right now.
I hate publisher files. I don't know what your clients need so I guess you work in Quark or something. If you could get by with PDF's there is a free conversion service at http://www.pdfonline.com/index.htm you can upload a pub file and they email it back in pdf form.
That's exactly the psychological response they're shooting for; It's a psychological expiration date.
Give us an Exchange client, for the love of Pete.