Office 2008 for OS X

Geek · 01-10-2007, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Intel-based Mac owners will have a Universal version of Microsoft’s Office to call their own later this year. Microsoft’s Macintosh Business Unit revealed some details about Office 2008 for Mac Tuesday—namely that the suite of office productivity tools would ship in the second half of 2007.
Office 2008 adds plenty of new features, but the one sure to grab Mac users’ attention is its ability to run natively on both PowerPC- and Intel-based machines. Office had been one of the last remaining marquee Mac applications that had yet to add native support for Apple’s latest hardware.

Macworld: News: Microsoft reveals details of Office 2008 for Mac

Geek · 01-15-2007, 08:22 PM

Here are some screenshots:

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

ssg · 11-08-2008, 02:52 PM

Installed this the other night, works ok after you download roughly the 1gb (unpacked total, about 600mb download) from Microsoft. Then again the dvd I had wasn't an SP1 version, so that is likely why. But I can tell you it was three separate downloads and only the first ~200mb one was the SP1 stuff. Joy...

My $.02 is that it's nice they left the Windows and Mac function keys in here, because my brain always seems to use the windows (crtl-c / v / x / z) combo's no matter what spreadsheet I am in...and they work. The same is true here but they have at least also enabled the Mac shortcuts ( command c /v /x /z) of the same items just in case I do remember where I am.

Other than that, I am not too sure what is O2k8 changes and what is changed for the Mac flavor of it. I have O2k5? I believe at the office and it's definitely different. I will say it at least does the courtesy of taking on the Mac interface and fonts...I totally expected Msoft to have found a way to make the Windows squared up and using Sans Serif or whatever their default font is, but nope.

So far so good, but unless I really need the Msoft flavor I will probably investigate what else is out there. The genius at the store mentioned there was an Apple version of the software that did the same thing. I just wanted to be 100% compatible as I am still migrating alot of things.
Though right now I feel like all I have done is give the evil people an excuse to attack my machine...not sure if it really adds a chink in the armor or not but I hope not to find out.

I can't really give it thumbs up or down...its office dude, I just can't get excited or angry about software like this. The one odd thing is they renamed outlook express to entourage, which is sort of annoying because I said 'yes' to installing it - and now when I threw it in the trash the trash never empties because it contstntly tells me it's in use -- even though I have never used it and quit it immediately when I realized what it was.

Geek · 11-08-2008, 06:55 PM

Bring up Activity Monitor(found in Applications>Utilities). There is likely a process running in the background for Entourage still. I think there's a My Day type widget that's supposed to keep you informed of happenings on your Calendar/Task list. The coolest thing about Office on the Mac is Powerpoint. When showing a presentation with a projector/external display plugged in, it splits your screen so that you can see what's live(on the external screen) and what the next slide is. No idea why the PC version doesn't do that.

As far as alternatives - OpenOffice runs just fine. They're supposedly working on a native version as the current one requires X11(installed by default). Although, I just checked their website and they're up to v3.0 now which *was* supposed to be the native version. It's been a while since I've looked into it, I'll download it when I get a chance and scope it out.

sheepofblue · 11-08-2008, 09:14 PM

excel is all I use anymore. IWork is ok but not up to excel for graphs.

Purpdust · 11-10-2008, 06:50 AM

I am a big Excel User and also Access, I wish they would add MS Access to the Office package for mac.

01-15-2007, 08:22 PM	#2
Geek 's make the world go 'round. Join Date: 01-02-2007 Location: SC Posts: 876	Re: Office 2008 for OS X Here are some screenshots: The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) __________________ "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people" Motorcycle fanatic?

11-08-2008, 02:52 PM	#3
ssg Super Moderator Join Date: 11-04-2008 Location: Redmond Age: 31 Posts: 42	Re: Office 2008 for OS X Installed this the other night, works ok after you download roughly the 1gb (unpacked total, about 600mb download) from Microsoft. Then again the dvd I had wasn't an SP1 version, so that is likely why. But I can tell you it was three separate downloads and only the first ~200mb one was the SP1 stuff. Joy... My $.02 is that it's nice they left the Windows and Mac function keys in here, because my brain always seems to use the windows (crtl-c / v / x / z) combo's no matter what spreadsheet I am in...and they work. The same is true here but they have at least also enabled the Mac shortcuts ( command c /v /x /z) of the same items just in case I do remember where I am. Other than that, I am not too sure what is O2k8 changes and what is changed for the Mac flavor of it. I have O2k5? I believe at the office and it's definitely different. I will say it at least does the courtesy of taking on the Mac interface and fonts...I totally expected Msoft to have found a way to make the Windows squared up and using Sans Serif or whatever their default font is, but nope. So far so good, but unless I really need the Msoft flavor I will probably investigate what else is out there. The genius at the store mentioned there was an Apple version of the software that did the same thing. I just wanted to be 100% compatible as I am still migrating alot of things. Though right now I feel like all I have done is give the evil people an excuse to attack my machine...not sure if it really adds a chink in the armor or not but I hope not to find out. I can't really give it thumbs up or down...its office dude, I just can't get excited or angry about software like this. The one odd thing is they renamed outlook express to entourage, which is sort of annoying because I said 'yes' to installing it - and now when I threw it in the trash the trash never empties because it contstntly tells me it's in use -- even though I have never used it and quit it immediately when I realized what it was. __________________ Just call me the resident n00b.

11-08-2008, 06:55 PM	#4
Geek 's make the world go 'round. Join Date: 01-02-2007 Location: SC Posts: 876	Re: Office 2008 for OS X Bring up Activity Monitor(found in Applications>Utilities). There is likely a process running in the background for Entourage still. I think there's a My Day type widget that's supposed to keep you informed of happenings on your Calendar/Task list. The coolest thing about Office on the Mac is Powerpoint. When showing a presentation with a projector/external display plugged in, it splits your screen so that you can see what's live(on the external screen) and what the next slide is. No idea why the PC version doesn't do that. As far as alternatives - OpenOffice runs just fine. They're supposedly working on a native version as the current one requires X11(installed by default). Although, I just checked their website and they're up to v3.0 now which was supposed to be the native version. It's been a while since I've looked into it, I'll download it when I get a chance and scope it out. __________________ "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people" Motorcycle fanatic?

11-08-2008, 09:14 PM	#5
sheepofblue The new economic plan Join Date: 01-03-2007 Location: Huntsville Age: 46 Posts: 491	Re: Office 2008 for OS X excel is all I use anymore. IWork is ok but not up to excel for graphs. __________________ A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

11-10-2008, 06:50 AM	#6
Purpdust Registered Member Join Date: 08-14-2008 Location: Canada (work in Italy) Age: 33 Posts: 49	Re: Office 2008 for OS X I am a big Excel User and also Access, I wish they would add MS Access to the Office package for mac.