Microsoft Begins Shipping Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/09/15/microsoft-begins-shipping-office-2008-for-mac-business-edition/)

Microsoft today announced (http://www.officeformac.com/blog/The-MacBU-Means-Business--Edition-) that it has begun shipping Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition (http://www.microsoft.com/mac/promotions/default.mspx), replacing the previous Standard Edition and Special Media Edition with a single package offering the complete Office suite with support for Microsoft Exchange included.The new Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition is a lot like it sounds... a suite that's packed with tools and features needed to grow and manage a business. It has all the familiar Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Entourage, all updated with Service Pack 2) while including new tools to provide a more complete productivity package for the enterprise:

- Entourage 2008, Web Services Edition - Provides faster data synchronization so Entourage users on Exchange 2007 will experience improved email and calendaring support. Additionally, we've added the ability to sync Tasks, Notes and Categories - one of the top customer requests - making Entourage 2008, Web Services Edition the best client for Exchange on the Mac.

- Document Connection for Mac - Improves access and browsing to documents on SharePoint Products and Technologies and Microsoft Office Live Workspace for streamlined collaboration

- Extras - More than 200 business-related templates and clip art, along with lynda.com trainingOffice 2008 for Mac Business Edition carries a recommended retail price of $399.95 for the full version and $239.95 for an upgrade version. The existing Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Home and Student Edition, which offers the basic Office components but lacks a number of advanced features (http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/Office2008/shop-now.mspx#compare), continues to be offered at a suggested retail price of $149.95.

Microsoft announced (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/08/13/microsoft-details-shift-from-entourage-to-outlook-for-next-major-release-announces-office-2008-business-edition/) the introduction of Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition last month alongside details of Outlook for Mac's inclusion in the next major version of Office scheduled for launch in late 2010.

Article Link: Microsoft Begins Shipping Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/09/15/microsoft-begins-shipping-office-2008-for-mac-business-edition/)

[thegoldenmackid]

Wonderful. Glad I just dropped a decent amount of money on the Special Media Edition.

[BornAgainMac]

That is a lot of editions for a simple group of Apps.

[twixx007]

I currently have MS Office 2008 and iWork ’09. Frankly I like iWork ’09 better because it's faster and it runs a lot smoother IMO.

[Boesky]

How long until its on a Warez site?

[zachwill]

good thing Excel still doesn't have VBA.







****in microsoft

[Undecided]

It includes clipart? Why? Does anyone actually use clipart any more?

[Yodalogger]

I can't wait for the clip art and lynda.com training!! <vomit>

[Diode]

It includes clipart? Why? Does anyone actually use clipart any more?

People seem to love it for their generic powerpoint slides.

[viktore]

It includes clipart? Why? Does anyone actually use clipart any more?

More like: Has anyone ever actually used clipart at all?

[vrillusions]

http://www.openoffice.org/

Feel free to send me the $400 per seat you save. I've used a version of openoffice (neooffice before openoffice was native) for years now. Only if there's some weird graphics on it do I ever have a problem, and that's rare. Also don't think it opens the .docx that you need the latest office to view. Although the people that do have MS Office have had to change the default from .docx anyways since their customers couldn't open them.

[Michael73]

Thanks but no thanks.

I already have Office 2008 and will sit this one out till late-2010 when the next version comes out.

In the meantime, seriously how many people are really going to get this "new" edition? I would guess that most people who want/need Office for Mac already upgraded. Most PC switchers getting a Mac for the first time are probably consumers not businesses and will stick with the Home/Student Edition and save the $250 up-charge.

[acidfast7]

I have an iMac with 8GB of RAM and I can't believe how crappy Office 08 runs :(

However, in our experience, the other office suites (OO, AbiWord, etc...) can't produce the documents we need in .doc format without formatting issues.

What a piece of *!%&* MS Office is.

ugh

[mwxiao]

When are they going to do some serious updates on MSN??? I can't freaking believe it. It's been so long.

[acidfast7]

http://www.openoffice.org/

Feel free to send me the $400 per seat you save. I've used a version of openoffice (neooffice before openoffice was native) for years now. Only if there's some weird graphics on it do I ever have a problem, and that's rare. Also don't think it opens the .docx that you need the latest office to view. Although the people that do have MS Office have had to change the default from .docx anyways since their customers couldn't open them.

I liked OO for simple stuff ... but every research grant I submit has 1-2 embedded images per page and it just can't handle it in .doc format. I'd love to switch (it's not even the money, but rather the smoothness).

ugh

[DipDog3]

Less versions are better in my book.

[madrag]

I have the 2008, I don't see much benefit in getting this "new" version.

(why did they keep the 2008 for this new version?)

[MalibuMatt98]

Glad I got my for free when I originally purchased Office 2004...I only use it Excel for work, other than that iWork 09 is better suited for me.

[hirshnoc]

MS knows it's 2009 right?

[Toe]

MS knows it's 2009 right?

Yeah, but they got it out months before 2010. :rolleyes:

So they can still release Office 2010 (sometime in the next 2-3 years) with even more bloatware and charge out the wazoo for that too.

[megatronbomb]

MS knows it's 2009 right?


Shhh! It's all part of their "Roll Back the Millennium" marketing plan. They hope to recapture the glory days of Windows 95! :D

[heisetax]

It includes clipart? Why? Does anyone actually use clipart any more?

The best use for clipart is when you are at school. Other than that I may have used clipart once in 25 years.

[Fastshutter]

http://www.openoffice.org/

Feel free to send me the $400 per seat you save. I've used a version of openoffice (neooffice before openoffice was native) for years now. Only if there's some weird graphics on it do I ever have a problem, and that's rare. Also don't think it opens the .docx that you need the latest office to view. Although the people that do have MS Office have had to change the default from .docx anyways since their customers couldn't open them.

Mac 2008 Business Edition has new tools for Sharepoint services. Does OO have the same abilities to work on team documents?

How long until its on a Warez site?

Why is it Applefanboys have no problem shelling out 3x the $$$ for Apple computers but are too poor to pay for software?


Most PC switchers getting a Mac for the first time are probably consumers not businesses and will stick with the Home/Student Edition and save the $250 up-charge.

Why would consumers buy the Business Edition? A company that relies on Sharepoint will instantly see the benefit of the new version and supply the software to employees that need it.

[Fastshutter]

The best use for clipart is when you are at school. Other than that I may have used clipart once in 25 years.

Our office admins use clipart for every notification they send out.

[Fastshutter]

Less versions are better in my book.

Take away more choice! It's the Apple way! :rolleyes:

[BeyondtheTech]

Meh, I'd rather keep my Microsoft stuff shoved in a separate box. Like Parallels running Windows XP, then plop a copy of Office 2007 inside it. I feel dirty as it is. ;)

[heisetax]

I have an iMac with 8GB of RAM and I can't believe how crappy Office 08 runs :(

However, in our experience, the other office suites (OO, AbiWord, etc...) can't produce the documents we need in .doc format without formatting issues.

What a piece of *!%&* MS Office is.

ugh

I have a 1st gen Intel Mac Pro 3 GHz with 13 GB of ram & the speeds I get with Excel 2008 makes it very unusable. MS Office 2008/2008 are both downgrades in usability from MS Office 2003/2004. I won't say anything about what others call bloat because some of those features are actually useful to others as well as to me.

Hopefully Office 2010 in general & Excel 2010 will once again prove to be useful. I can not depend on Apple to keep allowing me to run my PPC apps on my Intel Macs.

[Surely]

Is this MacRumors or MSRumors? MS stories sure are dominating the front page today......


And to vrillusions: NeoOffice > OpenOffice

[heisetax]

I have the 2008, I don't see much benefit in getting this "new" version.

(why did they keep the 2008 for this new version?)

But its not new software, just anew mix.

[KALLT]

Office is a great suite for Windows, but not for Mac. It's bloated, slow and just terrible—nothing like Office 2007 for Windows. I would be so happy if Apple manages to support .doc more properly. Although I personally don't want to use .doc anymore, my university still doesn't accept other types or at least pdf.

I would like to switch completely to iWork, but it's just not possible at this point.

[finalcut]

Will this be as slow as the normal edition?

[heisetax]

Is this MacRumors or MSRumors? MS stories sure are dominating the front page today......


And to vrillusions: NeoOffice > OpenOffice

As I said before Apple & the Mac has been getting more boring & less exciting. MS is doing these things to get Apple on its toes & make some real changes. Even OS 10.6 Snow Leopard has little to make one excited. I try to run it each day, but it seems to be lacking something that is definately in 10.4.11 & is finally getting into OS 10.5.8. PPC users have nothing to worry about missing. The $25 & free shipping was much better than the $29 + shipping from Apple.

IF MS can't get Apple to do something new & exciting who can.

[tom.]

Do you all have to turn spaces off to use office? I find it completely unusable, so I'm using Latex for everything at the moment.

[jgbhardy]

MS knows it's 2009 right?

Didn't Microsoft have a problem with Zune's counting the date wrong and they all started failing. Someone buy a calendar and send it to Redmond please!!

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/09/15/microsoft-begins-shipping-office-2008-for-mac-business-edition/)

Microsoft today announced (http://www.officeformac.com/blog/The-MacBU-Means-Business--Edition-) that it has begun shipping Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition (http://www.microsoft.com/mac/promotions/default.mspx), replacing the previous Standard Edition and Special Media Edition with a single package offering the complete Office suite with support for Microsoft Exchange included.Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition carries a recommended retail price of $399.95 for the full version and $239.95 for an upgrade version. The existing Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Home and Student Edition, which offers the basic Office components but lacks a number of advanced features (http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/Office2008/shop-now.mspx#compare), continues to be offered at a suggested retail price of $149.95.


Hmmm now I want Exchange support and an Office suite do I a) spend $399.95 on Microsoft Office or do I b) buy Snow Leopard with integrated Exchange Support and iWork 09 for $110. And they Apple has extortionate prices.:rolleyes:

When are they going to do some serious updates on MSN??? I can't freaking believe it. It's been so long.

MSN 8 is in Beta and has been for about... too long a time. Office was the last major program to be coded on Intel when Apple switched over, I know they want you to use windows instead to use their programs but its only creating more of a bad name for themselves being shoddy programmers.

[heisetax]

Shhh! It's all part of their "Roll Back the Millennium" marketing plan. They hope to recapture the glory days of Windows 95! :D

I thought that you meant MS-DOS compared to CP/M.

[frittino]

$399.95 for an office suite ???? This is embarrassing :eek:

[jgbhardy]

Will this be as slow as the normal edition?

Even Slower ;)

[speedbumpnv]

so i have the special media edition (from what i gather its the same as the standard edition with extra stuff you dont have to install) do i have to pay for Business to get the entourage update? or will MS push a SP for the existing Standard and Media users?

[heisetax]

Our office admins use clipart for every notification they send out.

I guess that I do too much accounting work. There is no pace to put images on most forms. Actually my Nebraska form has several images on it that work just like clipart. For that matter my signature is nothing more than an image that is again just like clipart.

I'm glad to hear that someone uses these features as built. One person's useful feature is another person's bloat. Its good that you remind me that I actually use clipart in one form or another.

[donlphi]

I had hoped it would include a MS Access or something similar.

I don't have to deal with Access too much at my job, but enough to ask, is there software that opens an Access Database? Just curious.

[pdjudd]

I had hoped it would include a MS Access or something similar.

I don't have to deal with Access too much at my job, but enough to ask, is there software that opens an Access Database? Just curious.

Only Access can really work with access databases a program that Microsoft does not seem interested in converting to the mac.

[flottenheimer]

$399.95!!!!!!!!! :eek:

[Mattie Num Nums]

$399.95!!!!!!!!! :eek:

Why does everyone believe software suites should be cheap. Office is a robust suite of software that does more than your homework. Office 2008 has been great at my work with over 12,000 machines with a 2003 exchange server backend.

[BornAgainMac]

Office 2008 should be faster. It also needs to do something more to warrant the higher price besides just being compatible. It also should either have a better Mac experience or just copy Office 2007. It is neither.

[twoodcc]

seems nice, and i'm glad to see that microsoft is still working on mac products, but that price is still outrageous though

[Fastshutter]

It also should either have a better Mac experience or just copy Office 2007. It is neither.

I agree. I think it would sell better if it was a clone of the Windows version. Has the Mac BU ever given a reason for creating such akward software in relation to Office 2007?

[MorphingDragon]

That is a lot of editions for a simple group of Apps.

Can you say VISTAAAAAAAAA or SEEEVEEEN!!!???

[BongoBanger]

$399.95 for an office suite ???? This is embarrassing :eek:

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/office2008/shop-now.mspx

It's $150 for the productivity suite. The one you refer to is a business class suite.

Can you say VISTAAAAAAAAA or SEEEVEEEN!!!???

Or XP. Except no-one does because there weren't many tech blogs around then to blow up a complete non-issue.

[indie1982]

Remember $399 is for a single retail version, places that Volume License will pay no where near this.

[macmyworld]

I have no problem with MS charging whatever they want to for their "suite". But please make the thing perform better. It is still brutally slow.

[chameleon81]

$399.95 for an office suite ???? This is embarrassing :eek:

Why?

Lets say you are a business. Normally you update your office suit once every 3-4 years ( sometimes you keep it for a longer time ) which makes its cost approximately 100 dollars a year.

[MacManX]

Where is Messenger:Mac 8? WHERE IS IT???? :confused:

[Thomas2006]

I am sure Microsoft wants to write one base code and use it for both Windows and OS X, but it seems to me that with Macs on the rise, Carbon and PowerPC being abandoned, Microsoft would rewrite the Office applications using Cocoa, top-to-bottom.

[mandoman]

I second this question. Do 2008 Media Edition and/or Standard edition users great a free crossgrade, or super cheap crossgrade?

so i have the special media edition (from what i gather its the same as the standard edition with extra stuff you dont have to install) do i have to pay for Business to get the entourage update? or will MS push a SP for the existing Standard and Media users?

[phairphan]

I second this question. Do 2008 Media Edition and/or Standard edition users great a free crossgrade, or super cheap crossgrade?

From what I can tell, the only real difference between this new bundle and what you currently have is Entourage, Web Services Edition (and maybe some more clipart). Entourage WSE has been a free download at MacBU (http://www.microsoft.com/mac/downloads.mspx?pid=Mactopia_Office2008&fid=1C4DED5B-A992-490F-A8F8-DB1B05B9E422#viewer) for over a month for current Entourage 2008 users. Document Connection was included in Service Pack 2, which was released this summer.

[CallsignBaron]

$400 and NO Access, NO Publisher, NO Groove, NO OneNote and NO InfoPath??? AND, thats about $65 more than Office Ultimate for Windows (http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Office-Ultimate-2007-VERSION/dp/B000HCTY26/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1253060349&sr=8-5). And, we are supposed to say thank you to Microsoft for giving a nod to Mac users. Sorry, but if you drop four bills on this garbage you're a moron! :rolleyes:

[phairphan]

$400 and NO Access, NO Publisher, NO Groove, NO OneNote and NO InfoPath??? AND, thats about $65 more than Office Ultimate for Windows (http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Office-Ultimate-2007-VERSION/dp/B000HCTY26/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1253060349&sr=8-5). And, we are supposed to say thank you to Microsoft for giving a nod to Mac users. Sorry, but if you drop four bills on this garbage you're a moron! :rolleyes:

And don't forget that Exchange support in Outlook is more robust than in Entourage (which just got the ability to sync tasks and notes with WSE). If you're already running Windows in a VM, you're arguably better off getting the PC version of Office.

[CallsignBaron]

And don't forget that Exchange support in Outlook is more robust than in Entourage (which just got the ability to sync tasks and notes with WSE). If you're already running Windows in a VM, you're arguably better off getting the PC version of Office.

Agreed!

[ekdor]

2008 is here!! They are ahead of schedule. Well I'm impressed. Damn shame I don't need office.

Gave it up and haven't looked back. I don't even have a windows machine or partition that's been started at all this year. Yay!

M$ software for Mac is the way it is deliberately to undermine the Mac users experience. It runs better on Windows, maybe the next machine we get will be a Windows machine because we are sick of the crappy version of the monopoly software on the Mac.

Apple like OpenOffice use the standards for .doc M$ don't and it's deliberate. There are some interesting papers been published regarding M$ conduct in this way, it's how they operate. 1. support feature/software/company 2. expand the software features not included in standards. 3. introduce their competitive version. 4. Kill or degrade the support for the competitive features/software. This leaves their shiny new software the one that still works well. M$ Office isn't new of course but it's done this all along and it's still doing it. Shoddy Mac support is part of it. MSN also, when was the last time Window Media Player was updated, seems like 10 years to me. Not that I care, just a damn shame that the tactic works.

[Jodlesx]

Office 2007 for Windows is one of the more decent products MS has come up with in the last years. I use iWork now, but had a decent version of 2007 come for the Mac, I would switch in a second.

[chameleon81]

2008 is here!! They are ahead of schedule. Well I'm impressed. Damn shame I don't need office.

Gave it up and haven't looked back. I don't even have a windows machine or partition that's been started at all this year. Yay!

M$ software for Mac is the way it is deliberately to undermine the Mac users experience. It runs better on Windows, maybe the next machine we get will be a Windows machine because we are sick of the crappy version of the monopoly software on the Mac.

Apple like OpenOffice use the standards for .doc M$ don't and it's deliberate. There are some interesting papers been published regarding M$ conduct in this way, it's how they operate. 1. support feature/software/company 2. expand the software features not included in standards. 3. introduce their competitive version. 4. Kill or degrade the support for the competitive features/software. This leaves their shiny new software the one that still works well. M$ Office isn't new of course but it's done this all along and it's still doing it. Shoddy Mac support is part of it. MSN also, when was the last time Window Media Player was updated, seems like 10 years to me. Not that I care, just a damn shame that the tactic works.

Can I use Keynote on any other OS system? NO. Can someone edit the presentations I created on Keynote if they dont have keynote? NO ( keynote extension )

Are my Keynote presentation as impressive as in their native format when I save them in other formats? NO.

So why am I always criticizing MS ? I dont know.

[EagerDragon]

I am not sure this adds enough to interest me.

If they added Visio, Access and Project, then I would be interested. Yes there are other alternatives in the Mac platform, but for full compatability, it would be best if they all came bundled from Microsoft.

I like Pages and Keynote, but when you convert there are always issues, and the transitions are different. If I have a presentation that I must physically provide to a client, I always have to debate between doing it in Keynote or doing it in PowerPoint so I do not have to convert and make adjustments.

BTW, my copy in Keynote always wows them and the powerpoint one underwhelms them, LOL.

[Chimpy]

I'd like to upgrade but I hate that damn ribbon so much :mad:.

[Toe]

M$ software for Mac is the way it is deliberately to undermine the Mac users experience.

True that.

Word was an awesome Mac word processor... up through version 5. Then with version 6 it became completely unusable. After that, they realized that making it absolutely horrible wasn't quite the right approach, so they improved it enough for it to just be annoying and cumbersome. They seem to be sticking with that balance, while their Windows software is completely incomparable.

[kwame]

Only Access can really work with access databases a program that Microsoft does not seem interested in converting to the mac.
:(

shame that
just bought my first mbp and was looking forward to installing Access on it...

partitioning my HD so i can install windows and Access

[iMAVERICKam]

Why is it Applefanboys have no problem shelling out 3x the $$$ for Apple computers but are too poor to pay for software?

The computer is worth it. ;)

[iMAVERICKam]

Can I use Keynote on any other OS system? NO. Can someone edit the presentations I created on Keynote if they dont have keynote? NO ( keynote extension )

This is a small problem.

iWork to MS Office exports are not always 100% perfect, but usually good enough to send around, come back to the iWork user and have the changes integrated back into the main iWork file. I'm not just making excuses; this is a problem that would best be solved with iWork for Windows, but it is not a deal breaker for everyone.

Are my Keynote presentation as impressive as in their native format when I save them in other formats? NO.

This is not a problem.

When exported to QuickTime, Keynote presentations look just as snazzy... transitions and all. Oh, whadda'ya know, I just heard that QuickTime is now available for Windows!

[Mal67]

I agree. I think it would sell better if it was a clone of the Windows version. Has the Mac BU ever given a reason for creating such akward software in relation to Office 2007?

I have Office 2008 but find it cumbersome and slow. I feel like a traitor for saying this but I now do all my word processing using Office2007 under bootcamp. It seems a pity that the two programs from the same company should be so different.