Anyone interested in seeing MS get off their butt and offer retina support...

[blow45]

Here's how to do it (try being polite, though ) I for once wrote them a very encouraging note. If 2 months or so from now there's no update I am going to be "encouraging" in a different way.

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/product-feedback

To be fair apple should have by now updated their abandonware that is iwork, they can't expect third party vendors to come up with enhancements to support apple's new tech first...

 

[GGJstudios]

Patience! The Retina was just announced. Give developers some time to catch up. There are much smaller development companies who haven't gotten their apps Retina-ready, so why would you expect MS to do so?

 

[photosaurus]

I am interested, but I've got to wonder. What would Microsofts motivation be for updating Office for the Retina?

Maybe to prevent potential office consumers from switching to iWork or OpenOffice?

Besides Retina support, MS Office has been pretty slow to fix issues on the Mac version... and add to that, they're probably getting ready to release the 2012 version for windows only.

 

[Kaemon]

I am interested, but I've got to wonder. What would Microsofts motivation be for updating Office for the Retina?

Because Microsoft actually makes a nice chunk of change from Mac owners.

Patience! The Retina was just announced. Give developers some time to catch up. There are much smaller development companies who haven't gotten their apps Retina-ready, so why would you expect MS to do so?

Wouldn't larger companies be the first, and THEN the smaller companies?

 

[CapnJackGig]

Yes, because it makes huge sense to focus all your attention on one niche computer that just got released.

 

[borisiii]

Here's how to do it (try being polite, though ) I for once wrote them a very encouraging note. If 2 months or so from now there's no update I am going to be "encouraging" in a different way.

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/product-feedback

To be fair apple should have by now updated their abandonware that is iwork, they can't expect third party vendors to come up with enhancements to support apple's new tech first...

A few days after Lion released, MS announced they were working on an update to office that included Lion features, such as resume and full screen. It was a further 8.5 months before that update appeared. I wouldn't get your hopes up of seeing a retina update any time soon...

 

[GGJstudios]

Because Microsoft actually makes a nice chunk of change from Mac owners.

And they've been making money on MS Office for Mac longer than MS Office for Windows.

Wouldn't larger companies be the first, and THEN the smaller companies?

Not necessarily. List of Retina Ready Apps (3rd Party)

 

[Kaemon]

And they've been making money on MS Office for Mac longer than MS Office for Windows.

Not necessarily. List of Retina Ready Apps (3rd Party)

Huh... Well I hope at least Photoshop gets up fast. Thats where I spend a lot of my time on my PC, and I intend to use it on this as well once I get it...

 

[blow45]

I am interested, but I've got to wonder. What would Microsofts motivation be for updating Office for the Retina?

Maybe to prevent potential office consumers from switching to iWork or OpenOffice?

Besides Retina support, MS Office has been pretty slow to fix issues on the Mac version... and add to that, they're probably getting ready to release the 2012 version for windows only.

Well the way I see it is I paid good money for it, while most people I know got a cracked version instead. I am a mac user. I am about to buy a new mac, this mac has a retina screen and office should be compatible with it, since it's office for mac, not office for mac*, small print: *except the retina macbook pro.

But maybe I should be asking apple to get off their butt with iwork (btw, is iwork officially abandoware all jokes aside, are they ever going to update it? I expected what with app store versions, ipad versions, icloud, epub support that at some point they'd be decent enough to offer a proper new iwork... anyway...) because if there was one

In any case it doesn't hurt to leave feedback guys, so please do leave feedback to ms, make your presence and requests felt to them, because that's they only way we are going to get anything going, there ain't no other way.

----------

A few days after Lion released, MS announced they were working on an update to office that included Lion features, such as resume and full screen. It was a further 8.5 months before that update appeared. I wouldn't get your hopes up of seeing a retina update any time soon...

point taken, but it's in my character to act instead of get discouraged, and I am not ordering this rmbp for office to look worse not better than what it does now on my other macs.

 

[jcpb]

For one laptop model?

We don't need more software to be Retina-ready, we need more software to be resolution-independent.

Just because you forked out your money for a MS office suite doesn't mean MS should be listening to you.

 

[blow45]

Who are the two people that downvoted my post? Do they think we shouldn't give ms feedback? Do they think that apple is right to not have updated iwork while lecturing everyone else on the merits of retina and touting how close they are working with 3rd parties for retina support? This is probably the most mind boggling down rate I ve got.

 

[blow45]

For one laptop model?

We don't need more software to be Retina-ready, we need more software to be resolution-independent.

Just because you forked out your money for a MS office suite doesn't mean MS should be listening to you.

Are you one of the two who downvoted me?

Yeah for one laptop model, it's not as if apple are bringing retina screens across the line up as soon as they can, it's not as if intel predicted that in a year or so all computer devices will begin converging there. It's just a minor feature on one laptop model, it's not as if it's a feature they will HAVE to implement anyway for the whole line up of macs and eventually pcs....

Lol, just because I forked out money for their product they shouldn't be listening to me? Who should they be listening then, you that didn't fork out money for their product? Yeah maybe they shouldn't be listening to their customers, they should listen to the customers of coca cola, pepsi, ford and hp, because what good would it be to listen to the customers who actually paid for their software and put food on their table...mind boggling logic...

You don't know what you are talking about resolution independence, and you don't have one iota of understanding of it btw. Retina ready IS apple's implementation of resolution independence as close as they are willing to go. MS, or anyone for that matter, can't implement resolution independence on a per software basis, when the os doesn't have it. MS can do their thing with ri on their os, one could argue it's better than apple's implementation (I would) but if they are selling MAC software to MAC users they should support APPLE'S HARDWARE.

I said it before:
When one buys office for mac, they buy office for mac, not office for mac but not a certain kind of mac. The retina macbook pro is on the forefront of technology, it's the bleeding edge of macs. And MS have been well aware months ago that retina macs are about to hit the market. They should then try explaining to their customer who gets a new rmbp and goes and buys their software on the same day from the store whey their software looks like crap on their machine.

 

[eba]

The retina macbook pro is on the forefront of technology, it's the bleeding edge of macs.

And it will represent no more than a modest percentage of Mac sales for the foreseeable future, unless and until Apple updates its lineup across the board (which I predict will happen, if at all, more slowly than the enthusiasts here expect).

And MS have been well aware months ago that retina macs are about to hit the market. They should then try explaining to their customer who gets a new rmbp and goes and buys their software on the same day from the store whey their software looks like crap on their machine.

And anyone doing a bit of research would discover that, all the slobbering praise for the RD notwithstanding, some software (including some of Apple's own software) will look like crap on it.

 

[blow45]

And it will represent no more than a modest percentage of Mac sales for the foreseeable future, unless and until Apple updates its lineup across the board (which I predict will happen, if at all, more slowly than the enthusiasts here expect).



And anyone doing a bit of research would discover that, all the slobbering praise for the RD notwithstanding, some software (including some of Apple's own software) will look like crap on it.

Even if it represented 1 person who owned one mac only... office for mac is meant to be run in all lion enabled macs, not all lion enabled macs that ms chooses to support. Otherwise they should stick a big fat sticker on it and say NOT FOR THE RETINA MBP, so their buyers know.

It's where sooner or later technology is going, not just apple's everyones, and it's not just another laptop: It's the flagship pro notebook from apple, pro users willing to pay for it are expecting a pro suite from a pro company such as ms (don't laugh) to support it and pronto. Developers working from the basement of their parents managed to get pretty complex apps quickly supported for retina ipad, why should a multi billion conglomerate as ms be given leniency here?

I didn't exempt apple from this. I am not 15 playing fanboi to ms or apple, I am a consumer who wants choices. Apple is inexcusable for getting others to develop for retina, and not getting off their butts and being the first to bring retina ready iwork to os x. And I don't care what other priorities they had. When you issue a new device and you sell it at upwards of $2000 to your customers you better get your apps ready for it too. So in no way am I exempting apple.

But you are dead wrong in the software will look like crap, software not ready for it will look like crap, retina ready software will look stunning. So don't condescend me about doing my bit of research when you don't know what you are talking about, I am sorry to say. I ve done my research alright, and I am willing to take a hit in how say most of the web will look like, I am not willing though to let either apple or ms off the hook, and accept anything less than their working 24/7 to support what is arguably the most advanced notebook on the planet.


And you know what, -3 votes notwithstanding (which actually in these forums most of the time it's an honour...) nothing ever gets done unless the consumer applies pressure on the companies, and certainly in the tech world nothing ever gets done unless the consumer pushes said companies to get onboard new tech quickly. If it hadn't been for the consumers getting their way we'd still be stuck with microsoft bob if you get my drift.

High resolution screens are the wave of the future. As a paying customer of a pro suite I expect ms to honour my investment in them and promptly support their pro application for the mac on the most advanced mac apple is offering. All the more so since so many people are getting their office off torrents. Who knows I might be the next one getting it off torrents if they take their sweet time and get this ready by 2013.

 

[photosaurus]

I don't think anyone's arguing that morally, Microsoft shouldn't support Retina ASAP.

But Microsoft is a business, and they're going to do whatever makes the best business sense.

Everyone that wants it requesting it of Microsoft might help add business reasons in their collective mind. But as it stands, considering the percent user base of MS Office that consists of rMBP owners.. they might not feel it's a good business decision just yet.

Add to that they're fixing to release the next version of MS Office on windows, they may not want to put resources on supporting Retina just yet.

But... maybe they will. I hope so.

 

[blow45]

I don't think anyone's arguing that morally, Microsoft shouldn't support Retina ASAP.

But Microsoft is a business, and they're going to do whatever makes the best business sense.

Everyone that wants it requesting it of Microsoft might help add business reasons in their collective mind. But as it stands, considering the percent user base of MS Office that consists of rMBP owners.. they might not feel it's a good business decision just yet.

Add to that they're fixing to release the next version of MS Office on windows, they may not want to put resources on supporting Retina just yet.

But... maybe they will. I hope so.

Point taken. That's why I am suggesting to everyone to leave feedback to them and do it politely. It's a proactive step.

I do feel however that they might want to start rethinking some of the ways they do business, such as for example not being able to deactivate all your office versions to install them on another mac and binding installations with boot drives (http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2012/20120621_4-MicrosoftOffice-Key-Thieves.html)

If people are stealing their software as much as they are maybe in some part they are to blame, have they thought of that? Take a future scenario, hundreds of thousands of business and pro users wait for half a year for their retina supported office. How many of them are going to say, I am not giving them any money anymore, a torrent is a click away? Scenario b: In a few weeks ms are retina ready and offer a free upgrade to all their users so they are able to work properly on their expensive hardware. Almost all of them go, that's how a proper business software developer works, fast support for new technology honoring the commitment of their customers. People should pay for their software so we can have this level or service.

I guess it's up to them how they wanna play it, but to me scenario b is how I would play it if I were running ms.

 

[malman89]

Well the way I see it is I paid good money for it, while most people I know got a cracked version instead. I am a mac user. I am about to buy a new mac, this mac has a retina screen and office should be compatible with it, since it's office for mac, not office for mac*, small print: *except the retina macbook pro.

But maybe I should be asking apple to get off their butt with iwork (btw, is iwork officially abandoware all jokes aside, are they ever going to update it? I expected what with app store versions, ipad versions, icloud, epub support that at some point they'd be decent enough to offer a proper new iwork... anyway...) because if there was one

In any case it doesn't hurt to leave feedback guys, so please do leave feedback to ms, make your presence and requests felt to them, because that's they only way we are going to get anything going, there ain't no other way.

Guess you either need to blame Apple for not giving Microsoft enough heads up to have anything cooking prior to launch or you just need to sit patiently and make sure your undies don't get in a bundle. They're working on it.

 

[eba]

But you are dead wrong in the software will look like crap, software not ready for it will look like crap, retina ready software will look stunning. So don't condescend me about doing my bit of research when you don't know what you are talking about,

The software I'm talking about is the software you're whining about.

 

[blow45]

Guess you either need to blame Apple for not giving Microsoft enough heads up to have anything cooking prior to launch or you just need to sit patiently and make sure your undies don't get in a bundle. They're working on it.

Leave my undies aside malman, and leave feedback too if you are interested in working on your rmbp office without headaches. This is called being pro-active. Btw as much as I blame apple for not updating their own apps, retina tools for lion have been there a long while, and there wasn't a single news item NOT pointing to retina display mac being released at any point within the last few months. What more heads up do they need, Tim Cook on their doorstep pleading to them? They have a responsibility to their users first and foremost. Like I said if they want to keep selling office -and at the prices they are selling it at anyway only the ones able to afford a rmbp are able to afford office to be frank- in the interim they should make it clear to their customers that it doesn't yet support a % of the macs on the market, namely the latest and greatest, and that at the moment it's not office for mac, it's "office for some macs - not the best ones"

The software I'm talking about is the software you're whining about.

I see you 've missed quite a bit of my post there.

 

[eba]

I see you 've missed quite a bit of my post there.

You volunteered to be an early adopter of a technology that currently represents a tiny fraction of Apple's Mac sales. And you're mad that an important app you use doesn't work well with the new technology. I get that.

What I don't get is why you seem surprised.

 

[blow45]

I am not really mad at ms, not at all, I ll be mad at them in a month or two though, because like I said if any dev from their moms basement (and I mean no offense whatsoever with this, it's a figure of speech, ios devs are some very talented and admirable bunch) can have retinazed some pretty complex ipad apps in a couple of weeks I would expect ms to be able to do this much faster, office complexity notwithstanding.

The whole point of the thread anyway is to raise awareness and have people leave feedback to ms to be heard. I can't see why this suggestion would get a -8 vote count, I guess that surprises me more than anything, people are strange I guess.

 

[eba]

The whole point of the thread anyway is to raise awareness and have people leave feedback to ms to be heard. I can't see why this suggestion would get a -8 vote count, I guess that surprises me more than anything, people are strange I guess.

Now, THAT I agree with. With all the folks here gushing about how wonderful the RD is - which it is with the right apps - it's important to note the it can be less than wonderful with the wrong apps.

And I up-voted you for that.

 

[photosaurus]

And I for one DID click the link supplied in the OP, and asked for Retina support.

 

[blow45]

it's as simple as that guys, you ask you get... sure enough you might ask and not get (colour sidebar apple ) but as soon as the... feedback hit the fan at apple they got off their butt and fixed some serious problems with lion. The only sure thing is that if people don't leave feedback for what they want there's gonna be some manager or exec in the software company going it's all just a bunch of interweb whining let's not do it.

 

[jcpb]

Are you one of the two who downvoted me?

Why would anyone admit to downvoting you?

You don't know what you are talking about resolution independence, and you don't have one iota of understanding of it btw.

Meanwhile, you're trying to get Microsoft to change their software to work with 0.00001% of its installed user base just because it's not working well with one single system configuration.

You don't know what you're talking about, let's just put this bluntly.