Microsoft Office 2008 Update Brings Speed Increases and New Features

[MacRumors]

Microsoft today announced that it will be releasing Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Service Pack 2 later today, a free update bringing speed enhancements and other new features to the application suite. The update is scheduled to launch at 10:00 AM Pacific Time and will be available on Microsoft's Mac download page and through the Microsoft AutoUpdate application.

Microsoft Corp.'s Macintosh Business Unit (MacBU) released Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Service Pack 2 (SP2) today -- a midcycle free update that is designed to improve the Office 2008 experience where it matters most to customers: speed, stability and compatibility. SP2 delivers highly requested features throughout the suite as well as a new tool, Document Connection for Mac, that helps improve access and browsing to documents on SharePoint Products and Technologies and Microsoft Office Live Workspace.

The new update reportedly brings significant speed increases to Word (app launching and scrolling) and Excel (calculation performance). Updates to PowerPoint will also allow users to set default themes for new presentations, as well as offer a new Custom Path Animation tool to allow users to create their own motion-path animations.

Office 2008 for Mac SP2 will also bring new tools for document sharing and collaboration via Document Connection for Mac, which will allow users to save and open Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents to Microsoft Office Live Workspace directly from Microsoft Office applications. Microsoft Office Live Workspace is also now compatible with Safari 4 in addition to the existing support for Firefox 2.0. Finally, Document Connection improves access to collaboration tools for Mac users via integration with Microsoft's SharePoint solution for server-based content management.

Article Link: Microsoft Office 2008 Update Brings Speed Increases and New Features

 

[Tallest Skil]

[satire] It crashes faster and the error screens are longer and more detailed! [/satire]

 

[Sky Blue]

Does it finally work with Spaces? Boggles the mind that 2004 worked fine with Spaces, but 2008 is all sorts of broken.

 

[Jason Lee]

Wonderful. I just deleted Word this morning. My timing is the best.

 

[thefunkymunky]

Only speed updates to Word and Excel? What about Entourage? - It has got to be the slowest mail reader ever - on any platform, but I need to use it to access my company's Exchange server.

 

[GoCubsGo]

I have it here to install, this may be the reason I do it. I just need a week off work to do all of the MS updates.

 

[PlaceofDis]

glad to see some improvements rather than none. lets hope this just makes it a better product in the end since i use Word quite a bit these days.

 

[occamsrazor]

Only speed updates to Word and Excel? What about Entourage? - It has got to be the slowest mail reader ever - on any platform, but I need to use it to access my company's Exchange server.

...and I'd wish they'd add some basic yet missing exchange functionality like the ability to create and modify server-side rules...

 

[igazza]

about time..

 

[MacDawg]

Does it finally work with Spaces? Boggles the mind that 2004 worked fine with Spaces, but 2008 is all sorts of broken.

My understanding is the Spaces issue is more on the Apple Side than the MS side, but regardless, the end result is that it doesn't work

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[Michael73]

Hallelujah! I'm running my office suite on a Mac Pro but you wouldn't know it. Application launch and responsiveness makes a Yugo look like a Ferrari.

 

[maclancer]

New features but not visual basic macros for Excel, what a shame from Microsoft.

 

[Full of Win]

Wow, way to go Microsoft, if it can be delivered relatively bug free.

Now how about working on some iPhone apps, such as portable versions of the suite and perhaps a PowerPoint controller?

Come on, I heard Apple say that you don't have the chops to do it, how about you prove them wrong!

 

[GoCubsGo]

My understanding is the Spaces issue is more on the Apple Side than the MS side, but regardless, the end result is that it doesn't work

Woof, Woof - Dawg

Wait what? Spaces is broken with 2008? I need to read about known issues before I install.

 

[jackc]

Hopefully i'll be able to actually install it. I gave up on trying to install the last update or two after getting inexplicable errors.

 

[adisor19]

Thank goodness ! i was starting to think they abandoned the Document Collaboration tool.. Working with sharepoint intranet on the mac is a total pain. Let's hope this thing finally brings some much needed love to the mac platform and sharepont integration.

Adi

 

[HLdan]

Only speed updates to Word and Excel? What about Entourage? - It has got to be the slowest mail reader ever - on any platform, but I need to use it to access my company's Exchange server.

No worries mate, Snow Leopard's on it's way. It will fully support MS Exchange right through Apple's mail and Calendar and you won't be slave to Entourage.

 

[impierced]

...and I'd wish they'd add some basic yet missing exchange functionality like the ability to create and modify server-side rules...

You'll continue to wait, until the next version of Office.

Though there will be a separate update for Entourage released at the same time, Entourage for Web Services, which is faster and includes Notes and Tasks sync'ng, along with color code sync for calendar items, and a few other items.

MS has stated it will be a separate update as it will only be compatible with Exchange 2007 and later.

 

[Herrow]

Does it finally work with Spaces? Boggles the mind that 2004 worked fine with Spaces, but 2008 is all sorts of broken.

Apple was less of a threat to M$ in 2004

 

[MacDawg]

Wait what? Spaces is broken with 2008? I need to read about known issues before I install.

Yes, Spaces is a known issue

Also, if you have run XSlimmer or other code strippers, the Auto Update feature has not worked

Of course the lack of VBA support in Excel has been a bone of contention as well

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[impierced]

No worries mate, Snow Leopard's on it's way. It will fully support MS Exchange right through Apple's mail and Calendar and you won't be slave to Entourage.

Not completely accurate. Apple's implementation will not have full Exchange support. While a great first release, there will be many Exchange features that are in Entourage that will not be available in Mail.app/iCal/Address Book.

True delegate support comes to mind as well as public folders and other things.

 

[kitenski]

ref Entourage there was a seperate beta release MSft made which really improved my access to corporate exchange from outside my companies network.

However that appears to be running in a parallel code track, and your warned not to install any service packs once it's installed!

cheers,

greg

 

[jbennardo]

Wonder if it will make those annoying certificate messages go away. I've gone away from Entourage completely at work via Exchange. I use Outlook webmail because I'm constantly getting told my certificate is no good and then getting booted.

 

[impierced]

Entourage will get some love

Entourage for Web Services update should be released alongside of the Office 2008 Service Pack 2.

Microsoft has stated it will be a separate update as it will only be compatible for customers who use Exchange Server 2007 or later.

The update will have some intelligence built-in to the installer. Essentially, it will detect if you're using Exchange Server 2007 or later and if not, will recommend that you not apply the update as it will not be backwards compatible.

 

[windowpain]

Hopefully i'll be able to actually install it. I gave up on trying to install the last update or two after getting inexplicable errors.

I had the same problem..thankfully it led me finally dropping it entirely and using other (free!) alternatives.. A blessing in disguise.