Microsoft Releases Office for Mac With Apple Silicon Compatibility, Universal Build Still in Beta [Updated]

[MacRumors]

Following Apple's unveiling this week of M1-powered Macs, Microsoft has released a new version of its Mac Office 2019 for Mac that includes support for macOS Big Sur and compatibility with Apple Silicon machines.

This means the latest release of apps including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and OneDrive can be installed and run on Apple's latest 13-inch MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini using Appel's Rosetta 2 translation layer.

Thanks to Apple's Rosetta 2 translation software, Apple's M1-powered Macs can run x86-64 code that's written for Intel Macs. In contrast to OG Rosetta – the version that allowed PowerPC apps to run on Intel-based Macs – code isn't interpreted in real-time. Instead, the Rosetta 2 translation process happens entirely on first launch, though there is a slight performance hit as the initial x86–64 translation of instructions takes place.

Microsoft's announcement sheds light on how the back-end work manifests to the user when its apps are initially launched:

Are there any performance considerations for running Office under Rosetta 2 translation?

The first launch of each Office app will take longer as the operating system has to generate optimized code for the Apple Silicon processor. Users will notice that the apps 'bounce' in the dock for approximately 20 seconds while this process completes. Subsequent app launches will be fast.

Microsoft advises users to install the November 2020 release (build 16.43), or later, which includes the latest optimizations for macOS 11 Big Sur. This build will eventually need to be replaced by a version that uses the new Universal 2 binary format that was introduced at 2020 WWDC in June.

Apple says Rosetta 2 is a temporary solution for developers to make their existing Intel-based programs to run on Arm-based Macs, meaning they will eventually need to create native apps for Apple Silicon machines. Notably, Apple ended support for OG Rosetta three years after its release.

Update: The original article incorrectly referred to this build of Office for Mac as a "Universal build," however that version is reportedly only currently available to users enrolled on Microsoft's "Insider Fast" Beta channel, and is yet to have been given a final release date.

Article Link: Microsoft Releases Office for Mac With Apple Silicon Compatibility, Universal Build Still in Beta [Updated]

 

[Geurt]

Good to see the quick jump on the Silicon-car from Microsoft! They must have seen the enormous performance differences with Intel as well, they probably hang out the flag now their struggle for optimised code is less needed.

 

[Radeon85]

So MS gets this ported to the new silicon very quickly, but Adobe may not have their programs like Photoshop ported until early 2021, great job Adobe, lazy sods.

 

[Serban55]

no news here...Microsoft lives from services...so it was on their big interesting to jump right in

 

[ruka.snow]

So MS gets this ported to the new silicon very quickly, but Adobe may not have their programs like Photoshop ported until early 2021, great job Adobe, lazy sods.

Adobe has a lot more work to do here.

 

[Serban55]

So MS gets this ported to the new silicon very quickly, but Adobe may not have their programs like Photoshop ported until early 2021, great job Adobe, lazy sods.

They are already realising lightroom next month...photoshop 2021 early...you cannot compare photoshop with office (that is in beta) , photoshop is more complex to port, dont believe Apple when you just check a box and its ready

 

[James_C]

Microsoft are much more on the ball this time with the move to Apple Silicon - I remember the pain of having to use Office via Rosetta during the prior PowerPC to Intel transition, Microsoft took forever to release a Intel version of Office for the Mac.

 

[macbookpro212]

Microsoft, so much potential yet so little progress as a company.
They never really understood what their customers wanted and most importantly what they wanted Microsoft to be.

Leadership matters... cheers to Tim Apple.

 

[G5isAlive]

I’m confused, why if this is a native port, is there so much in the article about Rosetta 2? Is it native silicon code or not? Or did they just do something to help Rosetta 2?

 

[ikir]

So MS gets this ported to the new silicon very quickly, but Adobe may not have their programs like Photoshop ported until early 2021, great job Adobe, lazy sods.

Affinity Photo and Pixelmator will be ready in few days I'm quite sure. Adobe is.... obsolete

 

[Pangalactic]

So MS gets this ported to the new silicon very quickly, but Adobe may not have their programs like Photoshop ported until early 2021, great job Adobe, lazy sods.

I can't imagine anyone using Photoshop / Premiere Pro / other adobe products for professional work jumping onto the first untested iteration of the new Apple Silicon. There is so much other stuff missing that it's gonna take a while anyway before this becomes something feasible.

 

[James_C]

’Im confused, why if this is a native port, is there so much in the article about Rosetta 2

No this current stable release is optimised for Big Sur, but not Universal Binary. It is running under Rosetta 2, which needs code recompiling under the first run. The Insider Beta release 16.44 is Universal Binary.

Note edited to distinguish between current stable release and Beta 16.44

 

[tagy]

I’m confused, why if this is a native port, is there so much in the article about Rosetta 2? Is it native silicon code or not? Or did they just do something to help Rosetta 2?

I was thinking the same, the linked article says universal binaries are coming later. The macrumors title is confusing if that is the case.

 

[ascender]

Its good to see Microsoft on the front foot with this but its no surprise really.

I guess if the new machines are as-fast as the seem to be, the impact of Rosetta should be minimal (and not even noticeable) for most apps?

 

[Mazda 3s]

I’m really confused, this doesn’t sound like a port if it’s just using Rosetta 2. Isn’t that just what all x86-64 apps would be using to run on an Apple Silicon Mac? Pretty much any non-Apple app you already have installed?

So why would Microsoft have to release a new beta just to use Rosetta 2? Can someone please explain this to me?

 

[Ritsuka]

Nope, the "Insider Fast" build is already out and Universal, so it will run native. Macrumors article is just wrong.

 

[James_C]

So why would Microsoft have to release a new beta just to use Rosetta 2? Can someone please explain this to me?

The new current stable release is optimised code for Big Sur.

 

[m53rd]

Microsoft are much more on the ball this time with the move to Apple Silicon - I remember the pain of having to use Office via Rosetta during the prior PowerPC to Intel transition, Microsoft took forever to release a Intel version of Office for the Mac. I know this Beta release is not Native Apple Silcon code (Universal Binary), but at least Microsoft are working hard on a native version. With the power of the new M1 Chip and the improvements in Rosetta 2, I expect no performance hit compared to running on an Intel Mac.

Thank goodness Microsoft took so long last time or we never would have heard that famous Steve Jobs line that Office under Rosetta “scrolls like butter”

 

[wubsylol]

This story is confusing as there’s nothing to indicate that the previous version of Office could not be run on Apple chips.

 

[Number 41]

I’m confused, why if this is a native port, is there so much in the article about Rosetta 2? Is it native silicon code or not? Or did they just do something to help Rosetta 2?

It isn’t a native port — which raises questions about how well Rosetta 2 works out of the box on apps that haven’t been “optimized” (or whatever the hell MS is doing to Office).

Theoretically, MS shouldn’t have needed to do anything here until they released a native app.

 

[xxray]

That Microsoft Office logo/picture with the four rounded corners slightly outlined always makes me think I have a hair on my screen

 

[johannnn]

I'm confused! Is this insider beta actually native code (=fast), or just Rosetta 2 code (=slow)?

Edit:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1326568648543100928

it's a universal build = native fast code.

Edit 2: But at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...b69-bdc0-2bb4c9a36834?ui=en-us&rs=en-us&ad=us they're talking about Rosetta 2 translation.

I'm confused!

 

[Nozuka]

I feel like i know less after reading this, than i did before ?

 

[MacBoy88]

I’m confused just like the rest of you... are these really universal binaries? Why the 20 second launch time of so?

 

[AbSoluTc]

You all really need to rectify the title of this article. It's NOT an app that supports AS. It's an app that supports Big Sur and will run through R2 on AS.

Very misleading title.