office 2008: M$ Stab at Mac

[killerwhack]

Microsoft is up to it's old tricks again. I just read the Office 2008 reviews in Macworld....

The key points:

- VB macros removed from office 2008

- Office 2008 not really different from 2004 (in functionality)

- Office 2008 supports the new xlsx and docx formats.

- Automation of workflows accomplished via applescript


So it seems that Office on the mac is going to be a red-headed stepchild and widespread adoption of this package will maroon Mac owners away from the existing body of office 2007 users.

Now is the time to say no and to stop the game. Get open office and proactively lobby everyone you know to adopt openoffice.

Find and buy products that convert documents from docx and xlsx into open document formats. Use PDF as much as you can.

 

[clevin]

i wish i can

first look isn't good, too big toolbars, too little work space.

But hey, its UB, so should be faster than my 2004.

 

[johny5]

its definitely not worth the high price to *purchase* it.

 

[clevin]

its definitely not worth the high price to *purchase* it.

$130 for 3 licenses?

 

[acxz]

first look isn't good, too big toolbars, too little work space.

Default: http://sixpop.com/images/file/71152426.png
Zoomed in, full screen, like you would in Windows...: http://sixpop.com/images/file/45329305.png

How much work space do you need?

 

[hob]

I've been using Word '07 for my dissertation, with VMWare Fusion. I thought I'd give office '08 a whirl, and so far I'm not impressed.

I wanted to write a quick report on what I'd done, so used my existing dissertation as a template to keep it all consitent. Office '08 couldn't edit the file very well, kept moving stuff all over the place.

Oh well, I thought - and started from scratch. I chose "Heading 1" and wrote "Introduction" at the top, and the font was all over the place! The spacing between each letter didn't work, the i was bashing into the o... oh dear.

So i'm sticking with Word '07 for now, I think it's the best product Microsoft has put out for years!

 

[clevin]

Default: http://sixpop.com/images/file/71152426.png
Zoomed in, full screen, like you would in Windows...: http://sixpop.com/images/file/45329305.png

How much work space do you need?

obviously my "first look" was at a maybe misleading pic

 

[grahamtearne]

Office 08 is a solid release IMO, only for the regular user.

The dropping of VB is a joke.

Whats more Messenger still sucks. Although the MBU blog says video will be in next release although they cannot give a time frame!

 

[acxz]

obviously my "first look" was at a maybe misleading pic

Yeah I was weary of those old screenshots but the extra toolbars have to be opened.

They've actually done quite a bit of work on making sure Office 08 feels like it should be on a Mac. I'm very impressed.

 

[johny5]

$130 for 3 licenses?

Sorry I was referring to the version with supposed "exchange support". This is £349.
How one can justify an extra £249 so that you can log in to a Microsoft exchange server only to then have LIMITED exchange capabilities is beyond me.
If I were to reply or forward a mail on entourage on one Mac, if i went to another Mac and logged into the same exchange account then it doesnt show that I have replied or forwarded. How pathetic.

Calendar support is also very limited and you can only view one calendar at once.
If they want to make you pay a premium for using a Business version then they could at least make the business version worth its cost.

 

[kuwisdelu]

I've been using NeoOffice ever since I got a Mac, and I've been trying to get as many people as I can to switch to open-source alternatives. I could get MS Office '08 for $30 from my university, which seems like an easy choice for the price, but really I don't see the point. NeoOffice fits my needs, and MS Office has always seems too bloated and over-complicated by comparison to me.

So I agree... open-source all the way!

 

[Cromulent]

Once iWork becomes a bit more mature I think it will be a good option as well.

 

[Bern]

Last year Pages replaced Word. I used is to write a thesis, 2 journals, 3 book reports, several contracts and letters. Converting it to a pdf or .doc has been hassle free and no problem to the recipients.

 

[northy124]

Yh i use iWork as well MS Office 2008 is BS not buying it keeping iWork 20x better