Office 2008 on G3 Processors

[bunnspecial]

I don't know how many folks on here are Office users, but Microsoft lists the system requirements as the following

a Mac computer that has an Intel PowerPC G5 or a PowerPC G4 (500MHz or faster) processor
Mac OS X version 10.4.9 or a later version
512 MB or more of RAM
1 GB or more of available hard disk space
Mac OS Extended hard disc format (which is also known as HFS+ or HFS Plus)
Note To determine the format of the hard-disk, click About this Mac on the Apple menu, and then click More Info.
a DVD drive or a connection to a local area network (if you are installing over a network)
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor

I have successfully installed Office 2008 on the following G3-based computers:

350mhz B&W(1gb RAM)
500mhz iMac(1gb RAM)
500mhz Powerbook "Pismo"(1gb RAM)
800mhz iBook(384mb when installed, but now 640mb)

Although it is slow, it will install and run just fine. I didn't need any special "tricks" or anything else-I just popped in the install disk, installed normally, and it worked.

I'll also add that all of the above were running 10.4.11. I don't know if any earlier versions of OS X will work.

 

[poiihy]

a Mac computer that has an Intel PowerPC G5 or a PowerPC G4 (500MHz or faster) processor
Mac OS X version 10.4.9 or a later version
512 MB or more of RAM
1 GB or more of available hard disk space
Mac OS Extended hard disc format (which is also known as HFS+ or HFS Plus)
Note To determine the format of the hard-disk, click About this Mac on the Apple menu, and then click More Info.
a DVD drive or a connection to a local area network (if you are installing over a network)
1024 x 768 or higher resolution monitor

Intel PowerPC G5... noobs

 

[PowerMac G4 MDD]

Wouldn't it be more worth-it to put Office '04 or something on it? It's pretty similar in functionality, yet it's much faster.

 

[Lefty21]

Intel PowerPC G5... noobs

Probably just missing a comma...at least that is my hope.

 

[bunnspecial]

Wouldn't it be more worth-it to put Office '04 or something on it? It's pretty similar in functionality, yet it's much faster.

Two things:

1. I have a "site license" copy of 2008 that(legally) allows me unlimited installs as long as I'm still employed by the university and use it for at least some work related purposes(95% of what I do in office is for such purposes).

2. For backward and forward compatibility, I need the ability to read and create XML documents, something not available in 2004 and earlier.

 

[Intell]

You can edit and view XML based Office documents with the OpenXML converted for Office 2004. It works very well and adds native XML document abilities to Office 2004.

 

[bunnspecial]

I have a copy of 2004 that has-I think-3 licenses on it. Perhaps I'll try it on another computer and see what happens.

It would be nice if I could get a site-licensed copy of 2004, but it was like pulling teeth to get 2008(even though I eventually got it). Of course, now that I've gotten to know one of the guys in the IT store and explained my situation(as well as him understanding some of my eccentricities) I've had less trouble getting this kind of stuff.

All that said, 2008 really isn't that bad on the above listed computers.

 

[weckart]

Main drawback of 2008 is the lack of macro support. Automator does not cut it.

 

[PowerMac G4 MDD]

Two things:

1. I have a "site license" copy of 2008 that(legally) allows me unlimited installs as long as I'm still employed by the university and use it for at least some work related purposes(95% of what I do in office is for such purposes).

2. For backward and forward compatibility, I need the ability to read and create XML documents, something not available in 2004 and earlier.

Ah, I see---then that's a different story. I used '08 on my 800Mhz (640MB RAM) iBook G4 12" during a 6 week-long summer course, and it was kinda sluggish, but it did the job just fine. I like the notebook layout that they (I believe) introduced in around Office '04.

 

[roadbloc]

I wouldn't reccomend Office 2008 at all. Office 2004 if much better and is also compatible with docx xlsx pptx files with the open XML plugin.

 

[Hrududu]

I've been running office 08 on a 450MHz B&W G3 and it's not too bad. Large PowerPoint files are slow to navigate, but I don't see the performance as a major hindrance. I wouldn't go back to 2004 unless it was on a machine with considerably less memory.

 

[AlecZ]

I wouldn't reccomend Office 2008 at all. Office 2004 if much better and is also compatible with docx xlsx pptx files with the open XML plugin.

I'm also a fan of '04. Office just seemed to get worse after that.

 

[happyfrappy]

I'd use OpenOffice/LibreOffice before wasting time/disk space for 2008, notebook mode takes a serious lagfest with audio recording more so vs 2004.

2008 was the worst rushed release and IT departments went as far as to maintain 2004 licensing until 2011 was released. By the time 2008 hit EOL, performance on both PPC/Intel remained poor by MS standards and Microsoft was forced to make sure 2011 wouldn't be a rushed repeat.

XML plug-in for Office 2004 and maintaining it until 2011 launched spoke of how big of an impact to Microsoft of having two back-to-back failures(Vista until SP2 and Office 2008 but also 2007's ribbon menu hell on Windows). Apple took advantage of this and Pages '09 PPC/Intel ran laps around Word 2008 if you did page formatting adjustments(font type/size changes/tables/bullet lists/etc). Too bad Apple never added a notebook/Evernote type feature to Pages, it would of sunk Microsoft on the education front overnight back then

Main drawback of 2008 is the lack of macro support. Automator does not cut it.

Besides macros, they yanked VB scripting and an ugly bug is Office "Toolbox" gets stuck in Leopards' "Spaces"(aka virtual desktops like Linux had for years) until you exit Word/Excel/Powerpoint.
Copy-paste bug of documents shared to Windows gets an error of "QuickTime and a TIFF (LZW) decompressor are needed to see this picture".

Also the shift of Home & Student killing off Exchange support was a stupid move by Microsoft, at my former university they used Exchange Server for campus email if you hated the butt ugly webmail... our IT dept kept extra copies of Office 2004 unless someone had an Intel Mac and needed/wanted 2008.