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Office for Mac 2011 or Parallels/Win7/Office 2010

RaidersFan223

RaidersFan223

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 21, 2012
32
0
Just got a new MBA and am loving it. However, Im trying to decide if I should get the Mac version of office or if I should install windows 7.

I heard that the office for mac comes with a ton of bloatware... almost 2 gigs worth. Is this removable (without removing word, excel, and powerpoint)?

Also, I know the Mac version might have slightly less features, but would you recommend it?

Thanks!
 
RaidersFan223 said:
Just got a new MBA and am loving it. However, Im trying to decide if I should get the Mac version of office or if I should install windows 7.

I heard that the office for mac comes with a ton of bloatware... almost 2 gigs worth. Is this removable (without removing word, excel, and powerpoint)?

Also, I know the Mac version might have slightly less features, but would you recommend it?
Click to expand...
I suppose you could drag the apps you don't want to Trash, but installing Parallels and Win7 will not use less space than Office2011 for Mac, even with the bloatware. I use Office2011 for Mac and it as about the same features as Office2010 for Windows.
 
Depends on how heavy of a user you are. There are some missing shortcuts and functions (like the table function) but for the most part I use my Office for Mac a lot more than my Office 2010 on Windows 7 through Parallels.

Sometimes I do need those select few functions and the Windows version has everything. If you are a power user or do not have access to another windows machine I may do that over the mac version.
 
For the most part Office 2011 is pretty comparable to Office 2010. Outlook 2011 is one-way compatible (i.e. you can migrate a Windows Outlook mailbox to Mac, but not back to Windows), and Outlook 2011 won't open up a .MSG file. If you don't need that capability, then I'd just stick with Office 2011. Windows itself takes up 16-20GB.
 
So I can just remove the bloat easily from the Mac version?

Thanks for the replies btw!
 
Unless you ABSOLUTELY need Microsoft Office you can install LibreOffice. I find it does pretty much everything I need for word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation stuff.

If you are a hard core VBA person, then LibreOffice probably isn't for you.

Best part of LibreOffice is that it's free, it does not take up 2 gigs of space, and it works with OS X very well.

http://www.libreoffice.org/

Hope this helps.
 
If you use data analysis as an add-on to excel, you will definitely need the windows version.
 
Depends on what you need it for, but for me, Office for mac does everything I need it to do. I'm a researcher and my main use is writing papers and presentations, and sorting data in excel. I wouldn't bother partitioning an Air just for the purposes of Office, unless there's a feature you really need that is only available in the Windows version.
 
I have found the Mac version of Office a little bit "funky". I live and die by Microsoft Office, and do very complex spreadsheets and powerpoints. Some PowerPoints I make or receive from the Windows version just don't look the same in the Mac version. Since I have both, I have basically reverted back to using the Windows version exclusively.
 
For Word, Excel and PowerPoint, its pretty much a toss up. they are nearly identical.

Outlook 2011 is a train wreck, so unless you MUST use it, don't. Use Mail or some other app or browser based mail solution. I was very disappointed with Outlook 2011 for Mac. It totally sucks.

on the other end, running Office through Parallels works well. If you have need of another Windows app, it might be the way to go.

you can also try CrossOver, which will allow you to install and run Windows apps without installing Windows. You can get more information here: http://www.codeweavers.com/
 
ChrisSpera said:
Outlook 2011 is a train wreck, so unless you MUST use it, don't. Use Mail or some other app or browser based mail solution. I was very disappointed with Outlook 2011 for Mac. It totally sucks.
Click to expand...

I agree... Outlook for Mac is a heavily "dumbed down" version of the Windows counterpart. Especially in the Settings/Preferences and Calendar features. I find it lacking..
 
ChrisSpera said:
Outlook 2011 is a train wreck, so unless you MUST use it, don't. Use Mail or some other app or browser based mail solution. I was very disappointed with Outlook 2011 for Mac. It totally sucks.
Click to expand...

Ditto that.

Also to the OP: You know, Office for Windows is a huge install too, right? Not to mention... Windows would add a huge chunk on top of that. Seems like a backwards approach if bloat is your concern.

Excel/Word/PP are similar. However if you need Access, Project, Visio, Publisher, or Outlook (Outlook for Mac doesn't count, see above), then you need the Windows version.

(Side note, OmniGraffle and OmniPlan are decent Project/Visio alternatives... but not for hard core users)
 
I'll be switching alot between my MBA and my Windows Office PC (several medium-copmplex documents) so I decided to 'play it safe' and have VMWare Fusion 4 with Win7 and Office 2010.
 
A hard core excel user on Windows, I hate the slight lag you can feel when clicking on a cell in Excel in Office:mac. It is a huge annoyance, I have the feeling it hinders my productivity big time... But it is STILL better than Numbers for any slightly intensive work with spreadsheet.
 
I have Office 2011 for Mac and office 2010 on parallels both work well honestly... But I really do prefer using Office 2011 on OSX. I haven't really noticed a delay with excel but I'm mostly in Word and PowerPoint.
 
denaliOnDubs said:
I have Office 2011 for Mac and office 2010 on parallels both work well honestly... But I really do prefer using Office 2011 on OSX. I haven't really noticed a delay with excel but I'm mostly in Word and PowerPoint.
Click to expand...

+1 Office 2011 for Mac. I use iWork when possible. But when Office is needed for convenience, there's been no major differences between the two for my uses.
I never much liked the PC versions of Outlook that ran relatively well. I suppose if I were an Outlook junkie I'd think about Office for Windoze.
 
Personally I'm not a fan of Office anymore. Outlook for Mac has a couple nice features, but if it were my money, I'd just get the iWork software. Pages, Numbers and Keynote. They have iCloud integration and there are direct compatible apps for iOS, so I could even work from my cell phone if my laptop were unavailable.

But if you have to pick one of the MS Office programs, I'd highly recommend Office for Mac over the Windows/Parallels option. The simple fact that you'd lose memory to the virtual Windows box is enough of a motivation for me.
 
I like Pages for iCloud integration. As for MSO 2010 or 2011, the OSX version is functionally identical in regards to WOrd, Excel and Powerpoint. The OSX version is peppier, and doesn't have as much bloat as long as you customize your installation.
 
I bought a 13" MBA in July and loaded Parallels 7 with an OEM copy of Windows 7 ($99) plus an old copy of Office 2003. I need Access for my work.

No problems downloading the programs or running them. When using the Parallels side, it like running OS and visa versa. No problems whatsoever.

Several people told me that the Office for Macs are not so hot.

Just my experiences.
 
Just opened my Excel OSX Office 2011 for the first time, and went HOLLY CRAP! like 4 rows of tools icons, whatever happened to KISS, Keep It Simple and Stupid?

If u want unbloated, find an old version (cheap/free?) of Office, it would probly work fine, specially if u don't need to exchange data with other users on a regular basis.
 
No question Office 2010 via VMWare/Parallels. Office 2011 just feels like an afterthought.

I do most of my real work in Office for Windows, my favorite feature is the handy save and send where I can email a file directly from Office/Excel/Powerpoint and not have to bother with finding it on the desktop and dragging it into Outlook.

I'm a dual user, I like both OS X Mountain Lion and Windows 7. They each have their strengths and weaknesses. That's why I have a Mac, the only machine that easily runs both OSes.
 
Until this week I would have said if Word is your main Office product then don't be silly - the Mac version is great and actually nicer to use than its PC counterpart.... But there are a few things it doesn't do. The dealbreaker for us at work is that PDFs created using Word don't actually contain any web addresses that may have been set up in the document using the hyperlink tool, so it does depend on your usage. What do you need?
 
Except for Outlook, I heard the Mac version (being 2011 rather than 2010) actually has extra features that the Windows version is missing.

----------
Mrbobb said:
Just opened my Excel OSX Office 2011 for the first time, and went HOLLY CRAP! like 4 rows of tools icons, whatever happened to KISS, Keep It Simple and Stupid?

If u want unbloated, find an old version (cheap/free?) of Office, it would probly work fine, specially if u don't need to exchange data with other users on a regular basis.
Click to expand...

Can't you reorganise the rows of icons to make it as simple as you need it, like in every other version of Office?
 
Peter Harrison said:
Can't you reorganise the rows of icons to make it as simple as you need it, like in every other version of Office?
Click to expand...

Of course. The nicer thing would be, as Apple's products suppose to do, don't overwhelm me with stuff, unless I specifically look for them.

Can't complaint really, got my company's discount $10, yes ten bux! for the whole OSX office suite.
 
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