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The END of Mac:Office...

Les Kern

Les Kern

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Apr 26, 2002
3,063
76
Alabama
Below is a link that details how MS will first delay the required tool needed to convert their new format to a Mac-compatable one, THEN that Macros for Mac will NOT be supported. I have 700 copies in a Mac environment... and I'll need a solution within 2 years. I'll be DAMNED if I will continue on a path with a company that ALWAYS does things in the best interest of themselves.

http://www.macworld.com/2006/12/opinion/microsoft/index.php?lsrc=mwrss
 
risc said:
That made me burst out laughing. You're joking aren't you? You just described every single company on the face of the planet!
Click to expand...

No I haven't, friend. For instance, Apple itself takes the time to think what they can do to benefit Apple, the recording industry, THEN makes a product for the USER. Take the Zune, and please describe to me where ONE function was designed for the user... With their billions in R+D you would think they could come up with something, ANYTHING that is made for the benefit of it's customers. And I'm not talking about "it plays music", I'm talking about their pricing scheme, the incredibly stupid DRM in it, and placing advertisements in the form of 3-day old squirted songs that cease to play.
No, MS is a different beast altogether.
 
Les Kern said:
Take the Zune, and please describe to me where ONE function was designed for the user... With their billions in R+D you would think they could come up with something, ANYTHING that is made for the benefit of it's users.
Click to expand...

Brown...
 
this just gives users one more reason to move everything to Apple... the latest version of iWork is rumored to include a spreadsheet program, making Office unnecessary. similarly, i know a lot of people who have switched entirely from Office to Google's online documents/spreadsheets service (which, as we know, is free).

Microsoft should know they cannot isolate the Mac community. even if they do send us out to sea, i'm sure a third party will be able to make a program to make up for their lack of development... one instance: Flip4Mac.
 
pianoman said:
this just gives users one more reason to move everything to Apple... the latest version of iWork is rumored to include a spreadsheet program, making Office unnecessary. similarly, i know a lot of people who have switched entirely from Office to Google's online documents/spreadsheets service (which, as we know, is free).

Microsoft should know they cannot isolate the Mac community. even if they do send us out to sea, i'm sure a third party will be able to make a program to make up for their lack of development... one instance: Flip4Mac.
Click to expand...

Been pondering what to do. We use some of the advanced Excel features, but NEVER Macros. We DO get some from the State... actually executables that require a PC... but we have a few PC's and some with Parallels.
I'm thinking we can make the change away from MS altogether when some of the other mentioned solutions come about, which they WILL of course, in 2-3 years. But all of our 2,500 users are trained, and all of our manuals are made. What a nightmare.

psychofreak said:
Brown...
Click to expand...

Not just brown, but BABY-CRAP BROWN.
They need to hire more gay men. :)
 
Les Kern said:
No I haven't, friend. For instance, Apple itself takes the time to think what they can do to benefit Apple, the recording industry, THEN makes a product for the USER. Take the Zune, and please describe to me where ONE function was designed for the user... With their billions in R+D you would think they could come up with something, ANYTHING that is made for the benefit of it's customers. And I'm not talking about "it plays music", I'm talking about their pricing scheme, the incredibly stupid DRM in it, and placing advertisements in the form of 3-day old squirted songs that cease to play.
No, MS is a different beast altogether.
Click to expand...
You have got to be kidding. Yes, Apple (and any company that does their homework) takes the time to find out what their customers need and then produce those products, but it is in THEIR BEST INTEREST to do so. You can't convince me that Apple does anything just to please the customer if it has no benefit to them as a company. Get real! Apple is a corporation and is in business to make money.
 
danny_w said:
You have got to be kidding. Yes, Apple (and any company that does their homework) takes the time to find out what their customers need and then produce those products, but it is in THEIR BEST INTEREST to do so. You can't convince me that Apple does anything just to please the customer if it has no benefit to them as a company. Get real! Apple is a corporation and is in business to make money.
Click to expand...

You are slitting hairs here and not paying attention to what the man is attempting to say. He is making a very valid point. The customer should be an important part of the decision process. He is not so, when he is being extorted!
 
SMM said:
You are slitting hairs here and not paying attention to what the man is attempting to say. He is making a very valid point. The customer should be an important part of the decision process. He is not so, when he is being extorted!
Click to expand...

That's right... you get it! :) Nuance, my friend.
Now pardon me while I try to figure out how many points I have left for my baby-crap brown Zune after I gave Microsoft my credit card number so they can hold that excess cash they have from it since 79 points is equal to 99 cents and you have to buy $5 incriments. :D

(Full disclosure: I don't ACTUALLY HAVE a Zune)
 
danny_w said:
You have got to be kidding. Yes, Apple (and any company that does their homework) takes the time to find out what their customers need and then produce those products, but it is in THEIR BEST INTEREST to do so. You can't convince me that Apple does anything just to please the customer if it has no benefit to them as a company. Get real! Apple is a corporation and is in business to make money.
Click to expand...

You don't get it friend, and you didn't answer my question about the Zune. How about the fact they came up with plans to SELL you anti-virus software for Windows? How about the fact you had to CALL THEM to get a code after you attempted to install your VALID copy of XP on another machine after the old one died? How about their INCREDIBLY assinine pricing structure? No, Microsoft does things, and the things they do don't even remotely care about YOU and YOUR productivity... they just want YOUR dough.
Nope.
 
the idea of dropping VBA in next version of Office for Mac is also a hint that XML will be the future and Microsoft starting to fade out the old VBA stuffs, what VBA can do XML can do it simplier.
XML is a much more dynamic tool comparing to VBA
 
They are especially silly as iWork will almost certainly have Open XML support come January (apple are one of the people using it AFAIK.), so will be 100% compatable with Office '07.
 
Eraserhead said:
They are especially silly as iWork will almost certainly have Open XML support come January (apple are one of the people using it AFAIK.), so will be 100% compatable with Office '07.
Click to expand...

I sure hope so... Looking for an Excel and Word replacement myself. I have HAD it with crashing Powerpoints and font issues in Word.
 
In general, MS products tend to have lots of annoying features (like the examples already posted above) bundled in to aggravate the customers. Since MS's dominance in the market, the customer is the captive audience and is forced to go along with whatever MS piles up on their creaky products. The only things I like MS products are MS Money and Office. I can do without the rest of their products, frankly speaking. It's just amazing how much you can achieve by clever marketing and competition-crushing strategies even with sub-par products.
I hope Apple or Mac-oriented software companies will come up with Excel-type apps. I just don't care if there is no innovation in the products as I would be more than satisfied if they copy every major features of MX Excel to Mac-Excel-type product.
The last thing I want to do is to run Windows on the virtual machine (Parallels) to run Office 2007 on my Mac. I don't want that crap eating up my Mac's hard drive space. The reason I am using Mac is I could not stand Windows (which is very un-elegant OS) and prefer using Mac OS.
 
YS2003 said:
In general, MS products tend to have lots of annoying features (like the examples already posted above) bundled in to aggravate the customers. Since MS's dominance in the market, the customer is the captive audience and is forced to go along with whatever MS piles up on their creaky products. The only things I like MS products are MS Money and Office. I can do without the rest of their products, frankly speaking. It's just amazing how much you can achieve by clever marketing and competition-crushing strategies even with sub-par products.
I hope Apple or Mac-oriented software companies will come up with Excel-type apps. I just don't care if there is no innovation in the products as I would be more than satisfied if they copy every major features of MX Excel to Mac-Excel-type product.
The last thing I want to do is to run Windows on the virtual machine (Parallels) to run Office 2007 on my Mac. I don't want that crap eating up my Mac's hard drive space. The reason I am using Mac is I could not stand Windows (which is very un-elegant OS) and prefer using Mac OS.
Click to expand...

Well said. I'm sure there are a fair number of developers out there that are reading about this, and making plans. Apple has always relied on those developers to bring more functionality to the Mac... Actually I am one of them!
 
Now Apple is in the market leader position in online music areas (ie. consumer markets), I hope Steve Jobs will focus a little more on the business world. Productivity apps such as Office is essential to get Apple penetrate into the business world. All young people will go into the business world eventually and even if they are exposed to Apple in school environment, they would be forced to stick with MS Windows environment.
iWorks is a good attempt by Apple. I like Keynotes. The missing piece is a solid business level app to cover functions for what MS Word and MS Excel are positioned in the market.
 
I for one would love to see mac ONLY apps for Macs that could be a good replacement for word and whatever MS makes. I don't have any microsoft crap on my computers. My work uses mac computers (a University) and they use excel, word etc... My boss is always screaming about problems he's having with it.
I currently just use appleworks but I'm not doing anything fancy or need anything other than what it offers. I haven't even checked into what iworks does and what it offers.
 
Eraserhead said:
They are especially silly as iWork will almost certainly have Open XML support come January (apple are one of the people using it AFAIK.), so will be 100% compatable with Office '07.
Click to expand...

Oh, I think you are overstating this. Not from Apple's end - but based on the past 15 years (at least), I am quite sure Microsoft will find ways to introduce compatibility problems with this "standard" format.
 
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