January 19, 2008 5:59 AM PST
2. Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 (Special Media Edition)
Editors' rating: 7.8
The good: Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 offers good looks that encompass deeper features than other Mac productivity software; business users get full Word mail merge, robust Excel spreadsheets, and better tools in Entourage; amateur desktop publishing features better polished documents; runs on Intel-based Macs.
The bad: Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 is pricey; saves work in new file formats by default; Excel drops Visual Basic support; features don't match the depth of those in Office 2007 for Windows.
The bottom line: Office for Mac 2008 may be the best pick for business users, but most people can get by with less costly alternatives.
Read CNET's full review
Price range: $428-$494
Photo by Microsoft
