SPREADSHEET

Reviewed: Office 365

Office 365, announced today, gives professionals and small businesses a subscription service that lets them work from anywhere using familiar-feeling Web-enabled applications. Combined with hosted versions of Exchange, SharePoint, and Lync, Office 365 is designed to enable users to share, collaborate, and communicate in the cloud. In our testing during the beta, we found that the tools worked well across the board (with some hiccups), and expect that many people who use Office on desktop Macs and PCs will appreciate the familiar look and feel, which should help them get up and running quickly.

Obviously, Office 365 is going to … Read more

Edit Word and Excel files on your iPad for free

You have one more great reason to chuck your laptop in favor of an iPad when embarking on your next road trip. With only a few extra clicks you can edit Word and Excel files in the Safari browser on your iPad. The trick is to convert the files to the native Google Docs formats to make them available for editing on the iPad.

The easiest way to ensure the current version of your Word and Excel files are editable on your iPad is to use the free Google Cloud Connect toolbar for Microsoft Office, which I described in a … Read more

Intuitive inventory

No one wants to think about floods, fires, or theft, but these terrible things can and do happen. Having an up-to-date home inventory can make thousands of dollars' worth of difference when it comes to filing insurance claims after a disaster. Home Inventory Spreadsheet is a basic Excel spreadsheet that can help you make a list of your most important possessions and their worth. Although this isn't really anything you couldn't do on your own with Excel, the spreadsheet has a nice layout that makes it easy to get started.

The spreadsheet organizes your possessions by room, breaking … Read more

Office² HD 4.0 adds PowerPoint support, mostly

Office², the app that lets you view and edit Microsoft Office Documents, has just today announced support for PowerPoint Presentations with version 4.0, making it a good way to take your Microsoft work with you on your iPad, but it has one major limitation.

It's no secret that when Apple's first iPad hit stores, working people wondered if they could get rid of their laptops and use the touch screen for business and productivity purposes. Apple offered up solid, but abbreviated versions of their own iWork suite (with some Microsoft compatibility), but many users' companies relied … Read more

Collaborate on the go with Google Docs for Android

The long-awaited Google Docs Android application lets you create, edit, and share documents right from your Android mobile device. It's minimal and intuitive, and shuffling through your documents and collections is as easy as on the full-blown site. Also, the app comes with some nice touches like an optional home screen widget and integrated Google Cloud Print, which enables you to send files to connected printers from your handheld.

When it comes to creating on the go, the Google Docs app is limited to Document and Spreadsheet types. However, this doesn't seem like much of a letdown since … Read more

Excel documents not opening after Office update

Update: Microsoft has released another update for Office 2004 (version 11.6.2) which corrects this problem.

On Tuesday, Microsoft released updates for both Microsoft Office 2004 and 2008 to correct some security vulnerabilities in the software, but a number of people are having difficulties opening some Excel spreadsheets in Office 2004 after the update.

As mentioned by CNET member and MacFixIt reader Kurt in the comments of our article announcing the update:

"After applying the update yesterday, some Excel documents refuse to open. For a fraction of a second the open progress bar shows up, then nothing happens.&… Read more

Office 2011 for Mac reviewed

In spite of being viewed as the "other guys" in some Mac users' minds, Microsoft has generally put out an excellent productivity suite for the Mac with Microsoft Office. Though the latest package is still not on par with the Windows version (you get only the four main programs--a big difference when you consider the Windows version has 10), Microsoft made a big leap with this latest version for the Mac in several other ways. Not only has it nearly reached feature parity (and cross compatibility) with the Mac counterparts to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, but it has … Read more

Reviewed: Office 2011 for Mac

Microsoft announced today it will be taking preorders for Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac. Microsoft says this major update will bring the Mac version of its office suite almost on par with the Windows version of the product. With significantly better cross-platform compatibility, several added new features, and some impressive interface elements exclusive to the Mac version, Office 2011 for Mac might be the best in its class.

Over the past couple of weeks, we had the chance to check out the entire suite--including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook--and we think there's plenty to be excited about. New and … Read more

The Web's best desktop-app replacements

Microsoft Office has been and will continue to be the most popular productivity software in the world. That's not likely to change with the release of Office 2010.

But the fact is, much of the work we do in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Office apps can be accomplished perfectly well using the basic features available in the Web-based equivalents to these and other desktop apps. Here's a quick look at three such services, all of which offer both free and paid versions. I'll also describe a bunch of specialty sites that can help smooth out your … Read more

It's all in the Numbers

Numbers for iPad works well for creating spreadsheets and organizing data while away from your desktop, with a multitude of useful tools and a smart interface design to make your spreadsheet work easier. The app comes with a Getting Started file that walks you through everything from basic spreadsheet use to more complicated features using an intuitive tabbed interface. As you learn the various features, the Getting Started file directs you to try them on your own as you go--an excellent way to learn the ins and outs of Numbers.

The touch interface makes interacting with spreadsheets easy. Add rows … Read more