Comments on: Microsoft Office for Mac 2008: Verdict? It's exceptional

Microsoft did something right with its new Office suite--of note are improvements to Entourage, says CNET Blog Network contributor Matt Asay.

[Cube Over]

http://cubeover.blogspot.com/2007/10/microsoft-officemac2008.html

[jelloburn]

I've heard the complete opposite reaction from everybody that has used the new Office 2008 regarding overly-complex menus and wasted screen real estate. Additionally, why put the MyDay app on your desktop? It seems like the perfect candidate for a widget and not a stand alone, screen wasting app.

I have yet to use the new suite and will only do so if I can get my hands on it for free before I graduate from college. If not, I will make the small investment in iWork and be done with Office until they make some UI changes.

[wango2007]

To most Mac users nothing Microsoft does is good enough. It's only good to 94% of the computer/software market that uses Windows.

Mac users are never going to be happy until the Earth is flat again, just like they always envisioned it.

[bigfatslob]

I got my copy for free from MS by watching some videos online. I got Vista that way too. I can also get a free copy from work, as I believe there's some kind of promo wherein an employee can install a version to use at home for office work or something like that. There's also plenty of other ways to get it for free, albeit not legitimately.

That said, it still ain't worth the money. I'm basically an Excel power user so I don't have much to say about the other apps, but I see no benefit to the upgrade at all. What's the point in having a million rows when the calculation speed for a simple 60,000 line workbook is slower than it was in Excel 2003? On a decent rig, pretty much any halfway complex thing I try to do takes forever. Worse, it sucks up all system resources. At least with Excel 2003, if I knew I had some complex formulas to process, I could let it calculate while I checked email or surfed the net, or even opened up a second instance of Excel and worked in there. With Excel 2007 all you can do is sit and watch the screen because it takes 100% of your resources so you can't even alt-tab away from the monster.

I'd like to whack Mr. Ballmer on his shiny white head.

[wango2007]

Nothing Microsoft does is good enough... except to 94% of the computer/software market.

Mac users are never going to be happy until the Earth is flat again, just like they envision it.

[craigar]

I'm a happy Mac user and what do you mean "UNTIL" the Earth is flat again? Oh, and do you really think that the 94% really believe Microsoft IS good enough? As a Office 2004 for Mac user, does that make me a believer that MS is good enough? NO! it only shows it's what I have to use because so many of my very dear PC friends provide me with files from that inferior platform. And I only use Office if I absolutely have to, which is almost never.

[Zimm2]

So what you are telling us is that you wouldn't mind if Microsoft stripped macro capability from the Windows version? I'm guessing that most people would disagree with you.

[kelmon]

That was a nice and constructive comment. I note that both Vista and Office 2007 were greeted with universal applause and acceptance across the PC market. Would you care to re-evaluate your statement?

In their defense, Microsoft does make nice mice.

[rcrusoe]

Lack of ODF is a show stopper for us. Microsoft's recent "downgrade" patch for Office that blocked older MS formats was a clear sign that they are trying once again to encourage (i.e. force) existing MS Office users into purchasing upgrades.

We are in the process of converting to ODF so we can keep our options open going forward. If MS will make include native support for ODF in MS Office (Windows & Mac) we'll probably keeping using it. If they don't, we won't.

[Zimm2]

Is Microsoft really getting this desperate? They can't beat Apple on a level playing field and so now they are using their monopoly power to restrict Excel users to Windows... I really feel sorry for them; things must be bad. No wonder Bill Gates left when he did. Now if he can only figure a way of all his stock holdings because I don't see Microsoft's future (near term anyway) being particularly promising.

[Matt Asay]

One more comment to add to my review: Search within Entourage is much, much faster and much more intuitive. This is a significantly better product. I wish I could use OpenOffice exclusively. I can't. (And yes, I've tried.)

[kelmon]

Matt - a question for you. Are you using Entourage with an Exchange Server and, if so, how do you find it? Also, how do you find the speed of Entourage when compared to Mail in Leopard? I'm contemplating an upgrade from Office:mac 2004 but Entourage seemed sluggish even on a PowerPC-based Mac and Mail tends to feel much zippier in comparison. You noted performance improvements in Entourage but is it fast enough now?

[Rosepeace2u]

I have NOT purchased the Microsoft Office for Mac. I would have done it in a flash, if it would have brought up the previous files from my Ibook Appleworks program. I ask repeatedly if this MacBook would access all of those files. I was told it would, that Mac always brings up the info from previous files. WRONG! I have years of Family stories, Genealogy Research, and I can't even tell how much has been lost unless I go back and fix my Ibook. Which I am seriously considering doing. If I can get it to work, I will either have to just use it for all of that information that is so valuable and irreplaceable. That was also one of the reasons that I went with a Mac in the first place. I am very frustrated and if the current plan is to make you buy a new program avery time you have to update your Computer and then lose all that info. --ALL were backed up on external hard drives but that didn't help a thing!
Therefore, until they can come up with a way to access my Appleworks files, I am NOT wasting my money on another program that doesn't do what I want! ANY SUGGESTIONS would be greatly appreciated!
[e-mail]