Office 2008 for Mac Coming this Year

Advertisement (Why?)

Thanks to Hurmoth for posting this in BPN.

Microsoft has announced that Office 2008 for Mac will be a universal binary release, meaning it can run on both Macs with Intel chips and on those with PowerPC chips. Just like Office 2007, the release focuses on revamping the user interface and will use the new XML file formats. Microsoft also announced that file converters for old Office for Mac documents will be available two months after the Office 2008 release, a beta version coming this spring. The new suite will not be using the Office 2007 “ribbon” but will be using the “element gallery”. "It's very Mac-like. It's not an incredibly abrupt change for our users," said Microsoft's Sheridan Jones.

Office 2008 for Mac has a few mac-only features. One program is called My Day; it offers users a quick way to view calendar information and unfinished tasks. "It's always there on your desktop; you can always see it," Jones said. As well, Microsoft Word 2008 offers improved page layout options: users can view the look of the final project as they edit. Finally, new templates called ledger sheets, offering built-in banking formulas, are available in Excel 2008.

Pricing was not announced but Jones expects similar pricing to that of Office 2004.

News source: News.com

#1 Spartan_X on 09 Jan 2007 - 22:58

super!

#2 Detroit on 09 Jan 2007 - 23:08

yey

(2 replies) #3 Galley on 09 Jan 2007 - 23:11

I think I will be sticking with iWork '07 (if they ever announce it).

#3.1 AMDMEFX-55 on 09 Jan 2007 - 23:27

So how can you be sticking to something that you never used?

#3.2 Galley on 10 Jan 2007 - 18:36

Quote - (AMDMEFX-55 said @ #3.1)

I meant that I have been waiting to purchase iWork '07. I loved the '06 demo that came with my MacBook.
FWIW, an Apple Consultant told me last night that Steve's presentation was using Keynote '07.

(2 replies) #4 MeWhOeLsE on 10 Jan 2007 - 00:52

No ribbon? I thought that was what made Office 2007 (which this will no doubt be compared to) unique? I for one love the ribbon so I guess I'll be getting a dell laptop this time. Oh well. lol.

(I know people might flame me for making such a big OS decision over a ribbon, but office is practically all I'll use on it)

#4.1 .Neo on 10 Jan 2007 - 12:44

lol

#4.2 Fanon on 10 Jan 2007 - 14:40

I can't blame you. I wrote two books last year with the 2007 beta. I cannot imagine using 2003, or any other office productivity suite, again.

#5 osirisX on 10 Jan 2007 - 00:55

Anything that replaces the floating toolbars will be great.

#6 ArtOf_War on 10 Jan 2007 - 03:41

The ribbon in Office 2007 is just plain awesome

#7 billyea on 10 Jan 2007 - 04:15

I don't wanna go back to crappy menu bars!

#8 callumy on 10 Jan 2007 - 06:08

Something for non Mac users to remember is that the menu bar is also present in Mac OS X as it is part of its design. Maybe the ribbon interface just didn't convert terribly well to the way the Mac works? Oh well.

Cal

#9 Jayzee on 10 Jan 2007 - 10:32

No thank you! I'll stick with Neo office or Openoffice when then do the final aqua release.

#10 .Neo on 10 Jan 2007 - 12:46

I think it looks really nice and well designed. Huge improvement over Office 2004. It might make me switch back from iWork, but I won't know that for sure until I have the chance to compare both application suites.

#11 C_Guy on 10 Jan 2007 - 16:40

It's nice to have a professional application suite for the Mac that can actually be used in the business world and in mixed environments. We sure couldn't be mixed if all we could use on the Mac side was Appleworks or *shudder* iWork.