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Cody Dawg · Oct 1, 2004, 09:03 AM

So, in the name of wanting to support MacNN's banner advertisements I clicked on the Microsoft "Test Drive" above and tried to download it to give it a chance to seduce me into buying it. However, clicking on the download link (I am running IE 5.2) does not work.

No problem, I thought, I'll just go to Mactopia.com and download it there.

Couldn't download it there either.

Anyone else have the same issue?

ManOfSteal · Oct 1, 2004, 10:43 PM

Try here, it works for me...

storer · Oct 2, 2004, 08:19 AM

Are you OSX or OS9? Office is only compatible with OSX

Cody Dawg · Oct 2, 2004, 08:35 AM

I finally got it to work.

But, as far as "test driving" it, forget it.

What a ripoff.

You download it and across everything is "MICROSOFT TEST DRIVE." On every Word document or Entourage email.

And, as far as I can see, it's not that much different from Office X.

As soon as I saw that I could not REALLY use it because it would have graffitti all over it, I simply removed it and went back to my regular Office X.

Microsoft,

tooki · Oct 2, 2004, 10:10 AM

It's a demo version. What'd you expect, that they let you test the whole thing forever with no limitations?

(IIRC, the banners only appear after 30 days.)

tooki

G4ME · Oct 2, 2004, 11:38 AM

i want to say that you only have 30 days to test drive it and then it wont work after that.

Cody Dawg · Oct 2, 2004, 12:47 PM

tooki:

Sorry, but have you downloaded it? The banners are not up after 30 days...the banners/graffiti are all over it IMMEDIATELY. I downloaded it, used it/tested it for one hour, then uninstalled it.

Cody Dawg · Oct 2, 2004, 12:48 PM

G4ME: I think you're right -- after 30 days it says it will no longer work. All I know is that it had watermarks all over it.

That's fine, I suppose. But, one cannot REALLY "use" it if it's going to be watermarked all over it that it is a test version.

the_glassman · Oct 2, 2004, 12:55 PM

Try NeoOffice/J it isn't pretty but it works great and gets the job done.

Synotic · Oct 2, 2004, 04:17 PM

Originally posted by Cody Dawg:
But, one cannot REALLY "use" it if it's going to be watermarked all over it that it is a test version.

Why's that exactly? I don't think a watermark is going to take away from your experience of trying out the software.

storer · Oct 2, 2004, 04:20 PM

Originally posted by Cody Dawg:
Microsoft,

You've been a member since july and its taken you this long to figure that out

Cody Dawg · Oct 2, 2004, 06:35 PM

Okay, this is what I'm trying to say, albeit more succinctly.

When I buy a new Mac, Microsoft Office X Demo is on there already, right? (All of you who have purchased a new Mac recently know what I'm talking about.)

BUT, it does not have "TEST DRIVE" all over the Word documents. It is exactly like a brand new version of Word that you have installed. It can be fully used for 30 days.

The downloaded version of Microsoft Office 2004 has "TEST DRIVE" all over the Word documents. So, you can never really start using it properly, or implement it in an office, because who wants "TEST DRIVE" all over their documents?

IMO, this is really poor. See, if I really liked using Microsoft Office 2004 and had been using it steadily for 30 days, when it expired I'd be Jonesing to continue using it...and I might buy it. Now, with the way it is, I'll never really start using it because of the watermarks all over it, hence, I won't feel the need or urge to buy it.

That's all I wanted to say.

Yeah I'm Joey · Oct 3, 2004, 03:08 AM

Originally posted by Cody Dawg:
When I buy a new Mac, Microsoft Office X Demo is on there already, right? (All of you who have purchased a new Mac recently know what I'm talking about.)

i just purchased a brand new powerbook and if office x demo is on here i surely havent found it. please explain.

storer · Oct 3, 2004, 04:18 AM

Originally posted by Yeah I'm Joey:
i just purchased a brand new powerbook and if office x demo is on here i surely havent found it. please explain.

same with eMac.

Cody Dawg · Oct 4, 2004, 09:40 PM

Seriously? Your Macs didn't come with a demo of Office?

Weird!

Mine did!

Anyway, I ordered MS Office 2004 and it should be here in a few days.

pathogen · Oct 4, 2004, 09:47 PM

I ordered Office Professional 2004 with Virtual PC a little while ago and it finally arrived last week. Best software they've ever done (even though I am having hiccups updating my PC drives for Virtual PC from version 6). Excel is so much better, I could cry. Entourage finally feels like a full featured app (even if it still can't import from Palm desktop). Word is even just that wee little bit less obtrusive with it's "help". Recommended.

Cody Dawg · Oct 4, 2004, 11:14 PM

Hi pathogen: Did they get rid of that stupid talking CRT thingamajig that drops down on the Word program? POS. I hate that thing.

I'm looking forward to using it.

MacNN's banner advertisement worked!

AB^2=BCxAC · Oct 5, 2004, 08:04 AM

Originally posted by Cody Dawg:
Hi pathogen: Did they get rid of that stupid talking CRT thingamajig that drops down on the Word program? POS. I hate that thing.

I'm looking forward to using it.

MacNN's banner advertisement worked!

I'm not sure to what extent things have changed in Office 2004 with the paperclip or little mac crt "buddy", but when I started writing a letter yesterday, at no time did that buddy pop up and ask me "Are you writing a letter?", which it did all the time in Office X.

That moment of revelation was worth the upgrade price alone.

Cody Dawg · Oct 6, 2004, 07:54 PM

Hello:

I received it today and it is a HUGE improvement.

Entourage is much better...but takes up more screen real estate space. It is clearly designed to be best utilized by the wide screen and not the standard square CRT.

However, it is MUCH superior to the "old" Mac OS X Office.

It's worth the $$$ folks.