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confuzedwizard · Jan 29, 2007, 09:32 PM

I just saw the screen shots for Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac (http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=2382) and then compared it to the newly released Microsoft Office 2007 for Windows.

We (the mac users) are being dealt a bad hand.

The new ribbon at the top of Office makes the entire application easier to use and visually pleasing. On 2008 for Mac they created a monster. It looks sooo cheesy. Why are they doing this to us?

Shades of Gray · Jan 29, 2007, 09:34 PM

I wouldn't get too concerned quite yet. It is a while before release. And the Windows version wasn't exactly useful/pretty to start with.

The real problem is that there is no VBA support on the Mac side, none, zippo, nada...

TETENAL · Jan 29, 2007, 10:30 PM

I think it looks very nice and much better actually than the Windows version.

DigitalEl · Jan 30, 2007, 01:07 AM

I'm happy with Mail.app and iCal, but wholeheartedly welcome a new take on MS Entourage. It's a powerful program and I, for one, don't mind the all-in-one. If it's compatible with .Mac and iPhone, I'd certainly give it a spin.

Word needs a refresh, too. I'm as jazzed for Office '08 as I am for Leopard.

JKT · Jan 30, 2007, 05:05 AM

Originally Posted by confuzedwizard

The new ribbon at the top of Office makes the entire application easier to use

Are you saying that from experience, or are you regurgitating the marketing speak which kindly informs us that this is so? I haven't had the opportunity to try it myself, but I will reserve that kind of judgement until I have. Given their past record, it is just as likely that MS have stuffed up the interface even more.

However, in response to your question - they've all but won their anti-trust case with the US government. The five year agreement they made with Apple because they had to appear to be playing ball has ended. They no longer have to pretend to make it comparable to the Windows version, so long as they can say there is a version of Office on the Mac that can open the same documents (to stave off any potential threat of action). They can now run Office on the Mac into the ground until people no longer buy it (so they can justifiably say that it isn't profitable for them to develop) and instead opt for Parallels/Boot Camp plus Windows plus the Windows version of Office, thus helping to propagate their OS onto machines it would once never have been installed on... or maybe that is just me being all conspiratorial.

confuzedwizard · Jan 30, 2007, 08:10 AM

I have the new Office installed at work and the ribbon is sweet! It really is a nice change.

Viewing pictures of Mac 08, i can see that it doesn't compare. please get your hands on the new office so you can see what i'm saying.

Person Man · Jan 30, 2007, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by confuzedwizard

I have the new Office installed at work and the ribbon is sweet! It really is a nice change.

Viewing pictures of Mac 08, i can see that it doesn't compare. please get your hands on the new office so you can see what i'm saying.

I've tried using Office 2007, and I HATE THE F*CKING RIBBON.

Opinions are like as*holes. Everyone's got them. You have your opinion, I have mine. Many people like the ribbon, many don't. And many of us Mac users are happy that Office 2008 will continue to have menu bars.

amycishere · Jan 30, 2007, 10:06 PM

So 2007 is already out?

Person Man · Jan 30, 2007, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by amycishere

So 2007 is already out?

You can download a 60 day test version from Microsoft's website. I'd been testing 2007 for the last month at work. I gave it a chance, but in the end, the ribbon made using Office harder (for me). So I went back to Office 2003.

zerock · Jan 30, 2007, 10:24 PM

they want u to get Vista.

Person Man · Jan 31, 2007, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by zerock

they want u to get Vista.

Not for a while I won't. I won't deploy Vista on my Windows box at work until at least a year has gone by.