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typ993 · Oct 12, 2004, 03:06 PM

Just installed this puppy. I was able to open and save a spreadsheet that had previously crashed Excel 2004 every time, so that's an improvement.

I haven't tried to test any of the other numerous bugs I've found, but I'll post my experience once I've done so.

ManOfSteal · Oct 12, 2004, 03:11 PM

All good here...don't know what to test to see what's changed since I didn't have issues before; however, everything went very smoothly and my HUGE Entourage database is still in tact!

-Q- · 03:27 PM

Did you find it on their site, or using the update app? I keep trying the update app and it keeps telling me there's no updates available...

Edit: Nevermind. Found the link in the other thread. For those that need it, click here: Office 2004 SP 1

typ993 · Oct 12, 2004, 03:35 PM

Just tested PowerPoint as well. I've had a problem with it consistently recognizing Palatino Linotype (OpenType typeface) "borrowed" from my Windoze system. It actually seemed like PP was corrupting the typeface because PP would show Linotype if I moved a fresh copy of the typeface into my Fonts folder; the second time I would open it, Palatino Linotype was being rendered as some generic typeface. Anyway, seems to work fine now.

Also, typing in PP doesn't feel like your fingers are stuck in molasses. Before, I could easily type ahead of it. Now, it seems almost Snappy�!

beno · Oct 12, 2004, 04:17 PM

Auto update is working for me now.
Downloading as I type...
Ben

Rangers4me · Oct 12, 2004, 04:46 PM

Does anyone know if it improved exchange support with Entourage?

Cadaver · Oct 12, 2004, 05:04 PM

Its snappier�

kcmac · Oct 12, 2004, 09:29 PM

beno,

How does the auto updater work? Is it like Apple software update which pops up and shows that an update is available?

I threw the updater app away when I installed Office.

The snappier quotes are encouraging. I may just have to give it a go sooner than I was thinking.

-Q- · Oct 13, 2004, 09:22 AM

The application can be set to automatically check for updates or you can check for them manually, very similar to Apple's Software Update. Although every time I checked for SP 1, the MS updater never found anything. I just downloaded it from the MS web site.

If you deleted the app, you can just go to any Office app and choose 'Help>Check for Updates' and it will ask you if you want to install it. After this first experience with it tho' I'm not seeing it as too useful at all.

kcmac · Oct 13, 2004, 09:38 AM

I don't want the auto updater installed, that is why I deleted it. Just wondered how it is working.

Most apps seem to have these check for update scripts included in the main app. Microsoft, as they have done with other things in Office, has just found a new way to scatter more items on our Macs. Yeah, we need a ......separate app.... for updating an app.

I don't have much of an objection to updaters, especially when you have the option of how you want to use them. But a separate app? Come on MS, drink the kool-aid. Quit littering your stuff all over our drives!

Sorry for the rant. Proceed.

pendragon · Oct 13, 2004, 12:14 PM

FWIW:

I used the AutoUpdater and the install was without issue. I Repaired Permissions both before and after the install.

A subsequent run of DiskWarrior and TTP revealed no problems.

The only minor nit I have so far discovered is when I first went to open a PowerPoint presentation. During the loading of the PowerPoint presentation, I got several alert boxes advising to the effect that several of the Asian fonts were not available and so a substitution may be necessary, and if necessary, I should reinstall the fonts. I found this to be quite weird, as I do not use Asian fonts.

I did however have all Asian fonts disabled via Font Book. I then went back to the Font Book and enabled the Asian fonts. Now, no more PP alerts.

Apparently, M$ checks to ensure any needed font, or at least the ones originally provided by M$ are available, should the file need it. For sure I am confused about what is really happening.

Aside from that, Word may be a bit zippier, and in general, I am quite pleased with the work done by the M$ MBU.

gregpins · Oct 13, 2004, 12:28 PM

My experience is a bit mixed. My two biggest fixable gripes were slow receipt of messages when using Exchange (there is a lag of a couple of minutes to receive messages, whereas they show up instantly in IMAP. No fix there. My other problem was awful video playback in slideshow mode in PPT. This has been improved, but still isn't very good. Still stutters a bit, definiitely not as gooas PPT X or Keynote.

Have others has better success with video in PPT after the update?

selowitch · Oct 14, 2004, 01:06 PM

Handheld Sync no longer works.

KP* · Oct 15, 2004, 10:24 AM

Originally posted by selowitch:
Handheld Sync no longer works.

Sync is still working for me (using Missing Sync v. 4, not Palm Desktop though). My favorite update is that the Entourage icon doesn't bounce all around every time it has trouble checking my e-mail.

Gerrit Vanoppen · Oct 15, 2004, 12:27 PM

Originally posted by selowitch:
Handheld Sync no longer works.

If this is hereby confirmed, I must stay away from the SP1 (I sync with PalmDesktop).
Any others ?

pendragon · Oct 15, 2004, 01:23 PM

Gerrit Vanoppen,

FWIW: No problems in syncing my Handspring Visor via Palm Desktop v4.0.

Also, MFI has an Office X Forum: http://www.macfixitforums.com/php/po...&Board=OfficeX Maybe someone there has the definitive answer.

selowitch · Oct 15, 2004, 03:47 PM

Originally posted by pendragon:
Gerrit Vanoppen,

FWIW: No problems in syncing my Handspring Visor via Palm Desktop v4.0.

Also, MFI has an Office X Forum: http://www.macfixitforums.com/php/po...&Board=OfficeX Maybe someone there has the definitive answer.

No luck at MacFixIt. I'm feeling so very sad.

stufried · Oct 15, 2004, 05:02 PM

Originally posted by selowitch:
Handheld Sync no longer works.

Reinstall the Handheld Sync application doohickey from the CD and check the conduit permission to make sure they are still what you want (mine were)- corrected my sync problem toot sweet

Dennis the Phantom Menace · Oct 15, 2004, 05:25 PM

The update is working fine for me so far. Well, about as as fine a Microsoft product can work.

tbanucci · Oct 15, 2004, 05:41 PM

They didn't fix the bug where in some Entourage messages, all of the type in my subject lines and my "Send to" fields are on the right. Anyone else see this problem?

Gerrit Vanoppen · Oct 16, 2004, 03:36 AM

Originally posted by KP*:
Sync is still working for me (using Missing Sync v. 4, not Palm Desktop though).

So you sync to iCal, Address Book ?
AFAIK there are more data fields in Palm Address Book than Apple's app. How do they sync ?
Also, why using Missing Sync instead of iSync ?

selowitch · Oct 16, 2004, 10:27 AM

Originally posted by stufried:
Reinstall the Handheld Sync application doohickey from the CD and check the conduit permission to make sure they are still what you want (mine were)- corrected my sync problem toot sweet

What should I set the permissions to, exactly? I don't care who accesses it as long as it works.

KP* · Oct 16, 2004, 11:30 PM

Originally posted by Gerrit Vanoppen:
So you sync to iCal, Address Book ?
AFAIK there are more data fields in Palm Address Book than Apple's app. How do they sync ?
Also, why using Missing Sync instead of iSync ?

I sync to Entourage, which works very well most of the time (occasionally the conduit crashes, but that's M$ for you). I'm using Missing Sync first of all because I have a Clie which cannot sync without it (Sony didn't support Mac), and the new version 4 in particular has added features for all Palm PDAs like Wi-Fi sync (unfortunately too slow to really be usable, no faster than Bluetooth) and customizable sync profiles (for instance you can have your regular profile that syncs everything and installs, and create another one with just your most needed conduits for times when you're on a slow connection like Bluetooth.) It's still a little buggy, and strangely slow to initialize, but it's usable now. Hopefully they can speed it up a little. I don't know if Palm-branded handhelds do this natively, but Missing Sync also allows the Clie to mount its memory stick as a drive, and shows up in iTunes as a music player. I think it also displays the camera's pics in iPhoto, but I don't use that.

madmacgames · Oct 17, 2004, 03:00 PM

After the SP1 update it no longer tells me my one font is corrupt (which it is not, but it always told me it was for some reason).

Also Distiller 6.0 seems to work from within Word now. Before, it would not work and just crashed. Even followed the recommended instructions to get it to work with Office 2004 under 10.3 and it still did not work within Word. After SP1 update, it works as it should

MartiNZ · Oct 17, 2004, 03:04 PM

I'm really looking forward to testing the service pack when I get a chance - to see if they fixed any of the dozens of bugs in Excel that I took the time to report to them online! I was most annoyed to see no mention of bug fixes in Excel in their write-up, but that could have been just to spite me and I'll still live in hope. Snappier ... yeah.

CharlesS · Oct 17, 2004, 03:14 PM

Could someone post a list of any files that SP1 installs in either /Library or /System/Library/Extensions? Who knows, maybe that would provide some clues as to what's breaking HotSync.

madmacgames · Oct 18, 2004, 11:59 AM

Originally posted by CharlesS:
Could someone post a list of any files that SP1 installs in either /Library or /System/Library/Extensions? Who knows, maybe that would provide some clues as to what's breaking HotSync.

None according to the update log the SP1 installer created.

Timothy Maxwell · Nov 20, 2004, 01:21 PM

Frankly, I purchased Microsoft Office because of the many positive comments made about it but I have not found that there is much difference between it and the previous version. Yes, there are some minor interface adjustments but to me, the current version is essentially the same as the old version and really not worth the upgrade price.

I think that Microsoft has done it to us again!

CharlesS · Nov 20, 2004, 03:32 PM

Well, there's Unicode support...

Boochie · Nov 20, 2004, 06:57 PM

I beg to differ -- document compatibility with Windows Office XP/2003 is dramatically improved, which is important if you're in a corporate environment dominated by Wintel machines.

Featurewise, Powerpoint has the new Presenter mode which is awesome, and Word has a nifty "notebook" layout that's pretty cool too.

O'Reilly has a pretty good article on the various interesting features in Office 2004:

http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/ma...ms_office.html

There's really a lot they've added to this suite. I hate MS as much as the next machead, but they've done a nice job with this one.

Originally posted by Timothy Maxwell:
Frankly, I purchased Microsoft Office because of the many positive comments made about it but I have not found that there is much difference between it and the previous version. Yes, there are some minor interface adjustments but to me, the current version is essentially the same as the old version and really not worth the upgrade price.

I think that Microsoft has done it to us again!