|
| Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac | 
 enlarge | From: Microsoft Software
Category: Software
List Price: $399.95
Buy New: $325.99
You Save: $73.96 (18%)
New (50) Used (8) from $127.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  75 reviews
Sales Rank: 193
Format: Dvd-rom
Platforms: Macintosh, Mac Os X
Media: DVD-ROM
Edition: Standard
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 5.8 x 1.3
MPN: 73101727
Model: 73101727
UPC: 605433009974
EAN: 0605433009974
ASIN: B000WR2F2M
Release Date: January 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Works great on Mac - if you really need it January 1, 2009
If you need to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations on a Mac with OS X, you have at least three options. If you're not already fluent with Microsoft Office or are willing to learn something new, I highly recommend Apple iWork '08. It's cheap, intuitive, powerful and compatible with Office files, but it operates quite a bit differently from Office. If you really want to stick with a more Office-like look and feel then the two major options are NeoOffice for Mac or Office 2008 for Mac (this product).
NeoOffice ([...]) is a free, open-source application that looks and feels a lot like Microsoft Office and is capable of opening and saving Microsoft Office files. The downsides (for me) are 1) it's a little slow, especially launching and opening files, and 2) it feels so much like Office that I'm always thrown off when I encounter things that work differently. On the other hand, it's free.
That brings us to Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac. It follows a very similar look and feel as previous versions of Office for Mac, but it does not work like Office 2007 for Windows. Most notably it does not utilize the ribbon, instead sticking with the more standard (for Mac) drop-down menus, toolbars and palettes. It does add a number of useful pre-built elements like title pages, tables, charts and graphics, but if you have to go back and forth between Office on a Windows machine and on a Mac, don't expect them to feel all that similar.
If you do choose Office 2007 for Mac, here's what you can expect when you install it. The initial install from DVD was pretty quick, about 15 minutes, but the updates take much longer. It prompted me to check for updates after the initial install, at which point it updated the updater. After that I had to keep checking for updates manually until it finally said there were none. First it installed update 12.1.0, which took 5 minutes to download (broadband) and another 16 minutes to install. Then it installed 12.1.3, which was another 5-minute download and 10-minute install, and finally 12.1.4, which went much quicker. The annoying part was that I had to keep manually telling it to check for updates and click through all the "agree and go" screens.
Final word:
If you use and like previous versions of Office for Mac, there are some nice goodies that may be worth the upgrade, and if you're an Office power-user this version on the Mac is quick, stable and full-featured enough to please. Otherwise I'd choose NeoOffice (free) or iWork ($70) over spending $230 for Microsoft Office.
 I'm not "wowed" December 23, 2008
This latest version of Office for Mac gave me what I needed: the ability to open those damn "docx" and "xlsx" files that users of Office 2008 make with no thought for those who haven't ponied up the cash. So, I got what I wanted out of it.
But if no one saved files in those formats... if folks thought about backwards compatibility... I wouldn't have bothered with Office 2008 for Mac. The only real bonus (to me) is its smaller HDD footprint.
Otherwise, the programs all load slower and eat just as much RAM... if not more.
If you have an older version of Office for Mac, or if iWorks does the trick for you... don't bother with Office 2008 for Mac. (At least until Microsoft comes out with some serious updates.
Works Fine, But Not Needed with iWorks December 22, 2008
I mostly use Word and PowerPoint periodically. I recently upgraded to Mac. I find that I really like iWorks. I got this software as I have years and years of Word documents on my old Windows computer. I was worried that translating those files from Windows to Mac OS was going to be a problem.
I shouldn't have worried. iWorks has handled the translation fine so far.
Although I use word processing software on a daily basis, I wouldn't consider myself a "power user" as some of the other reviewers are using this phrase. I don't require a great deal from my word processing as I have my layouts done in InDesign.
If you've recently switched to Macs, I'd suggest buying iWorks. It's far less expensive and works fine for shifting your Word documents to an Mac OS environment.
Cheers!
Tim Warneka, author
Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today
The Way of Leading People: Unlocking Your Integral Leadership Skills with the Tao Te Ching
Healing Katrina: Volunteering in Post-Hurricane Mississippi
Black Belt Leader, Peaceful Leader: An Introduction to Catholic Servant Leadership
Not bad, but unnecessary for the average user... December 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Let me preface this by saying that I've never used any version of Office on the Mac. I've been using Macs since the G4 days, but I just never saw much of a need to fork over the cash for an M$ product when there were so many viable, less-expensive alternatives. I'm also not a big Office "power user." I need to put the occasional document or paper together, edit some spreadsheets from time-to-time and maybe put a presentation together when the event arises, but that's the extent of it. For me, it gets the job done. Compatibility with the Windows versions (I use 2003 & 2007 at work) is good, and while the program feels a bit bloated, it performs well enough, even on older hardware (tested this on my eMac).
Word works well, and it's what I use more than anything else. The interface is intuitive, and while I'm not a big fan of the "Vista" look, it's not a bad match for the Mac aesthetic. There's not a lot more that I can say about it than that...I was able to open my .doc files, edit them, save them, etc. without any notable issue. There's something to be said for cross-platform, cross-version invisibility, and it's implemented here far better than it was on the Windows platform (where you needed a converter simply to open many files on a particular version). My experience was much the same with Excel, with one big exception: VB Macros. If your spreadsheet uses Visual Basic Macros, they will not function with an out-of-the-box install, but this can be remedied now with an additional (FREE) download. It's kind of a nuisance, but at least it's not a permanent one. I didn't delve into PowerPoint much other than to open a few presentations that I already had done, and guess what? It opens them like a champ!
Sarcasm aside, Office 2008 does what it needs to do and does it well. Power users might have some legitimate gripes, but I'm not a power user (and most of the people buying it through Amazon aren't either). For the average person who just needs to open and occasionally edit a Word or Excel document, there's not much of a reason to purchase this if you have a previous version. If on the other hand you don't already have Office on your Mac and have to use it (and open-source offerings aren't to your liking), then Microsoft Office 2008 is certainly a functional productivity suite, albeit a pricey one.
Looks Pretty, BUT... December 18, 2008
...you better not be a VBA user!! That's right with 'Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac' the look is pretty and slick but VBA support that had been available for real power users of Office for a loong time along is G-G-GONE. Along with the loss of this power ability performance hits are a plenty and this is just not a great upgrade. For basic users that want to use Office on their Mac this serves the purpose well but to ignore these major issues would be impossible.
If you are a regular Office user that wants the basics and isn't used to the 2004 edition you will be pleased. If you are looking for an 'upgrade' you will be disappointed.
***
|
|
|
designed by : Travis Langley & Associates, Inc. | |
