Microsoft working to add Lion features to Office 2011
Like it or not, Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac is the most widely-used office suite for Mac users in the enterprise. While the existing version doesn't support OS X Lion features like Auto Save, Versions, and full-screen mode, MacNN is reporting that Microsoft's Mac Business Unit is hard at work adding those and possibly other features to Office.
Don't expect an update tomorrow, though. According to Microsoft Office team member Pat Fox, the wait for an updated Office 2011 will be "measured in months." If you're a user of Communicator for Mac, you can get an update right now that resolves some crashing issues in Lion. It's available through Microsoft's AutoUpdate, and can also be downloaded from the MS Download Center.
The company also noted that Office for Mac 2004 will never be Lion-compatible, since it was originally written for PowerPC-based Macs. If you're still trying to coax that old copy of Office for Mac 2004 along as you move forward to Lion, it's time to make the upgrade to Office 2011 ... or consider alternatives like Apple's iWork suite.
It will also be fascinating to see if Microsoft decides to bring Office 2011 to the Mac App Store, either in whole or as separate parts à la iWork. Only time will tell.
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Like it or not, Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac is the most widely-used office suite for Mac users in the enterprise. While the existing...
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Does MS not get OSX Builds? Why do we have to wait for these features after the OS is released?
July 29 2011 at 9:35 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply... though it would be great if they implemented the 'start where you left off'-feature before the rest.
July 29 2011 at 7:56 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyOffice 2011 works perfectly well under Lion.
You can always get the trial version to see if it fits your needs/whether you like it. I think it's a significant improvement over Office 2008.
I really want to see the auto-save and versions in Office. It would probably save me some time at some point.
July 28 2011 at 1:59 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThe only Lion surprise so far involved Office for Mac '04. Immediately ordered Office for Mac '11 and limped along with Pages and Numbers for a couple of days. Could likely have used them as substitutes but am not sorry I got Office for Mac '11. So far I'm very happy with Lion and Office for Mac. My computer is a mid 2007 white Macbook 2.16Ghz recently upgraded to 4GB ram and a new 500 GB hard drive. Running better than new and continues to be a pleasure to use after four years of serious use!
July 28 2011 at 1:56 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyFor what it's worth, in my legal practice, most of the documents I have to draft and review are created in Word. I've used a mac at home for years, and have recently switched away from a PC as my primary desktop and gone with an iMac. Office 2011 is a good program, and runs natively in Snow Leopard, but i won't be upgrading to Lion until both Lion and Office play nice together. It's not a perfect non-pc world yet, but it's getting closer.
July 28 2011 at 1:27 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyOffice works perfectly in Lion with an Intel processor. It just doesn't take advantage of Lion's new features, which of course, it doesn't in Snow Leopard either.
July 28 2011 at 1:58 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWasn't there a developer release of Lion a while back to help developers get ready for the new OS? Did microsoft miss the WWDC this year?
July 28 2011 at 12:53 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyMicrosoft, Avid, and tons of other companies with very popular apps don't support lion yet.
I was really bummed out when I tried to install protools 9 and then run it -- doesn't work.
Is this software company X's fault? I'd say no -- it's apples fault for FORCING me to use lion on the new mac air...why can't I just use snow leopard!? "no mac may run an older version of os x than what it was shipped with" -- that's BS. At least Windows 7 has an "xp compatibility mode" -- what does Apple give you? A whole lotta non-working apps, that's what.
I hate Microsoft Office. Why?
1.- It crash a lot.
2.- When I quit the app, and then re-open it, it open ALL my windows and it take a LONG time.
3.- It doesn't have edition effects like Alpha Photos in iWork.
4.- Word sucks Pages d*ck and PowerPoint sucks Keynote d*ck!
5.- They're SLOW as HELL!
I just got a new mac air -- i7 with 4gb ram -- word, excel, powerpoint all load in less than one second. It impressed the crap out of me to be honest...so I don't see how you could say they're slow. Might wanna consider ditching your slow hard drive or get some more ram maybe? heh.
July 28 2011 at 1:05 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyIt seems that you never used MS Office '11.
July 30 2011 at 2:45 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI wonder why Microsoft has put Remote Desktop Connection into the Mac App Store (MAS). I know they use an installer, but I don't know why. It would be nice if they'd sell the Office apps like the iWork apps, separately.
July 28 2011 at 12:06 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIt is? I don't see it.
Anyways -- office 2011 working OK for me on lion.
RDC is not -- it crashes sometimes.
I'm wondering if maybe I have an old version though..update says it's the latest.
But I still don't see it in the appstore...
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