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Posts with tag Office2008

Microsoft road show for Office 2008 coming to town

Posted May 7th 2008 9:15AM by Michael Rose
Filed under: Enterprise

Getting Office 2008 loaded and running on one Mac is easy enough if you put your mind to it. Getting it loaded and running on hundreds of Macs, with Entourage data to upgrade and users tearing their hair out over macros that no longer work? Bit more of a challenge, to put it mildly. In the interest of supporting the IT pros who are deploying the latest and greatest from the Mac BU in large educational and corporate enviroments, Microsoft is sending key managers and developers out to face their customers (no!) in half-day intensive Q&A sessions.

In addition to the usual draws for techies (free lunch, nice swag) the road show offers a rare opportunity to get feedback to the people behind Office 2008 face-to-face. The upcoming schedule (NYC and Toronto sessions have already taken place) is as follows:

  • Reston, VA - Thursday, May 8
  • Los Angeles, CA - Tuesday, May 13
  • Downers Grove, IL - Tuesday, May 20
  • Redmond, WA - Thursday, May 22

You'll need to register on Microsoft's site if you want to participate.

Office 2008's first update is for updating the updater

Posted Feb 29th 2008 6:15PM by Michael Rose
Filed under: Software


Even though the Mac BU is targeting March 11 as the ship date for the first official update to Office 2008 (12.0.1), there's groundwork to be laid and preparations to be made. It's in that spirit of watchful readiness that we note the appearance this afternoon of Microsoft's AutoUpdate 2.1.1 updater, available through... well, through Microsoft AutoUpdate 2.1.0, part of the base Office 2008 install. After that, you know, it's turtles all the way down.

Other than the criticality of the update and that it's 2.0 MB in size, we don't know much else, but it's safe to say that this updater updater is a prerequisite for the real updater coming soon. As an Entourage 2008 user who is suffering consistent crashes each time the main window is closed and auto-reopens, I'll count myself among those eager for some fixes as rapidly as possible.

Thanks Kyle

What's the deal with Entourage 2008 and Blackberry sync?

Posted Jan 29th 2008 8:00AM by Michael Rose
Filed under: Software

If you've got a Blackberry that you plan to sync with Entourage 2008 (other than via Exchange and a Blackberry Enterprise Server, which could give two figs for your client application -- although as a commenter points out, BES still doesn't fully support sent mail or read/unread sync from Entourage), you might run into some difficulty. No, you'll be fine. Well, now we're not sure. What's all this fuss about?

Let's start with this post from MacWindows, which raises the alarm: Microsoft dropped direct BlackBerry syncing in Entourage 2008, the headline reads. Uh-oh, whatever shall we do? The article reports that the plug-in that enabled direct synchronization of Entourage to Blackberries will not be supported in 2008 by Microsoft or Missing Sync, and all synchronization must take place via Apple's Sync Services framework.

Gosh, that's scary news, except that it's complete hogwash, says Mac pundit/gadfly John Welch. While Entourage 2004 did support Palm synchronization via a HotSync plugin that's now absent in 2008, the Blackberry sync process was always handled by Entourage's interface to Sync Services, the same underlying technology that connected Entourage to Address Book and iCal. Did MacWindows talk to someone at Mark/Space who mixed up the two sync technologies, or was the confusion on the reporting end? Welch is pretty sure where the problem lies.

All that said, it should be safe to sync Entourage with your Sync Services clients, right? Not so fast, say the mavens at the Entourage Help Blog. Since Entourage 2008 shipped, there have been plenty of reports of issues with Sync Services, including some catastrophic cases of data loss. The recommendation of the experts is to leave Sync Services off for now until Microsoft can address some of these problems. Once that's taken care of, both Mark/Space and PocketMac say that Entourage 2008 should be supportable for calendar and contact sync. What a relief.

Office 2008 now available for pre-order

Posted Jan 10th 2008 10:00AM by Michael Rose
Filed under: Software

Many of you have already gotten the email inviting you to dig deep into your pockets, so let me relay the news to them that hasn't: you can now pre-order Microsoft Office 2008 from Apple and Amazon, with delivery scheduled on January 15th.

If you were hoping to install Office 2008 in the first few moments after its official release... well, my suggestion is to wait a few days for the issues to shake out. Otherwise, better have a second machine around to get work done.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

Office for Mac 2008 released to manufacturing

Posted Dec 13th 2007 9:00AM by Mat Lu
Filed under: Software, Productivity

The official word from Microsoft is that Office for Mac 2008 has been released to manufacturing. This means that the code is final and has been sent out to the factories for duplication and packaging ahead of its formal release at Macworld San Francisco on January 15, 2008. If you want a full preview, the Mac Office 2008 website is fully up and running.

After so many delays (and two full years since the first Intel Mac), it's good to know that the MacBU has finally met their goal of a Universal Binary, modernized version of Office -- equally importantly, a version compatible with the new Office 2007 file formats. Personally, I've been able to move almost all of my own stuff to iWork '08, even my professional academic writing. Nonetheless, I'm sure I'll end up picking up Office just for compatibility's sake. How many of you will be purchasing in January (and which one)?

If you're looking for the best deal on upgrades to Office 2008, reader Ty sent a reminder last night that you can buy Office 2004 now ($130 for the Student/Teacher edition is the lowest-cost tier) and then upgrade for the cost of S&H, $7. Not bad.

Microsoft launches Office 2008 sneak peek site

Posted Sep 18th 2007 1:30PM by Scott McNulty
Filed under: Software

Microsoft is letting out information in dribs and drabs about Microsoft Office: Mac 2008, the long awaited Universal version of the company's productivity suite. Today brings a new website that showcases some of the new functionality found in the Office apps, as well as shows off the new UI (which looks to be influenced, though not directly related to, Office 2007's UI).

Sadly, this website doesn't have any information about Entourage, Office's email client which I know many people (including myself) are anxious to hear about. Still, it is worth a look to see what Word, Excel, and Powerpoint are going to look like in January.

Mac BU slowly releasing Office 2008 details

Posted Sep 6th 2007 8:00AM by Scott McNulty
Filed under: Software

Microsoft Office: no matter what your feelings are about Microsoft as an entity there is no denying that their eponymous office suite is an important application for the Mac. Sadly, the newest version, Office 2008 for the Mac, has hit some bumps along the development path and has been delayed until January 2008 (one assumes Macworld 2008 will be its coming out party). There is a limited beta going on, but few have been invited to participate and the only glimpse into the next version of Office that most Mac users have had has been right here on TUAW with our gallery of screenshots from Macworld 2007 (which, I should point out, Microsoft was nice enough to provide to us).

Now comes word that the Mac BU (that's the Microsoft Mac Business Unit, which is responsible for most Mac software that comes from Microsoft) has started to post some new tidbits about Office 2008 for the Mac on the Mac Mojo Blog. They'll be sharing more and more info as the ship date gets closer and closer.

During Macworld I was able to sit down with some Microsoft folks and get a brief look at where Office 2008 for the Mac stood at the time. I was very interested in seeing the next version of Entourage, since that is the one Office app I use everyday. Sadly, at that time Entourage 2008 was so unstable they weren't comfortable showing it to me. Luckily, for me, the first new feature highlighted by the Mac BU is one that is new to Entourage 2008: Out of Office replies. That's right, in order to set Out of Office replies in an Exchange envirnonment Mac users are forced to turn to the Exchange web interface (which offers few options for Out of Office replies). Entourage 2008, paired with Exchange 2007, allows Macs users to set Out of Office messages, as well as configure different messages to be sent depending on who is emailing you, and have the message automatically turn itself off after a certain time (which is killer).

Microsoft Office 2008 for the Mac delayed until January 2008

Posted Aug 2nd 2007 2:59AM by Scott McNulty
Filed under: Software

Craig Eisler, General Manager of the MacBU and proud Canadian, contacted TUAW with some news about Microsoft's much anticipated Universal release of Office, Microsoft Office 2008 for the Mac. Craig let us know that Microsoft has pushed back the release of Office 2008 for the Mac to make sure that the suite is up to snuff.

Office 2008 for the Mac will be released for manufacture in December of this year for a US release of mid-January 2008 (just in time for Macworld 2008).

Clearly updating a large suite like Office is always a major undertaking, and focusing on getting it right is great, however, January 2008 is 5 months away from now. I asked if there would, by any chance, a public beta in the coming months. Sadly, there will not be one. It would seem if you want to get your fix of Office 2008 you'll have to check out this gallery of screenshots Microsoft provided to us during Macworld 2007.

Gallery: Office 2008 for the Mac screenshots

Publishing Layout ViewPowerPoint 2008Ledger SheetsMy DayDocument Parts

Microsoft releases Word 2007 '.docx' file converter

Posted May 15th 2007 3:05PM by Michael Rose
Filed under: Software

If you've been gnashing your teeth as more and more Office 2007 files come your way from your innocent, early-adopter Windows colleagues and friends, time to quit your gnashing. Microsoft's beta of the mellifluously named Microsoft Office Open XML File Format Converter for Mac can now be downloaded from the big M's website. This initial version of the standalone converter tool supports Word 2007 files and is one-way: the resulting RTF output can be resaved as Office 2004 .doc files, but not as Office 2007 .docx files. Support for the newfangled PowerPoint and Excel document formats will be coming later this summer.

As previously noted, the final integrated format conversion bundle that will live inside Office 2004 will not ship until after Mac Office 2008 hits the street. So it goes.

MacTech VBA to AppleScript Guide free online

Posted May 3rd 2007 3:00PM by Mat Lu
Filed under: How-tos, Productivity, Developer

We've mentioned before Microsoft's controversial decision to end support for Visual Basic (VBA) scripting in the forthcoming Office 2008 and replace it with AppleScript. While normally moving to an Apple standard technology over a closed Microsoft solution is a good thing, this move will have major repercussions with respect to cross-platform compatibility. Once this is done many scripts and macros written for the Windows versions of MS Office will no longer work on the Mac version. There is a work-around, rewriting the macros and scripts in AppleScript, though that will take some doing. Fortunately, MacTech magazine has produced a VBA to Applescript Transition Guide to help with the process. Originally the Guide was only included with the April issue of MacTech Magazine, but they have now seen the light and are offering it free on their website. You can still purchase a PDF or paper copy as well. Check it out over at MacTech.

[via The Apple Blog]

No Visual Basic in Office 2008? No thanks.

Posted Feb 21st 2007 3:30PM by Dave Caolo
Filed under: Software

MacWindows.com recently polled readers on their willingness to upgrade to Office 2008 for Mac, which will not include Visual Basic for macros and automation (as noted on this MacBU developer blog). Several readers said they won't upgrade to 2008 because they depend on VB cross-platform support.

Where I work, we have an intricate system in place that manages and analyzes loads of data on a daily basis-a system that is dependent on homemade VB scripts. So, there's no way we're upgrading. Good job, Microsoft.

By the way, if you're left in a jam by this, check out MacTech Magazine's guide for moving from VB to Applescript, which will be available soon.

Screenshots of Office 2008 for Mac

Posted Jan 15th 2007 7:00AM by Scott McNulty
Filed under: Software, Universal Binary

While I was at Macworld last week I got a chance to sit down with some Microsoft folks and talk about Office 2008 for Mac. We did a video interview which should be up shortly, but Microsoft was kind enough to share some screenshots with us. Check out the gallery for a look at some cool new features in Office 2008.

Pictured here is 'My Day,' the brand new application that will be included in Office 2008. It is a command center for all your tasks and appointments, which can be called up with a system wide hot key. You can then update things in it, and those updates will be reflected in Entourage.

The gallery has some screenshots of Word, Excel, and a bigger picture of My Day.

Microsoft Office 2008 screenshots

Posted Jan 10th 2007 5:15PM by David Chartier
Filed under: Macworld, Software, Productivity



I managed to swing by the Microsoft Office booth just in time for a demo of Office 2008, and I snapped a few screenshots. The presentation was made with Word since, as the demo folk pointed out, it is the app they have completed the most code on. As Scott mentioned, the words "page layout" were used quite often while emphasizing many of Word's new features, but of course the two big show-stoppers are Universal Binary status and a revamped UI that melds the Mac way of doing things with the impressive new 'Ribbon' UI in Office 2007 for Windows. My 425-px screen shot in this post doesn't really do it justice, but my pics in the gallery should offer a few more details for prying eyes. It sounds like we'll still have to wait for demos or a peek at any of the other Office components, however, as I couldn't squeeze anything else out of the booth attendants.

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