M$ Office preview

Maybe you should give them a look Ripcord. I don't work for Snerdware but you might just be surprised at what these apps do. I know our IT guy sure was.
 
That presentation interface was awesome. I'm going to steal that look for something...


I like Office pretty well actually. I would use other options, but it would just make my life more difficult than it needs to be. Too many clients using Office. Sure, I can use Word files in TextEdit, which is cool, but it's not a full implementation. Can't depend on it completely. Same for the other apps. Using PPT files in Keynote isn't exactly a perfect science. As for Excel, there is no better spreadsheet IMO, so I would not even want to switch.

My biggest concern is this whole XML file structure which will eventually cripple cross platform compatibility. My understanding is that most of the Office apps for Windows will use XML, while the Mac versions will not. Right? Which means eventually my Windows clients will start sending me XML files that I can't open, so I'll have to ask them save down, which will be really annoying all around. Am I understanding that XML thing correctly?
 
I think they would make an update to the Mac version once they bring out the XML format on Windows.

The bad thing about it is, MS patented their XML format for Word documents so Open Office and other projects won't be able to open the files without licensing from MS ::evil::
 
... which will probably lead to people using .doc instead of Word's new format. Just make that clear to your customers from the very beginning. ;-)
 
fryke said:
Well, that's actually a feature instead of just bulk. I like the thought of voice-added office documents. Makes some sense (instead of using those dictating devices etc...).
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Fryke, this is driving me crazy, because there was an app you can add voice recordings to - I remember doing it! Wait, it was/maybe still is Tex Edit!!!
 
Man, they "stole" my idea in the Word search option that highlights the tabs with the search terms present! I was thinking of this for web site searches!
 
For those NOT with LOADS of money but with Panther installed there is a very serious contender in the Office area PLUS it is free!

Find more here:
http://www.openoffice.org/

There is an older version there which is VERY easy to install... I'm saying this because the newer version isn't THAT easy to install :p

Enough with M$... There ARE alternatives out there! Support them by start using them and spread the word to your friends, customers, et al.

Also, one other VERY good "Office" is:
http://marinersoftware.com/
although NOT free and not THAT cheap :rolleyes:
 
I understand you are totally against MS Office, yet: There are enough threads about OpenOffice. This one's about Office 2004.
 
I have to wonder if it's a conditional response that if it comes from M$, it's bad; if it's from Apple, it's good. I can see some arguments against Office '04 but from what all what I've seen and read on it, it seems as if there are some decent improvements that are worth considering upgrading for.
 
Yep, I agree. I don't think the use of Microsoft software on the Macintosh platform is 'bad per se'. It's sad that for _really_ using OpenOffice.org, you'd have to switch to Linux or Windows right now, as the Mac port just isn't there yet. This means that, right now, for good interoperability with other Office users (PC or Mac side), you'll have to use Microsoft's Office v. X or later 2004.

I think Microsoft has done but good things for the Macintosh platform since Office 98 (which was one of the first products of the then created MBU at Microsoft). They even brought Office to Mac OS X in a reasonable amount of time (i.e. before Adobe brought Photoshop, long before Quark brought XPress). Of course Apple also helped Microsoft by creating and constantly improving Carbon.

Let's just say that Office is an important piece of software for the Mac platform. Whether you personally like it or even use it doesn't matter here. And seeing MS keeping Office (more or less) up-to-date with the Windows version is something that makes me happy. More happy than, say, seeing Adobe kill Mac versions of software.

Of course, MS is not doing everything they can for Mac users. Or we would already have a VirtualPC that works much like Classic in Mac OS X (i.e. rootless, which was rumoured for VPC 6 at Connectix, iirc).
 
Consider Apple even mentions Office in its adverts for iLife '04, I think the powers-that-be at Infinite Loop would agree would you.
 
I dont really use much other than MS Word. I bought Student edition of Office:mac v.X and i kinda regret it but whatever. Never a need to upgrade.
 
Never a need to upgrade.
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And that has to do with a preview of the new version in what way? :confused: Maybe we need to do a thread on why people might or might not upgrade so people can make comments such as the one above? :rolleyes:
 
MS Office is a definite must have on the Mac. For the moment anyway. Without it, there isn't any other competitive office suite. It'll be a few more years before OpenOffice hits the Mac as a native app.

So right now, for those who need the ability to communicate with the rest of the world (i.e. save in Office formats), MS Office is the best, if not the only choice. All the other office suites still fall in terms of interoperability with MS Office.
 
fryke said:
Of course, MS is not doing everything they can for Mac users. Or we would already have a VirtualPC that works much like Classic in Mac OS X (i.e. rootless, which was rumoured for VPC 6 at Connectix, iirc).
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Or, at the very least, one that actually *runs* on the G5???
 
Well, we all know that that's coming with VPC 7, so that's been clear since January, hasn't it.
 
Lemme put it this way: the Mac BU makes some decent apps, though they suffer from being part of Microsoft (case in point: almost all of the viruses out there for Mac (OS 9 at least) are Word macro viruses); Microsoft overall is the spawn of Satan.

I still use Internet Explorer in OS 9, and I use Office in both OS's. It's funny how little Office has improved over 98; there are a few things I like (that I've actually found), like the formatting palettes on the right, but overall very little has really changed.
 
fryke said:
I understand you are totally against MS Office, yet: There are enough threads about OpenOffice. This one's about Office 2004.
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No! No way! I'm not against M$ Office! All I was trying to say is that there are some alternatives and just posted about them... You understood me wrong :D

As for Office 2004 it seems that it will be ok with some nice features in but with some other features out! :rolleyes:
 
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