Patience
is a virtue ! All good things comes to those that
wait ! Ever heard these expressions ? Well to many
Mac users of Microsoft Office it definitely
applies, it has almost been four years, and during
that time Apple released iWork 08 application suite
that includes an enhanced version of “Pages”
including its new partner application “Numbers” for
spreadsheet projects, this has made Apple’s iWork
08 a major contender for Mac users. Also open
source application suites such as NeoOffice have
updated their package, and have duplicated and
sometimes expanded on what Microsoft Office already
had to offer, so it is of great interest to see
what this new release has to offer.
Well to begin with this product has finally been released as a Universal Binary edition which means it runs on Intel Macs, this is a relief to those users that have had to run an emulation program in the past to use the former version. But one of the most notable features as you load up is the newly designed interface that resembles Microsoft Office 2007 in the Windows version, however what I liked about the Mac version is the fact that the most commonly used tools are never far away. It becomes quite clear to me that Microsoft have given great thought to making the applications easier to use, and thus angling towards new users. One of the features I did appreciate was the “Microsoft Project Gallery” which contain preset templates for blank projects as well as many custom made templates for Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. As soon as you browse through them you can see that Microsoft have done away with the old home made styles of the past, and they are now reminiscent of Apple’s “Pages” templates, a more professional approach to the twenty first century. Additionally there is a new OfficeArt graphics engine, improved charts and WordArt, as well as new SmartArt graphics feature.
Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 comes in three editions which include Home and Student, and Special Media edition, I am covering the Home and Student Edition which nicely includes a bonus product “Microsoft Expression Media” this is a renamed product that Microsoft took over from iView Media in 2007, recently known as iView Media Pro. This bonus application is an astounding cataloguing application that imports scores of different formats of media for organised use, as well as presenting them in a professional way, these are particularly tailor made for the web designer and photographer.
Microsoft Word
Loading up the word processing application for the first time, you notice that the main toolbar its bigger and better with clearer icons and stands out nicely in a plain background. The functions displayed within the toolbar give evidence that Microsoft have done away with the clutter as was evident in the 2004 version. Other points of note is that the default fonts have changed as well to a lot nicer typeface “Calibri and Cambria”. However the most impressive new element in Microsoft Word is the “Gallery” clicking on this button reveals a portfolio of pre-designed elements categorised into “Document Elements, Quick Tables, Charts, SmartArt Graphics, WordArt”. Document Elements simplifies and automates tasks within a project such as cover pages, table of contents, headers, footers, bibliographies etc. Quick Tables are ready formatted tables, but with a more attractive look than before. However this also applies to Charts and WordArt, With WordArt it was seriously dated in terms of styles and appearance, however now you get subtler effects that give a pleasing and professional look to any project document.
Publishing Layout View is a welcome benefit, because when you insert graphics they stay exactly where they are, and the text is placed in a text box, another point of note is the text link feature, where you can link one text box to another, so that it flows nicely, this truly is proper desktop publishing making it a vast improvement from previous versions, especially as no doubt you were frustrated with what would happen when you imported images, these were always anchored to the text in your word processing project, and were prone to easily moving about, creating layout problems.
So Microsoft Word contains a great many improvements as well as a new look that makes it a pleasure to work with.
Microsoft Excel
For in-depth users of this program, you will not see loads of new features, but this does not mean that there aren’t any, we have already mentioned the “Gallery” feature well of course this is seen in all the applications in this suite, but it does contribute to a smoother work experience, in the case of Excel we see pre-formatted worksheets, Charts, SmartArt Graphics and WordArt, all contributing to a thorough presentation of homework projects, and other assignments in the home and student use environment.
Notable is the “Formula Builder and AutoComplete” feature this is a welcome improvement to dedicated and advanced users, simply start typing a formula and a dynamic drop down menu appears providing a list of functions, select one of these or one of the more recent selections and automatically the computation begins. However what makes this a standout feature is the fact that you can fully customise this, by adjusting the number of characters required to trigger a formula, Formula Builder walks you through the steps in order to create a formula. Regarding preset formulas you can even click on a name and a full description comes up as well as a definition making this an invaluable tool for even the amateur user. You can even turn the feature on or off at your convenience. However some of the jargon used makes it difficult for some people to understand, this is something that should be thought of in the future.
Another enhancement is the increase in rows and columns, which now compares to the Windows based version of Excel, it now contains 16,000 columns and more than one million rows, which is a total of 17.18 billion cells. Although in this Home And Student version this may not be an important observation, but in the commercial licensed editions then this would be a welcome enhancement for a treasury official or someone who works with figures on a national scale.
Concentrating on a Mac only feature the “Ledger Sheets” which is introduced for the first time, and is located in the “Gallery” here we see a time saving enhancement for book keepers and accountants, in providing ready made financial worksheet templates to customise and use, other templates are suitable for home budgeting and bank transaction records. These are probably more useful to those that find financial management in Excel a bit difficult to use. After all an accountant and bookkeeper could accomplish these ready made tasks themselves, in very little time.
Charts are perhaps the biggest improvement as far as we are concerned. Firstly they are easier to select, simply insert them from the “Gallery” and they just appear, certainly a lot quicker than in previous versions. The “Toolbox” provides a lot of different styles and effects, too add a pleasing appearance to the data worksheet. Many of the new features in Excel will not massively benefit dedicated and experienced users, however it will benefit new and inexperienced users, The increase in Cells may not necessarily benefit most people simply because most of us like to see smaller tables set out so that we may see all the data at once, and we are looking at this from a home and student users point of view.
Microsoft Powerpoint
This presentation application has the fewest changes in the whole suite and yet this benefits the most from the “Gallery” and the better graphics engine. If you are a long term Powerpoint user then you will notice the vast improvements of the user workspace. The “Gallery” really does make it so much easier to view and import various elements as well as slide templates for use in your presentation. SmartArt is a feature that really comes into its own in this application, the idea of this feature is too bring in explanatory diagrams, these diagrams are split into various categories (List, Process, Cycle, etc). SmartArt graphics contain many elements, that can transform basic bulleted lists into a chart, table, map or diagram all with a click of a button. One thing that is very important too note, is that if you are using any element from the gallery which include templates, styles, backgrounds and colour schemes these will be compatible with Microsoft Office 2007, this means your presentation will retain its original appearance.
iPhoto integration is another nice feature for Mac users, when you are trying to access shapes, clip art, symbols, you can also find that you can access your images from the iPhoto directory. A completed presentation sent to iPhoto as a iPhoto slideshow can open up the way for an iPod user to watch the completed project, simply saving the show as a jpeg or png file and then transferring it an iPod will enable portable pitches, proposals and presentations. Diverting attention away from the iPod now, the Apple remote control can be used to control Powerpoint presentations too.
WordArt also is a fantastic feature in Powerpoint 2008, you can transform ordinary text into very eye catching titles and headings, of course a good presentation would not overdo this feature. Dynamic guides are also an excellent tool to perfectly place objects images and text, its not always easy to lineup these elements, but now you can do it effortlessly.
All in all this is an excellent version bringing it more in line with Keynote part of the iWork 08 package from Apple, it is powerful and now is even easier to use while retaining the power of professional presentations.
Microsoft Entourage
I scratched my head when seeing this application included in the Mac version. Why ? you may ask, well within the Mac operating system we already have Apple Mail, iCal and Address Book, I find these excellent applications for viewing and organising emails, keeping appointments, and managing my contacts, to do a fine and satisfactory job, so why would I need to have duplicate software ?
This is where I feel Microsoft have not thought things through, whilst I am not criticising the application, it just isn’t necessary for the Apple Mac user.
However enough said if you did decide to use Entourage then within Apple Mail you can import your mail and mailboxes to Entourage, however there is no import tool for the Address Book. Entourage however may not interest so much the Home user and the Student which is the version we are covering, nevertheless it offers more features fit for the business user. The 2008 upgrade offers more practical functions than its 2004 counterpart, such as an Out of Office assistant that lets you craft vacation messages specific to the recipient. Filters for junk mail and phishing are beefed up. There are To Do lists, accessible in the My Day widget along with appointments and the color-coded calendar. You can accept or reject a meeting directly within a calendar event. Meetings can be forwarded directly to others, and conflicting and adjacent appointments are better managed.
In Conclusion
Finally Microsoft Office For Mac 2008 is a fantastic new upgrade, its not perfect, but then we don’t live in a perfect world. However what this upgrade does accomplish is very importantly a new user interface that literally anyone can use, it provides elements that reflect a professionalism that is expected in this day and age, and has enough new features to justify the upgrade. However when it comes to the Mac version perhaps Microsoft should consider omitting Entourage as this really is not needed, and perhaps adding a mac version of OneNote as with Microsoft Office 2007 for Windows (Home and Student) version. Simply put it is a whole lot better than the 2004 version, and if you are working along with other windows users, then this suite of tools is going to be very useful. Microsoft have indeed done a fine job, however there are cheaper alternatives for the Apple Mac home user.
Well to begin with this product has finally been released as a Universal Binary edition which means it runs on Intel Macs, this is a relief to those users that have had to run an emulation program in the past to use the former version. But one of the most notable features as you load up is the newly designed interface that resembles Microsoft Office 2007 in the Windows version, however what I liked about the Mac version is the fact that the most commonly used tools are never far away. It becomes quite clear to me that Microsoft have given great thought to making the applications easier to use, and thus angling towards new users. One of the features I did appreciate was the “Microsoft Project Gallery” which contain preset templates for blank projects as well as many custom made templates for Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. As soon as you browse through them you can see that Microsoft have done away with the old home made styles of the past, and they are now reminiscent of Apple’s “Pages” templates, a more professional approach to the twenty first century. Additionally there is a new OfficeArt graphics engine, improved charts and WordArt, as well as new SmartArt graphics feature.
Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 comes in three editions which include Home and Student, and Special Media edition, I am covering the Home and Student Edition which nicely includes a bonus product “Microsoft Expression Media” this is a renamed product that Microsoft took over from iView Media in 2007, recently known as iView Media Pro. This bonus application is an astounding cataloguing application that imports scores of different formats of media for organised use, as well as presenting them in a professional way, these are particularly tailor made for the web designer and photographer.
Microsoft Word
Loading up the word processing application for the first time, you notice that the main toolbar its bigger and better with clearer icons and stands out nicely in a plain background. The functions displayed within the toolbar give evidence that Microsoft have done away with the clutter as was evident in the 2004 version. Other points of note is that the default fonts have changed as well to a lot nicer typeface “Calibri and Cambria”. However the most impressive new element in Microsoft Word is the “Gallery” clicking on this button reveals a portfolio of pre-designed elements categorised into “Document Elements, Quick Tables, Charts, SmartArt Graphics, WordArt”. Document Elements simplifies and automates tasks within a project such as cover pages, table of contents, headers, footers, bibliographies etc. Quick Tables are ready formatted tables, but with a more attractive look than before. However this also applies to Charts and WordArt, With WordArt it was seriously dated in terms of styles and appearance, however now you get subtler effects that give a pleasing and professional look to any project document.
Publishing Layout View is a welcome benefit, because when you insert graphics they stay exactly where they are, and the text is placed in a text box, another point of note is the text link feature, where you can link one text box to another, so that it flows nicely, this truly is proper desktop publishing making it a vast improvement from previous versions, especially as no doubt you were frustrated with what would happen when you imported images, these were always anchored to the text in your word processing project, and were prone to easily moving about, creating layout problems.
So Microsoft Word contains a great many improvements as well as a new look that makes it a pleasure to work with.
Microsoft Excel
For in-depth users of this program, you will not see loads of new features, but this does not mean that there aren’t any, we have already mentioned the “Gallery” feature well of course this is seen in all the applications in this suite, but it does contribute to a smoother work experience, in the case of Excel we see pre-formatted worksheets, Charts, SmartArt Graphics and WordArt, all contributing to a thorough presentation of homework projects, and other assignments in the home and student use environment.
Notable is the “Formula Builder and AutoComplete” feature this is a welcome improvement to dedicated and advanced users, simply start typing a formula and a dynamic drop down menu appears providing a list of functions, select one of these or one of the more recent selections and automatically the computation begins. However what makes this a standout feature is the fact that you can fully customise this, by adjusting the number of characters required to trigger a formula, Formula Builder walks you through the steps in order to create a formula. Regarding preset formulas you can even click on a name and a full description comes up as well as a definition making this an invaluable tool for even the amateur user. You can even turn the feature on or off at your convenience. However some of the jargon used makes it difficult for some people to understand, this is something that should be thought of in the future.
Another enhancement is the increase in rows and columns, which now compares to the Windows based version of Excel, it now contains 16,000 columns and more than one million rows, which is a total of 17.18 billion cells. Although in this Home And Student version this may not be an important observation, but in the commercial licensed editions then this would be a welcome enhancement for a treasury official or someone who works with figures on a national scale.
Concentrating on a Mac only feature the “Ledger Sheets” which is introduced for the first time, and is located in the “Gallery” here we see a time saving enhancement for book keepers and accountants, in providing ready made financial worksheet templates to customise and use, other templates are suitable for home budgeting and bank transaction records. These are probably more useful to those that find financial management in Excel a bit difficult to use. After all an accountant and bookkeeper could accomplish these ready made tasks themselves, in very little time.
Charts are perhaps the biggest improvement as far as we are concerned. Firstly they are easier to select, simply insert them from the “Gallery” and they just appear, certainly a lot quicker than in previous versions. The “Toolbox” provides a lot of different styles and effects, too add a pleasing appearance to the data worksheet. Many of the new features in Excel will not massively benefit dedicated and experienced users, however it will benefit new and inexperienced users, The increase in Cells may not necessarily benefit most people simply because most of us like to see smaller tables set out so that we may see all the data at once, and we are looking at this from a home and student users point of view.
Microsoft Powerpoint
This presentation application has the fewest changes in the whole suite and yet this benefits the most from the “Gallery” and the better graphics engine. If you are a long term Powerpoint user then you will notice the vast improvements of the user workspace. The “Gallery” really does make it so much easier to view and import various elements as well as slide templates for use in your presentation. SmartArt is a feature that really comes into its own in this application, the idea of this feature is too bring in explanatory diagrams, these diagrams are split into various categories (List, Process, Cycle, etc). SmartArt graphics contain many elements, that can transform basic bulleted lists into a chart, table, map or diagram all with a click of a button. One thing that is very important too note, is that if you are using any element from the gallery which include templates, styles, backgrounds and colour schemes these will be compatible with Microsoft Office 2007, this means your presentation will retain its original appearance.
iPhoto integration is another nice feature for Mac users, when you are trying to access shapes, clip art, symbols, you can also find that you can access your images from the iPhoto directory. A completed presentation sent to iPhoto as a iPhoto slideshow can open up the way for an iPod user to watch the completed project, simply saving the show as a jpeg or png file and then transferring it an iPod will enable portable pitches, proposals and presentations. Diverting attention away from the iPod now, the Apple remote control can be used to control Powerpoint presentations too.
WordArt also is a fantastic feature in Powerpoint 2008, you can transform ordinary text into very eye catching titles and headings, of course a good presentation would not overdo this feature. Dynamic guides are also an excellent tool to perfectly place objects images and text, its not always easy to lineup these elements, but now you can do it effortlessly.
All in all this is an excellent version bringing it more in line with Keynote part of the iWork 08 package from Apple, it is powerful and now is even easier to use while retaining the power of professional presentations.
Microsoft Entourage
I scratched my head when seeing this application included in the Mac version. Why ? you may ask, well within the Mac operating system we already have Apple Mail, iCal and Address Book, I find these excellent applications for viewing and organising emails, keeping appointments, and managing my contacts, to do a fine and satisfactory job, so why would I need to have duplicate software ?
This is where I feel Microsoft have not thought things through, whilst I am not criticising the application, it just isn’t necessary for the Apple Mac user.
However enough said if you did decide to use Entourage then within Apple Mail you can import your mail and mailboxes to Entourage, however there is no import tool for the Address Book. Entourage however may not interest so much the Home user and the Student which is the version we are covering, nevertheless it offers more features fit for the business user. The 2008 upgrade offers more practical functions than its 2004 counterpart, such as an Out of Office assistant that lets you craft vacation messages specific to the recipient. Filters for junk mail and phishing are beefed up. There are To Do lists, accessible in the My Day widget along with appointments and the color-coded calendar. You can accept or reject a meeting directly within a calendar event. Meetings can be forwarded directly to others, and conflicting and adjacent appointments are better managed.
In Conclusion
Finally Microsoft Office For Mac 2008 is a fantastic new upgrade, its not perfect, but then we don’t live in a perfect world. However what this upgrade does accomplish is very importantly a new user interface that literally anyone can use, it provides elements that reflect a professionalism that is expected in this day and age, and has enough new features to justify the upgrade. However when it comes to the Mac version perhaps Microsoft should consider omitting Entourage as this really is not needed, and perhaps adding a mac version of OneNote as with Microsoft Office 2007 for Windows (Home and Student) version. Simply put it is a whole lot better than the 2004 version, and if you are working along with other windows users, then this suite of tools is going to be very useful. Microsoft have indeed done a fine job, however there are cheaper alternatives for the Apple Mac home user.
Microsoft Office 2008 For Mac