Mac2Windows
Hands On: Microsoft Office v. X
- 2002.02.12 - Tip Jar
Sometimes Microsoft and Apple seem like a dysfunctional old married couple; they often fight, and they've got the kids taking sides. But you know that down deep each of them really needs the other.
Microsoft needs a strong Apple to show the world that Microsoft doesn't have a complete monopoly on desktop computing. And Apple often seems to function as the research-and-development team for Microsoft and the rest of the PC industry. Besides, it's long been suggested that Microsoft makes more profit, on average, from each Mac owner than it does from each PC owner.
Apple needs Microsoft to continue to develop and market products for the Mac. The availability of Mac versions of Microsoft Office, in particular, lets Mac users exchange files with their PC counterparts and lets the Mac continue to appear to be a credible alternative in offices and schools. So with Apple touting its OS X operating system as its future, the release this fall of an OS X version of Microsoft Office was welcomed as a vote of confidence in Apple's new direction.
Office v. X (US$460) required a year's effort by Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit to "carbonize" Mac Office 2001. rewrite it to support the new operating system. Along the way they brushed up Office's interface, bringing it in line with OS X's Aqua look and feel, complete with new and colourful buttons, icons, and dialogue boxes. The result is the most attractive and most fun-to-use version of Office for any platform. The programs are able to take advantage of Aqua support for transparency - not only for the eye candy of see-through menus and dialogue boxes, but to add to charts and graphics in Excel, PowerPoint and Word.
Despite the attractive new look, however, Office v. X does not come with an overwhelming number of new features compared with its predecessor, Office 2001. There are some nice improvements, though.
The new version of Word makes it easy, for example, to format or spell-check unconnected blocks of text by selecting them using the Command key. Word's new Contact tool bar makes it easy to exchange addresses with Entourage (Mac Office's email and calendar application) even when Entourage isn't open. A "clear formatting" option nicely resets a selection to the paragraph default.
A longtime Word feature, the ability to edit keyboard commands, has finally been added to Excel, as has the ability to import FileMaker database data. Unfortunately, Excel still can't import data from Microsoft's own Windows Office database, Access, and there still isn't a Mac version of Access.
PowerPoint can now save its files into a neat little package and does a better job exporting presentations to QuickTime, but it is otherwise little changed from the previous version.
Entourage, which premiered in Office 2001, gets a beefed-up calendar and an all-new interface, making it easier to manoeuvre between email, calendar, and address list views. Microsoft is waiting for Palm's release of OS X-native software before making it possible to sync Entourage data with Palm PDAs.
Microsoft has done a great job of making Office v. X look and work with Apple's stylish OS X. The previous version, Office 2001, also gets the job done in the new operating system, although it only runs in that OS's old-style Classic-mode.
Users getting a new Mac and wanting to work in OS X will
find the newest Office a must-have. But despite the new version's
classy appearance, there's little to make owners of Office 2001
feel like they need to rush out and upgrade.
This article was first published in Alan Zisman's "High Tech Office" column in Business in Vancouver.
Join us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.
Alan Zisman is Mac-using teacher and technology writer based in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Many of his articles are available on his website, www.zisman.ca. If you find Alan's articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.
Other articles by Alan Zisman
- LogMeIn: Remote Screen Sharing for the Rest of Us, 2012.02.09. Configuring the Mac's built-in screen sharing to work over the Internet can be difficult or impossible. LogMeIn makes it easy.
- VMware Fusion 4 vs Parallels Desktop 7: The Virtualization Battle Continues, 2012.01.18. Over the years VMware and Parallels have both improved signficantly, but which is better in 2012?
- Tech 2012: Everyone Wants a Piece of Apple or Facebook, 2012.01.10. Just as last year, companies want to steal market share from Apple or create a real competitor for Facebook.
- More in the Mac 2 Windows index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: Outbound Laptop and Notebook, introduced 1989.09. The best known among the early Mac clones.
- February 11 in LEM history: 98: Disposable modems - 00: Setting up a Mac web server - Small network backup solutions - 02: Flea market Mac Plus - I love this Quadra! - 03: Jaguar revisited - Beige G3 upgrades - 05: The key to Apple's success - Which iPod is best for you? - 08: Could a wireless dock be in the MacBook Air's future? - 2 of Apple's best notebooks ever
- Support Low End Mac
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Fix Home Button Delay, Tablet the Ultimate Mobile PC, iPad Notebook a Possibility, and More, iOS News Review, 2012.02.10. Also using your iPad at work, two photo editors, a new iPad text editor, Macally's magnetic iPad 2 stand, and more.
- White MacBook Goes End-of-Life, Logitech Touch Mouse Supports Gestures, Firmware Updates, and More, The 'Book Review, 2012.02.10. Also MacBook Air better than any Ultrabook, docks for MacBook Pro models, Intel offers improved SSDs, and more.
- Apple's Support Lead Shipping, Smartphones Outsell PCs, OS X Ported to ARM by Intern, and More, Mac News Review, 2012.02.10. Also the power of Tex-Edit Plus, Google and Twitter are already censoring the Web, Snow Leopard Security Update, and more.
- Mac and iOS Browsers: Options Galore, Freeware Forum, 2012.02.10. Safari is adequate on Mac and great on iOS, but the range of good alternatives is stunning. LEM writers share their favorites.
- LogMeIn: Remote Screen Sharing for the Rest of Us, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 2012.02.09. Configuring the Mac's built-in screen sharing to work over the Internet can be difficult or impossible. LogMeIn makes it easy.
- 15 Years Ago Motorola Unveiled the PowerPC G3, Low End Mac Round Table, 2012.02.06. The G3 processor was optimized for real world Mac software and made a big leap forward in efficiency.
- Don't Kill Caps Lock, Learning to Love the iOS Keyboard, and an Adaptive iPad Keyboard, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2012.02.06. The Caps Lock key has a useful function, the iPad's keyboard really is useful, and checking out an adaptive keyboard for the iPad.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best MacBook Air Deals
- Best iBook G4 Deals
- Best iPad Deals
- Best Classic Mac OS Deals
- Best Apple TV Deals
- Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals
- Best Power Mac G4 Deals
- Best Mac OS X 10.6 Deals
- More deals in our archive.
About LEM Support Usage Privacy Contact
Follow
Low End Mac on Twitter
Join Low End Mac
on Facebook
Low End Mac Reader Specials
TypeStyler 11 is now in the Mac App Store!! -- Special Introductory Price of $59.95!! -- To Buy From The Mac App Store Click Here Now!! Or buy direct
from Strider Software.
Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how to download and install a native Mac poker and Mac Casino applications in minutes.
Favorite Sites
MacSurfer
Cult of Mac
Shrine of Apple
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac Museum
DealMac
Deal Brothers
Mac2Sell
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System 6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End Mac FAQ
Affiliates
Amazon.com
The Apple Store
The iTunes Store
PC Connection Express
GainSaver
Parallels Desktop for Mac
eBay
