MS office strategy

Which Office option is best?
1) MS Office 2008 for Mac. (Is an update imminent?)
2) MS Office 2011 next month on a separate windows boot.
3) MS Office and VMware or Parallels.

Office is the only Windows app I will be using. I understand that there is a problem with macros on Excell in 2008 for Mac.

jerryf said:

Which Office option is best?
1) MS Office 2008 for Mac. (Is an update imminent?)
2) MS Office 2011 next month on a separate windows boot.
3) MS Office and VMware or Parallels.

Office is the only Windows app I will be using. I understand that there is a problem with macros on Excell in 2008 for Mac.

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Jerryf,

To answer your questions 1) and 2), MS Office 2011 is a specific release for the Mac and is due in late October and will not need to be installed on a separate windows partition or run using Fusion or Parallels. The current version for the PC is MS Office 2010. As to which is the best option, I will leave it to those more knowledgeable than I to respond.

Mark

Go with Office 2011 when released next month.

I still use MS Office 2008 for Macintosh and I have had zero problems with it. I'm not an excessive Excel user, though, I use PowerPoint and Word mostly. I'd rather wait a month and get the new one.

MS announced that you can purchase Office 2008 for Mac now and get the upgrade for free when it's available so there's no need to wait if you want/need it now.

Purchase Office 2008 | Office 2011 for Mac Upgrade | Mactopia

If you do decided to purchase Office 2008 now hoping to be able to get the upgrade to 2011 for free, make sure you read and understand the requirements that have been laid out by MS.

Supplying them with the product key for 2008 is easy, however, sending them the sales receipt digitally or by email may not be. You can not mail it to them via USPS. Again, make sure you understand how to get the free upgrade.

I have read Office 2011 for Mac will replace Office Entourage with Outlook. Can anybody verify this or have you "heard" this, too? . . . Dogbreath

Dogbreath said:

I have read Office 2011 for Mac will replace Office Entourage with Outlook. Can anybody verify this or have you "heard" this, too? . . . Dogbreath

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Right from the source itself:

Office 2011 | Team Collaboration, Calendar Invites, Broadcast Slideshows | Mactopia

The problem, however, is that "Outlook" will not be available on the Home and Student version which is undoubtably the most popular. You will have to purchase the more expensive version of 2011 in order to get Outlook.

chscag said:

The problem, however, is that "Outlook" will not be available on the Home and Student version which is undoubtably the most popular. You will have to purchase the more expensive version of 2011 in order to get Outlook.

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Yes, that's the way it is for Windows users also unfortunately.

I already have Parallels installed and will upgrade from Office for Mac 2008 to either Mac 2011 or to Windows 2010. Anybody here familiar with 2010 and you've been able to preview 2011? Which of the two new Office versions do you prefer? And why? Thanks. Betty

I've been able to use Office 2011 on a semi-regular basis and it is very, very nice. A vast improvement over 2008. Excel and Exchange users will be especially thrilled.

Logic would suggest that Office 2011 will continue the tradition of the Mac version being more advanced than the Windows version ...

chas_m said:

Logic would suggest that Office 2011 will continue the tradition of the Mac version being more advanced than the Windows version ...

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Got to disagree with you there chas. The Mac version may look nicer but in my experience with using Office on both platforms, Office Mac is usually one step behind the Windows version. A good example of that is when comparing Office 2008 with Office 2007. Notably missing from 2008 is VB, macros, and Outlook. Office 2007 has all three - and the Ribbon menus. Office 2011 finally adds VB, macros, and the Ribbon.