News - Microsoft shows off Office for Mac 2011

[HEXUS]

Software giant reveals a new interface and new features for Mac-specific Office release due later this year.

Read more.

[kellyharding]

I suspect it'll be Intel only somehow. Office for Mac tends to be better I've found than the equiv. windows version.

[kingpotnoodle]

What I don't understand is if they can make Office for Intel Mac, surely it's not a big leap to making Office for Linux on x86? Isn't OS-X closer to Linux than it is to Windows?

Maybe MS just don't think there is a big market, or don't want to give people the option to switch away from Windows and keep their apps - but if that's the case why make Office for Mac?

[Petra Ceason]

Re Office for Mac 2011
'Claiming to have used end-user feedback to build Office for Mac 2011, Microsoft has revamped the software's user interface with a design it calls the "Office for Mac Ribbon".'
So Somebody has found a way to speak to Redmond.
Could that somebody ask if {in Word,} they are:-
1: Reinstating Macros;
2: Preventing repositioned toolbars from obscuring data in the Save As Window;
3: Reinstating Custom designed Headers and Footers;
{And those are only the disasters I found in Office 2008 in the first morning's use. I promptly uninstalled it!}
If the answer to any of these is 'No' I guess I'll be saving my money, having wasted so much on Office 2008.

[Fraz]

What I don't understand is if they can make Office for Intel Mac, surely it's not a big leap to making Office for Linux on x86? Isn't OS-X closer to Linux than it is to Windows?

Maybe MS just don't think there is a big market, or don't want to give people the option to switch away from Windows and keep their apps - but if that's the case why make Office for Mac?

I believe it's because Microsoft own a number of non-voting shares in Apple, and hence it's somewhat within their interests to develop for Apple.

[Mattus]

What I don't understand is if they can make Office for Intel Mac, surely it's not a big leap to making Office for Linux on x86? Isn't OS-X closer to Linux than it is to Windows?

Maybe MS just don't think there is a big market, or don't want to give people the option to switch away from Windows and keep their apps - but if that's the case why make Office for Mac?

No market for it. If you're using a free OS, you're probably not going to pay for an office suite.

[Funkstar]

Wasn't thinks like Office, Internet Explorer and Media Player on Mac OS (this probably goes back to brefore OSX) initially developed to keep people like the Department of Justice and the Competition Commission off Microsoft's back with regards to monopolies?

IE and MP were dropped recently because there was no need for them due to Apples new found popularity. Office may have gone as well at one point, but now there is a real market for it so it is actually a viable product for MS to develop and sell. Just think, you can have a shiney "lifestyle" Mac but still use office with 100% compatibility with Windows Office.