( 113 reviews )
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( 1 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: Aug 13 2009
I got suckered into buying Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 because my wife's office had upgraded their PCs to whatever the PC version of the latest of Office is, and we wanted to be compatible with the new Word docx files. Of course, in real life, very few people seem to be using docx files, even in mid-2009, so upgrading to docx is basically pointless. After installing the new 2008 version of Office on our Macs at home, I immediately noticed Word, Excel and PowerPoint programs took longer to open than the 2004 versions. I also noticed that Word and Excel especially were loaded with a bunch of features that no one really needs and generally distracts from what I'm trying to create on my Mac. It's as if Microsoft once again answered consumer questions than nobody ever asked. After using Office 2008 for the Mac for about six months, I finally decided to remove and trash it from my Mac. I'm back to using the 2004 version and am much happier with software that is easier to use with less distracting bells and whistles that I don't need to type a memo or prepare a spread sheet. My latest experience with another "innovative" Microsoft product helps me better understand why Microsoft stock sells in the low $20's while Apple's price is nearing $170 a share. I'm glad I'm a Mac, and not a PC, and I'm REALLY GLAD that I own Apple stock. Is it possible to select "0" stars for an Amazon review?... if so, please change my vote to zero.
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( 0 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Aug 13 2009
I'm a long time Windows user who just bought my first Mac computer this year. I installed Office 2008 on my Mac Mini and have been using it for a couple of months. I'm using MS Office '07 for Win on my work laptop. After I started using Office '08 for Mac, I felt very familiar with the interface. However, in the past, it did take me a week to get used to the jump from Office XP to Office '07 for Win. Unfortunately, like '07 for win, '08 for Mac feels bloated and crashes quite often. Granted my Mac isn't the fastest (Intel Duo Core 2, 4GB RAM, OSX 10.5), but Word shouldn't crash just because I have start opening and closing Office programs quickly. I guess the upside is that the files are completely compatible between '07 for Win and '08 for Mac. But I heard iWork can save as or convert to Office files also, which I might test out soon. If you are using this for business application like me and want little adaption time and full compatibility, then get this. If not, then iWork might be a better alternative.
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( 0 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Aug 10 2009
Ok, I'll preface this review with the basic fact that I'm not a power user in any sense of the word. We bought a Mac last summer when our PC blew it's motherboard and we haven't looked back since. The intuitiveness and ease of use have made the Mac indispensable for us, and although we do have a Vaio notebook I don't see where we would move back to a PC-based computing platform for any reason. That said, I did pick up a copy of Office 2008 for Mac Home & Student Edition for the simple fact that we do trade files with a lot of folks who still run Windows, and having this product pretty much negates any compatibility issues on either side of the equation. Reviewing ANY Microsoft product is difficult, even more so when you're a Mac user. There can be no doubt, though, that the Office suite has been and will continue to be the default school and business productivity toolkit. It's a classic and robust piece of software, and while it has it's quirks and faults, it does get the job done. I've been using this version for a couple of months now, and I can offer the following observations: - Like most Microsoft products, it takes forever to install. It took me about an hour to get the program up and running, mostly due to all of the updates and patches that had to load once the initial files had been installed. A minor issue, but always a frustrating one. - So far, NO compatibility issues at all. I have sent files back and forth from work with no problem, sent and received files from friends with no problem, and haven't encountered anything yet that would indicate any sort of issue in this area. This is the primary reason that I ordered this suite, and it's held up beautifully thus far. Keep in mind that I'm not doing anything particularly intensive. A few of my Excel files have formulas and macros and such, but nothing has gotten lost or garbled from one place to another. - The user interfaces look somewhat different in the Mac environment, and that takes a little getting used to. Not a problem, just something to consider. Basically, I'm thinking of this as a win. I can recommend it if you do a lot of file transfers with Windows-based PCs and you're worried about compatibility problems. I'll edit this review if I come across anything fishy in the future.
