The following was posted to the Official Microsoft Blog today, verbatim:
Today we are announcing the new Outlook for the Mac, which delivers improved performance and reliability and a fresh look and feel that is unmistakably Microsoft Office. This release offers a more familiar and consistent experience between Outlook on the PC, Outlook on the web and Outlook Web App (OWA) for iPad, iPhone and Android devices.
The new Outlook for Mac includes:
• Better performance and reliability as a result of a new threading model and database improvements.
• A new modern user interface with improved scrolling and agility when switching between Ribbon tabs.
• Online archive support for searching Exchange (online or on-premises) archived mail.
• Master Category List support and enhancements delivering access to category lists (name and color) and sync between Mac, Windows and OWA clients.
• Office 365 push email support for real-time email delivery.
• Faster first-run and email download experience with improved Exchange Web Services syncing.
The new Outlook for Mac is available to Office 365 commercial customers and Office 365 Home, Office 365 Personal and Office 365 University subscribers.
• Office 365 Commercial customers can get the new Outlook for Mac by accessing their Office 365 Portal, (Gear icon > Office 365 Settings > Software > Outlook for Mac icon) or visiting the Software page.
• Office 365 consumer subscribers can get the new Outlook for Mac by going to their My Account page.
For people who already have Office for Mac 2011 and Outlook for Mac 2011 installed on their Mac, check out this help article for guidance.
Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote for Mac
Historically we have released a new version of Office for Mac approximately six to eight months after Office for Windows. However, following the release of Office 365 we made the conscious decision to prioritize mobile first and cloud first scenarios for an increasing number of people who are getting things done on-the-go more frequently. This meant delivering and continuing to improve Office on a variety phones (iPhone, Windows Phone, and Android) and tablets (iPad and Windows)—brought together by the cloud (OneDrive) to help people stay better organized and get things done with greater efficiency at work, school, home and everywhere between.
Continuing our commitment to our valued Mac customers, we are pleased to disclose the roadmap for the next version of Office for Mac—including Word for Mac, Excel for Mac, PowerPoint for Mac and OneNote for Mac.
In the first half of 2015 we will release a public beta for the next version of Office for Mac, and in the second half of 2015 we will make the final release available. Office 365 commercial and consumer subscribers will get the next version at no additional cost, and we will release a perpetual license of Office for Mac in the same timeframe.
We’re confident you will like what you see in the new Outlook for Mac today, and in the Office for Mac in the coming months.
To get the best Office 365 email, calendar, contacts and tasks experience on a Mac, download the new Outlook for Mac today, and let us know what you think.
Source: Official Microsoft Blog
Oh.
The new phone books are out! The new phone books are out!
Steve Martin “The Jerk”
Meh…
Hmmmm…
Bah.
zzz.
So I have to subscribe to Microsoft Office like it’s freakin Netflix or something just to get this? No thanks.
No, their just launched Apple Watch killer fitness band was their first priority. As for next year’s Office 365 vaporware, only Microsoft would make the compelling product feature to be the look and feel consistency. I shudder to think their code is as tangle as this sentence: “However, following the release of Office 365 we made the conscious decision to prioritize mobile first and cloud first scenarios for an increasing number of people who are getting things done on-the-go more frequently.” Perhaps the new desktop theme should be the backside of dollar bills. One dollar bye-bye for each 365 days…
Satya Nadella has a weird form of tourette’s syndrome and “mobile first, could first” is his tic.
Good one! I can image his grimace and twitch. Great idea for Halloween!
The answer is spherical and in the plural.
=:~)
Huh?
People still use Office? Wow.
With how much trouble Apple “Mail” is giving everybody in our office lately, I might have to look at this option.
That is funny!
When do you go on tour?
Outlook. Always has been and will be a train wreck. Nuff said.
Outlook has to be the one piece of software on the planet I actually hate.
Doesn’t look like any new features except for a couple under the hood performance-enhancing and now it’s a subscription-based F – them and the horse they rode in on!
Microsoft’s Cloud fetish is about to implode spectacularly just like every other non-software product they’ve worked on in the last 30 years.
Say what you want about Microsoft, they’re pretty consistent in the spectacular failure department.
Only for Office 365 customers. How typical of Microsoft. Although I think the Mac version of Outlook is crap, and this newer version is probably crap, they would serve their customers a lot better by releasing this on the Mac app store as well. This is more of the typical bait and switch bullshit that Microsoft pulls on their customers. Of course the IT sheep will flock to it. They probably got all orgasmic over this announcement.
What’s with all the hostility? There are a lot of Mac users who depend upon Outllook every day as the Mail/Calendar/Contacts app is not up to the typical corporate use.
I’ve tried to use Apple’s apps several times and always switch back to Outlook for work.
We should be thankful that Microsoft makes a version for the Mac. It’s probably a big reason the Mac is riding high on the bring your own device to work trend. And why I’m able to use one at work.
The better Microsoft supports the Mac the more Macs will be sold.
This from a former Microsoft hater and Apple shareholder fanboy.
I hate Microsoft. I hate MS Office. I hate MS Outlook.
However, I wish, Apple would do a much better iWork app (bring back all those features you’ve taken out, Tim!), a better integrated and much more capable e-mail / calendar app.
I’m a Mac fanboy but can’t argue that for business Microsofts Exchange/Outlook can’t be beat
Just say NO to Renting software!!
Any news on whether it will support iCloud? Outlook 2011 is, apart from the iCloud bit, a FAR better client than Mail will ever be, if Apple continues to “forget” about corporate users…..