CNET’s Elsa Wenzel reviews “Microsoft Office Standard 2007” – on an Apple MacBook Pro:
The good: Previously hard-to-find features now easier to explore; Word embraces basic desktop publishing tools; Excel formulas are easier to reference; PowerPoint presentations are more attractive; Outlook improves task and time management; improved integration throughout the applications; smaller application and file sizes; new file formats are easier to salvage if corrupted; document security is more straightforward.
The bad: Drastic design changes demand a steep learning curve if you’re upgrading; new interface isn’t always intuitive; contextual tabs and style galleries can be distracting; users of Office 2000 through 2003 must install converters to open Office 2007 files; no easy way to save work to the Web.
The bottom line: Overall, Microsoft Office Standard 2007 is a worthy upgrade if you need to make sleeker-looking documents and presentations to share with others, and Outlook is better than ever, but you can stick to your current software if you don’t feel that it lacks anything.
Full video and text review here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Sohrab” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Note: Microsoft Office 2007 minimally requires Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or later with 256 MB RM or Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or later with 256MB RAM.
Related articles:
Apple Macs can run more software than Windows PCs – October 30, 2006
Dude, you got a Dell? What are you, stupid? Only Apple Macs run both Mac OS X and Windows! – April 05, 2006
wow i will never get the point of using Apple hardware to debut microsoft products…
Way to go MDN. A huge Microsoft Vista Banner on your top front page. WOW For a website that bashes the WOW. Your jokes write themselves.
You must be getting GOOD money from Microsoft for advertising the WOW of FISTA.
Your credibility has hit another all time LOW. What a sad Apple advocate you make.
Don’t delete my opinion of YOU MDN!
Boeing777
Are you an idiot? It’s Circut City, fool…
Sorry to be harsh… I’m sick of all the mindless Windoze undead today. (Not necessarily you, Boeing). Vista brought them back to life.
Kinda like puttin’ lipstick on a pig.
didn’t you mean “debutt” microsoft products, although if you debutt MS products, then there’ll be nothing left! Bad joke, I know. I just couldn’t help myself.
Translation: Adobe Creative Suite CS2 and Web Bundle are worthy upgrades if you need to make sleeker-looking documents and presentations to share with others because frankly InDesign, Dreamweaver, and Flash will make better docs and since you have to learn a new interface to use Office 2007 you might as well use some real tools.
“Mindless Windoze undead” – what a great phrase!
Use the best tool for the job…
Boeing777,
It’s Circuit City that’s paying MDN to post their ad, not Microsoft.
So, let me break it down: MDN is not getting money from Microsoft.
That should help you sleep tonight.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
Wow…Boeing…READ THE POSTS…IT WAS A CIRCUIT CITY AD..
circuit city! another joke wrote itself just now. And where do you think circuit city gets the money to advertise a Microsoft product? Is Paul thurrot controling this website?
Boeing777,
Man, you’re a lost cause. Businesses typically don’t get paid to advertise a certain product (under most circumstances). Typically, the business will choose to advertise whatever it thinks will bring business to itself. Seeing as Vista should technically be a “hot seller” they decided to advertise that they have Windows Vista in stock.
Therefore, it’s unlikely in this situation that ANYONE would be getting paid by Microsoft.
Good day…
Hmmm. OK, while she is using the ‘Book (it looks like a PowerBook to me) as a prop for the video of the review, there is nothing to indicate that she is actually running Office 07 on it. We never see the screen, even though she suggestively turns the computer toward the camera to give that impression.
I think she’s just using the laptop as a more esthetic “visual aid”, with screen captures from some beige WinDrone PC as the actual “live footage”.
Is it just me or is anyone else annoyed by the amount of screen real estate is soaked up by those always in the way “ribbons” that are supposed to make it MS Office easier to use. Did MS forget that drop down menus were invented to make user options accessible when needed?
From the sneak peeks I’ve seen of Office 2007 for Mac, it appears that the Mac BU at Microsoft resisted the urge to follow blindly in the path of the Vista side of the fence.
AShNazg – I don´t think you are necessarily aware of how advertising works. Ever wonder why you see the intel logo and sound on a computer commercial – because Intel is picking up to 100% of the ad cost.
It´s called a co-op ad.
Same with Microsoft – your company puts Microsoft in the ad – Microsoft will reimbursh the company for x amount of the ad.
All part of Microsoft´s ad plan.
Nothing new and has been going on forever.
P.S. And did you know that some companies pay a slotting fee to make sure their products are placed in certain locations (like eye level) in the grocery store?
@Boeing 777,
Man (if you are, indeed, human), you must REALLY hate Apple, then, because on their official website Apple sells Microsoft Office 2004! OH MY GAWD. Apple, Inc. sending money to Microsoft itself!
OH MY GAWD! OH MY GAWD! THE HORROR! THE HYPOCRISY!
Boeing – you just need to learn to block the ads.
Either edit your /private/etc/hosts file, or get one of the ad blocking software for your browser.
Yeah, MDN has annoying ads. But they’ve got to pay the bills to bring this to us. With blocking on the most obnoxious ads, it’s not bad. When I go to MDN from a public computer, I am reminded of how good I’ve got it.
Hey, Ashnack, and have you ever heard of product placement????
Ever notice how brand name products are seen in movies or tvshows. They pay to place them there.
And most of the ads on MDN pages aren´t even ads, they are linksynergy associates type bogus ads. MDN gets a miniscule percent if you click on the ad and then buy something.
Comment from: B-Sabre
Hmmm. OK, while she is using the ‘Book (it looks like a PowerBook to me) as a prop for the video of the review, there is nothing to indicate that she is actually running Office 07 on it. We never see the screen, even though she suggestively turns the computer toward the camera to give that impression.
I think she’s just using the laptop as a more esthetic “visual aid”, with screen captures from some beige WinDrone PC as the actual “live footage”.
Agreed… definitely NOT a MacBook Pro (look closely and see the gray antennas portals on the back side of the LCD display… that’s no longer the case in MacBook Pro (a PowerBook thing)).
And, running Office 2007 on Windows XP on Virtual PC on a PowerBook G4 would probably a) Make the laptop smoke b) Run the cooling fans so hard the laptop would sound like a jet engine c) Not realistically useable for a “live” demonstration d) All of the above.
Given this is unlikely to be the machine the demo was running on, one has to ask, why the Mac laptop to demo Office for Windows? Sounds like a little not so subtle Apple evangelism in action.
Wow! As in Wow, how can 5th graders be allowed to post on this site?… or any site!? It wastes a lot of time in having to scroll through ignorant comments in order to find the decently organized thoughts.
THREADS MDN THREADS for posts. Without it, it just gets far too tiresome to scroll beyond Mr. 777’s complete lack of understanding – and the like.
Wow. Now I’ve got people on my case. lol
Notice I said businesses don’t get paid for placing a product in their ads “in most circumstances.” I was basically referring to most banner ads since that was what was being discussed and I suppose I should have indicated that.
Ad spots in movies are a completely different topic that certainly doesn’t relate to this, so I won’t get into that.
And to the “Ad Man”. I know how advertising works – I work for an ad agency.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” /> I’m almost certain Circuit City’s banner ad is not a co-op ad. They’re trying to drive traffic to them and doing it the best they know how. In computer commercials where the Intel logo is displayed, typically Intel subsidises the cost, no? I don’t think they front the full bill. That’s crazy if they do…
And yes, I’ve taken a trip or two down the cereal isle in the grocery store.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
BTW, I’m done with this topic and extend my appolgies to you, Steven, and anyone else who was annoyed with the off topic posts. I didn’t know it was going to turn into a fiasco.
HAAHAHHAHA, I didnt get it till I watched the vid… talk about lipstick on a pig!!! aHAHAHAAHAHAH
cnet is stupid. that is all.
attn cnet: stop being a conglomerate and telling all your employees what to say and how to do things. maybe then you wont suck so hard.
AshNag – LOL…work for an ad agency…and you talk like that…LOL. Next you will tell us you workfor Circuit City because you are “almost certain” about its ad budget and plans. You just regurgitated AdMans words.
LOL.
Tiki
“…interface isn’t always intuitive…”
Nah, you gotta be kidding me! Microsoft put out some software that isn’t intuitive?