Microsoft today released Office 2004 for Mac 11.3.4 Update which, according to Microsoft, “contains several improvements to enhance security and stability, including fixes for vulnerabilities that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer’s memory with malicious code.”
Microsoft says the update applies to: Office 2004 Standard Edition, Office 2004 Student and Teacher Edition, Office 2004 Professional Edition, Word 2004, Excel 2004, PowerPoint 2004, Entourage 2004.
More info and download link here.
Related article:
Mac users should not buy Microsoft software (or hardware) – May 16, 2003
“We have to let go of a few things here. We have to let go of the notion that for Apple to win, Microsoft has to lose.”
Let’s get a few things out of the way here.
“I would never put a M$ product on my Mac”
“My Mac has been M$ free for 35 years”
“Just get Open Office”
blah, blah, blah…
Get over it (before you start). M$ Office is the de-facto standard no matter how much some of you hate it.
[post on pcmag.com:] Get over it (before you start). The iPod is the de-facto standard no matter how much some of you hate it.
Yin and Yang people.
“including fixes for vulnerabilities that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer’s memory with malicious code.”
Isn’t this in the release notes for absolutely EVERY Microsoft software update?!? When Billy said “Macs are broken every day” maybe he wasn’t lying. He could have been strictly referring to Microsoft Office for Mac.
Its this crap which makes the Mac vulnerable. Sure I use MS Office but I do so while wearing a total body condom.
If there was the attention being paid to iWork that there ought to be, we wouldn’t care about this so much.
But, neither iWork nor iLife (which absolutely DO NOT ‘boom – just work’) is moving in the direction to seize the moment and fulfill the needs of Mac users world wide because:
1. Lord Jobs is obsessed with changing the world with iPhone and
2. Lord Jobs is otherwise fully distracted by trying to hold on as Chairman of Apple while, at the same time, trying to stay dressed in his P. T. Barnum outfit instead of state supplied clothing.
how embarrassing.
iWork has been out for like.. 2 versions and the 20 year old office is ripping it for ideas (Mac Office 2008)
If that thing has a spreadsheet i’m jumping ship.. I love pages, and keynote.. and constantly get compliments on my ‘output’ with those programs..
In all fairness, that’s the language of every release for every OS for whatever fix. It’s always got to do with the same thing. It’s not OSX or Windows specific.
*cringe*
“Lord Jobs”
*cringe*
The dude is worthy of admiration, but to call him your Lord. Yikes!
“In all fairness, that’s the language of every release for every OS for whatever fix. It’s always got to do with the same thing. It’s not OSX or Windows specific.”
Umm, no, not really. For one thing, this isn’t an operating system point update or an OS security update, this is just an update for their Office suite. And secondly, most updates from everyone other than MS at least add some new features on occasion and aren’t entirely made up of only security fixes. I’m sorry, but Microsoft has set the standard for “vulnerabilities” that nobody could beat if they tried.
uh, folks…, the rest of the world has never heard of iWork. like it or not MS Office is what the rest of the world is using. would we like to change that? sure. but until Open Office sees a greater adoption, or iWork suddenly becomes a FAR more compelling solution, we’re stuck with it.
Office is one the reasons macs are selling the way they are – it enables people who’ve never heard of an alternative to feel that much more comfortable. be happy security updates come out and that MS mac business unit is working on them.
Why I hate those “this is what the whole world is doing” arguments:
• iWork is totally open. It can export your work to industry standards, including web standards, and even Microsoft’s so-called “standards” (although you lose all the nice visual effects/functionality when moving to that last one).
And it keeps me happy because no matter how much people *think* Office is the “end-all be-all” of productivity (hah!) suites, I know I can export to M$’s crappy format if need be.
I don’t give a damn if the rest of the world knows what iWork is or not. The point is that I do, and I know what I like. And I like iWork.
MW: All iWork needs is some growth. And that spreadsheet thing everyone seems to bitch about.
True, ben, new switchers do see Office as a “security blanket” kind of thing to switch with, because on the PC, thats all they have (well, the ones that aren’t receptive to open source). But once you come over here, you notice there are alternatives.
I used Office for Mac for a few months before I decided to look at Neo Office, which was pretty decent- not great, but at least it wasn’t Microsoft technology. Then I moved to iWork, and I must say, I absolutely love it.
Besides, once the 5-year contact is up, Microsoft will be pulling the plug on Office. Between now and then, Office will get less and less functional, and Apple will be refining iWork, prepping it to replace Office right away.
Why don’t they hurry up with iWork ’07 already? Get on your horse Apple…
Just because “the world” has not heard of iWork doesn’t mean that it isn’t a a great pair of applications being used daily by millions of people including myself.
iWork needs an answer to excel. period.
So… This thing work or not?
Why in world would I want such an update now days – I got pages, NEO Office and yes good old Appleworks – who would want MS anything?
Has anyone tried loading the update yet? What has been your experience? (cut the bullsh!t) and let’s get down to business).
Microsoft Office is a joke. As are all Office applications, including Open Office. More time and effort is made crafting a representation of the point than actually making it.
I can’t believe this world still runs on reports, pressos and spreadsheets generated by such a cumbersome piece of misguided wishful thinking.
Amazing…
@Inverterate
It’s stuff like this that keeps middle management types in jobs, my friend. At some point in history, the weak obviously got sick of the strong getting all the good stuff and thereby invented “process and procedure”. The rest is history..
I do agree with you though. Less talking, more doing!
Yeah, Office is a standard, sort of. No denying. But I write professionally, and I don’t use it more than once every second month or so (and an old classic version at that, mostly), because some schmuck insists on using some of it’s irritating features instead of, actually, you know, THINK (the non-irritating usually converts fine). And irritating it is. Sometimes when I delete a space in a document one of these schmucks has sent me, Word changes the style of the _preceeding_ paragraph. And THIS is what passes for a standard?!? 380 cubic inch V8’s were also standard once.
MDN magic word: Lower, as in … well, you can guess for yourselves.
Next to the regret of installing Office is the remorse of installing a Microsoft update too soon. I would wait six months before installing any addtional Microsoft software.
I am interested to know if any one has loaded this update. I understand that it enhances spotlight search capabilities to include search of MS Office docs, including Entourage – a big plus for me. Please share your experiences. thx.
Microsoft Office may be the defacto standard no matter how much we hate it. Maybe we should suck it up and bite the bullet, but then couldn’t the same be said of Windows?
I read the slams of MicroSoft Office and wonder if I am using the same applications everyone seems to be slamming! I never have any of these problems – every upgrade has worked well, teacher/student pricing I am able to use is reasonable, etc.
I am a fiercely loyal Mac user, though I use a PC at work with no problems. I guess I am living in a dream world, according to all the disgruntled Office and PC users.
Why not just acknowledge the different systems and their proponents and just go on your way? This militant slamming is not productive. Mac products will speak for themselves to those who want to listen. I have convinced some to change by gently speaking of positive Mac experiences. Some Mac users have the reputation for being obsessive and goofy. Stop already!!!