“Microsoft Corp. will delay the release of Office 2008 for Apple Inc.’s Macintosh computers until the middle of January 2008, in order to fix lingering bugs in the software,” Jessica Mintz reports for The Associated Press.
Mintz reports, “The software maker previously said the new suite, which is to include Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and the Entourage e-mail program, would go on sale sometime in the second half of 2007.”
“‘It really is just a quality issue across the board,’ Craig Eisler, general manager of Microsoft’s Macintosh business unit, said in an interview Wednesday,” Mintz reports.
Full article here.
“It really is just a quality issue across the board.” You can say that again, Craig. For the whole company.
Related article:
Mac users should not buy Microsoft software (or hardware) – May 16, 2003
I hope the next version of iWork (remember that?) will be competitive with Office ’08. Currently, iWork ’06 is not up to par with Office ’04 in terms of functionality.
The iWork themes and interfact are cool, but when it comes to hashing out a document…Word on Mac still has Pages beat.
I cannot wait for the next version of iWork! Next week?
That’s “interface” not “interfact”. Oops.
The day Apple or anyone else produces an office suite with even half the capabilities of Office:mac 2004 I’d consider switching. Until then, people should STFU. Keynote/Pages are pathetic in terms of corporate functionality – and the lack of a spreadsheet application is inexcusable. Openoffice is like using software from the mid 1980’s.
Damned if they do, damned if they don’t. The Mac BU have simply delayed the release to get the product right. Exactly the same as Apple has done with 10.5
Can’t see what the fuss is all about. If all you do is write letters and church newsletters, use Pages. But give MacBU some slack – they supply the only decent office suite for the Mac and without it, the number of switchers would be noticeably lower – particularly in the all important corporate market.
I think we should support Microsoft less, don’t feed the beast. Stealing DOS was their biggest coup and they haven’t changed. I’m amazed how many people do not know how evil MS is, search for Preston Gates Ellis and find out about Bill’s dads dirty business. MS has paid out over $10billion when they’ve been caught for theft, most times they have gotten away with it.
Let’s hound abandoned iPod finders instead
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Running an MS free zone for at least five years, maybe much longer. I regret buying Microsoft Works in 1993 and OEM Word and Excel around 1998, that’s $150 too much I’ve contributed.
MDN Magic Word is ‘Word’, did someone program the algorithm with a sick sense of humor?
Here’s a real reality check:
Boot Camp. Parallels. VMWare Fusion.
Microsoft has lost their leverage over Apple. They can’t threaten to knife the Office baby any longer.
Worst case: We’ll just run the WIndows version for banging out text and numbers. Big whoop.
Microsoft has absolutely no recourse.
Personally, I can work just fine w/o Microsoft Office (or any Microsoft products) – that’s the best case scenario.
Apple’s iWork is very good already and can only get better.
I really think its not about QC but more about the M$ head office not wanting to support the Apple/Mac platform.
We all know that M$ has no problem with releasing software before it’s time. They now fully realize the enemy is Apple and Google.
My feeling is that Bill Gates/ Steve Balmer doesn’t want to give any more support/ reason to switch to Mac’s.
Plus if you need M$ software and have an Intel Mac you can use VM or Parallels and use M$’s Windows version – which M$ probably prefers since it will help their sales/numbers on the PC side.
My 2 cents, any agreement here?
“So I think that is a very important perspective. If we want Microsoft Office on the Mac, we better treat the company that puts it out with a little bit of gratitude; we like their software.”
Hell if that’s the problem we may never see it released – besides who in their right mind would want or need Office anymore – I’ve gotten alone in the business world for a long time without any M$ software and and planning to start now or in 2008 or 2009
Besides it’s time that the MAC community moves on and tell M$ folks thanks but no thanks!
Worst case: We’ll just run the WIndows version for banging out text and numbers. Big whoop.
This is what I am afraid of, if Office 08 is delayed, buggy, and shitty, it will coerce Mac users to buy a copy of Win Office 07 as well as XP/Vista to run in a VM. If MS intentionally fscks up their Mac Office product they can make a lot more money forcing us to use the Windows version AND Windows.
REAL REASON FOR MAC MS OFFICE DELAY:
They’ve got the whole Mac development team soldering heat sinks into Xboxes.
Yeah because it is in M$’s best interest to have Office ’08 running on superior non-M$ OS as soon as possible.
Just my $0.02
As a graphic design pro, I deal with M$ Word files on a daily basis, and trust me, they are the bane of my existence. Right now I am re-working a 250 page document into a “printable” format. It’s an enormous job made worse by the fact that Word users think that because Word can do some DTP like tasks, that makes them a skilled designer.
I despise the mindset that M$ has created in the world. Just because you own a hammer, it does not make you a skilled carpenter.
Tell me again why I give a sh|t about this? Is Office 2004 not working for anyone out there, because mine is okay. What exactly is my motivation for upgrading?
MW: ‘support’
2004 works fine. UB version would be nice though.
Obviously an attempt at revenge, striking out blindly to hurt Apple in any way they can figure out, (since Ballmer’s thrown chair doesn’t reach far enough to hurt anybody).
Maybe their waiting to see what features they have in iWork 08, so they innovate. Just like they did with Vista..
@ChrissyOne
Of course 2004 still “works…okay.” IF you are the only one using it and sending documents to others.
However if you are GETTING new Word documents you can’t open MSWord Office 2007 documents in Mac’s version of Office 2004. You have to go get additional stuff to cob it to work, OR call your PC clients and request they save backward compatible.
And it’s a pain in the butt if you just want to open the damn thing and work. And I’m sure MS is enjoying that little aggrivation.
Instead of giving us really buggy, obtuse, difficult-to-use software with non-intuitive menu organization, they’ll give us slightly buggy, obtuse, difficult-to-use software with non-intuitive menu organization.
Is there a way to use a comapny’s Outlook server without Entourage? Please say yes.
Love,
Timbo
I use NeoOffice on my Mac, and most of my school computers running windows use Open Office. They can both do anything MS Office can do, and both are just as easy to use as MS Office. Also, NeoOffice and Open Office are free and don’t use up as much resources as MS Office.
I for one applaud Microsoft for delaying for quality reasons. It’s what they should have done over six months ago with Vista.
@mrmikey
“…made worse by the fact that Word users think that because Word can do some DTP like tasks, that makes them a skilled designer.
I despise the mindset that M$ has created in the world. Just because you own a hammer, it does not make you a skilled carpenter.”
Yeah, just like the people who buy the Office Depot special Printshop-In-A-Box for $49.99. Now they’re designers AND prepress techs.
I feel your pain.
@ MacRaven
True, and I guess native Intel code will be nice (though I have never even noticed that I’m running in Rosetta). But I don’t get any new office docs so I hadn’t noticed.
Quality issue… *cough * bullshit * cough * More like a we have to slow apple down issue…
“It’s not a total loss, switching to the Mac,” he said.
Ahh… The sweet sound of ringing endorsement. <sarcasm>
The funny thing is I really don’t know WHEN I became a Mac fanatic; I’m still a relatively new Mac user having purchased my first Mac in November 2004. It wasn’t part of a plan. Heck back then I didn’t even own (or understand) the appeal of the iPod. Now I can’t live without my Nano. Thank goodness along the way I decided to purchase Apple stock. While I haven’t made as much as a lot of people on this site (my first stock purchase was in the low 40’s AFTER the most recent stock split), switching to Apple computers has REALLY paid off. In other words, it’s not a total loss, switching to the Mac.
Peace.