It's Coming: Mac BU Announces Intent to Deliver Office 2008 for Mac
New version brings enhanced compatibility and Mac-first, Mac-only capabilities.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Jan. 9, 2007 -- Microsoft Corp.'s Macintosh Business Unit
(Mac BU) today revealed at Macworld Conference & Expo 2007 the news Mac
fans have been waiting to hear: A new version of Office for Mac is on its
way. The Mac BU announced its intent to deliver the first Universal version
of Office for Mac for PowerPC- and Intel-based Macs -- Microsoft Office
2008 for Mac. Scheduled to be available in the second half of 2007, Office
2008 for Mac will allow Mac users to work smarter and more efficiently with
new and enhanced tools that are simple, intuitive and easily discovered.
"For more than two decades, Microsoft has been committed to delivering
quality and innovation on the Macintosh platform while retaining
unparalleled compatibility with PCs," said Roz Ho, general manager of the
Mac BU at Microsoft. "Office 2008 is, by far, the most comprehensive,
Mac-complementary productivity suite we've developed to date. I've
witnessed firsthand the progression of this product, and am excited to
think about the possibilities that soon will be available to our customers
when Office 2008 launches later this year."
Microsoft conducted extensive customer research to determine which
enhancements to make to its Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Entourage
applications. As a result, Office 2008 for Mac is packed with new tools to
help Mac users better manage the business of life.
Shared Technologies With Office for Windows
Office 2008 for Mac shares a new graphics engine with Office for Windows.
Office Art 2.0 provides users with the ability to add professionally
designed graphics with a simple click of a button. Like the 2007 Microsoft
Office system and its new user interface (UI) with the Ribbon, Office 2008
has its own new UI that introduces Elements Gallery, a feature that
emphasizes discoverability and gives users quick access to tools and
Mac-specific features within applications in a visually appealing, simple
way. Both features leverage Mac OS capabilities to retain a Mac-like look
and feel users are familiar with while taking advantage of new technologies.
Part of the Elements Gallery is a tool called Document Parts. Documents
Parts simplify and automate some of the most common, but often difficult
and tedious, document tasks -- such as adding a table of contents or
headers and footers -- so users can produce manuscripts and papers that
look professional.
New Mac-First, Mac-Only Features
Microsoft continues to deliver new Mac-first, Mac-only features aimed at
providing customers with a unique, engaging and definitively Mac
experience. Office 2008 for Mac will carry on the tradition of Mac BU's
productivity software, helping users get organized and work smarter through
these features:
* Publishing Layout View lets users create incredibly layout-rich documents
such as newsletters, fliers and brochures by uncovering desktop publishing
layout tools and providing text box entry.
* Ledger Sheets enable anyone to use Excel to handle common financial
management tasks. Home and small-business users can balance checkbooks,
track accounts or manage investment portfolios more easily than ever.
* My Day allows users to track priorities and stay on top of daily
activities no matter what application they're currently working in. My Day
is a stand-alone application that doesn't take up much screen space, offers
at-a-glance schedule and task viewing without launching Entourage, and lets
users color-code everything for visualizing daily priorities.
Commitment to Compatibility
To improve collaboration between Mac customers and their Windows-based PC
counterparts, the Mac BU has continued to make compatibility with Office
for Windows a key priority. Like the 2007 Office release, Office 2008 for
Mac will use the Office Open XML Formats, which were just approved in
December by standards body Ecma International as an international standard.
In spring 2007, Microsoft plans to release a public beta of the file format
converters for the current version, Office 2004 for Mac, so users can read
and write the new Office Open XML Formats. Six to eight weeks after Office
2008 for Mac is launched, the Mac BU intends to ship final versions of the
converters.
About Microsoft Macintosh Business Unit
The Macintosh Business Unit at Microsoft is a leading developer of software
and online products for the Macintosh platform. The group comprises
approximately 180 full-time Mac product experts and is dedicated to
creating innovative software for Mac customers worldwide. For more than 20
years, Microsoft has developed award-winning software for the Mac. Current
products include Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac, a productivity suite that
includes the e-mail application and personal information manager Entourage
2004, Word 2004, Excel 2004, PowerPoint 2004 and Messenger for Mac 6.0.
More information about the Mac BU and Microsoft Macintosh products is
available at http://www.microsoft.com/mac.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in
software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize
their full potential.
