Customer Reviews

Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 Business Edition [Old Version]

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Reviewed on MacBook 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo running System 10.6.2 with version 12.2.3 of Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 Business Edition.

Previous reviewers have spent much time comparing and contrasting Office for Mac 2008 with earlier versions or with PC versions. I won't repeat that, and I'm also going to assume that you have at least a passing knowledge of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

The decision now facing you, however, is likely one as to WHICH version of Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 you'll be buying. There are four choices:

1) Home and Student Edition
2) Standard Edition
3) Special Media Edition
4) Business Edition

The Home and Student Edition (about $110) is the basic iteration - it includes all the major products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Entourage) but does not have Exchange Server support or Automator Actions. Exchange Server Support is included in OSX 10.6, so this loss is not particularly important. Visual Basic, supported in earlier versions, is no longer supported. If you care about that, you'll probably want the "replacement" automator actions capabilities. If you've never heard of or used visual basic, then this version might be just fine for you.

The Standard Edition adds Microsoft Exchange support, something already included in OS X, and only of interest if you insist on using Entourage rather than Mac Mail. Automator Actions are included as well. This comes at a significant extra cost, as the standard edition is about $195.

The Special Media Edition adds Expression Media, but also includes Automator Actions and Exchange Support. Oddly, it is available at a lower price of $174. You will therefore never purchase the Standard Edition above. Expression Media presents a digital asset library capability not reviewed here. Note that this edition is the only boxed set of Microsoft Office for the Mac to include Expression Media.

Finally, the Business edition ($260) includes Office Live Workspace and SharePoint support, as well as Remote Desktop Connection, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Office Live Meeting. You may find that some of these are necessary for interactions with your workplace. I was hopeful that with the support, I'd be able to use Entourage to access my workplace email. That email is provided via Outlook Web Access and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. Unfortunately, my company provides this through a secure interface that is not supported by Entourage. I therefore have no choice but to use Entourage (or Apple Mail) for my personal email and then access my corporate email via their web server directly. There appears to be no workaround provided by Microsoft for this yet.

A second DVD is provided with the Business Edition that includes 63 training videos from [...] -- these videos are straightforward and are helpful for those transitioning from earlier versions of MS Office or from other office suites. These videos, if of interest, are the most obvious difference between this and other available editions. The other significant difference, in my view, is the Remote Desktop Connection. That software allows you to connect your Mac to a PC, accessing files, running programs, etc. Your performance may vary of course, depending upon the PC and its operating system, and upon the method you use to connect the computers.

I tend to use Apple's iWork for the bulk of my own generated work. Most of my clients, however, use MS Office, so I find myself in Office a good part of each day. Now that earlier versions of MS Office have been updated to allow them to read new document formats generated by Office 2008, that issue is no longer a problem. However, there remain several significant bugs.

The most significant is the occasional crash of MS Word in which the program, in the midst of a long multi-page document, simply freezes, presenting a spinning beach ball. I've had this happen about once per week, in a variety of circumstances, and have been unable to track down why. I note that Apple Pages has never crashed for me.

Another issue has been that of inconsistencies between PC and Mac versions of the product. One client has sent me documents in the default Print Layout view where text is buried within a lightly colored frame. In some cases, the text is invisible until I switch to Draft view. There is no apparent reason for this since the information can be read without difficulty if I cut the apparently non-existent text, then paste it into another program (Apple Mail or Pages, for instance).

As others have noted, there are some significant differences in Excel as well that will essentially produce a loss of function in 2008 versus earlier iterations of the product.

So...now that you can easily open 2008 documents in earlier versions of MS Office, there's little reason to update to this version -- yes, it runs a little faster on an Intel box than 2004 -- but there are some bugs that remain in place. If you need one of the Business Edition capabilities, or if the video assistance is of interest, then this is the edition to purchase. Otherwise, the Home/Student edition seems the most appropriate.

Most people are familiar with at least some parts of Microsoft Office... Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Entourage. These programs have been around for years and Microsoft keeps adding new features with each new version. There are just too many features to go into here. For more specific info go to: [...]

What I will do here is go over the differences between the "Home and Student" and the "Business" versions as well as point out some new features found in Office 2008. The Home and Student" version includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Messenger, Entourage, and Live Workspace Support. While most people know what the first four apps do, the last two might need explaining. Live Workspace is Microsoft's online storage and file sharing product. You can access your files from any computer and even make them available to other people. I don't use this so I can't comment on it. Entourage is Microsoft's email client (like Outlook on the PC). The "Home and Student" version of Entourage has one big limitation. It doesn't support Microsoft Exchange Server. Exchange is Microsoft's email server and is used by many businesses. If you want to take your Mac into work, plug it into your company's network, and use a full featured email program, you need the "Business" version to connect to an Exchange mail system. This is the biggest reason for buying the "Business Edition".

The "Business"edition adds the following services:

1. Microsoft Sharepoint support. This is one of those features that if you don't know what it is, you probably don't need it. Sharepoint is a server app that allows file sharing services over the internet. A lot of medium to large business use it.

2. Entourage Web Services Edition. In addition to supporting Exchange, it also adds syncing tasks, notes, etc. over the internet.

3. Remote Desktop for Mac. This app lets you take over your PC and remotely use it on your Mac.

No matter which version you buy, Office has proven itself over the years to be a stable and full featured set of applications.

I installed Office 2008 on my 1.25GHz G4 iMac, running System 10.5.8 . Since many reviewers have thoroughly discussed the features of each Office application already, I am focusing this review on my experience of upgrading from Office v.X to Office 2008 on a PowerPC iMac.


Background:
*I have experience with several versions of Mac Office, beginning with version 4.2 . I also have used Office 98, Office 2001, and as mentioned above, Office v.X before upgrading to Office 2008.
*The way I use Office has changed over time. I made extensive use of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in graduate school and in various professional settings through Office 2001. Now I mostly use Excel to do basic financial analysis and Word to write personal documents.


Installation:
*Installation is straightforward, using Apple's familiar Installer mechanism. I prefer this method to the old drag-and-drop installation method because OS X is so sensitive to where things are installed.
*The installer program automatically finds older versions of Office and allows users to delete them easily.
*Many customized settings can be transferred from previous Office installations, including dictionaries, autocorrect lists, and proofing tool settings.
*Once Office 2008 is installed, several updates must be downloaded and installed. Microsoft should have made this process more user-friendly. Users must manually shut down other applications, including the Office 2008 Installer, before running the update installer.


Pros:
*Office is now a Universal Binary so the same program will run on both PowerPC and Intel Macs.
*An Uninstaller is placed in the Office folder automatically.
*Office will check for updates automatically on a schedule chosen by the user. No more messing around on the Microsoft website, hoping you didn't miss a Service Pack or Critical Update.
*Users can now turn the feedback sounds on and off. If hearing a chime, a popping bubble, or some other "cute" noise every time you did something drove you crazy, you will greatly appreciate this long overdue feature.
*Speaking of unnecessary cuteness, Clippy the Paperclip is gone! Yesssssss!


Cons:
*All the applications startup and quit slowly on a G4 machine. Office v.X applications started and quit virtually instantaneously (yes, I realize v.X was written specifically for PowerPC processors). Saving files is slow as well.
*Office 2008 uses a new file format that is not compatible with other versions of Office. If you send documents to people who are not fully up to date, you have to save a second version or limit yourself to working with the older file format.
*It's good that Microsoft no longer just ports Windows Office to the Mac. Nonetheless, there are user interface inconsistencies both within and across the applications which keep Office from feeling 100% Macintosh.
*Silverlight, Microsoft's attempt to compete with Macromedia Flash, is installed by default.
*WARNING FOR POWER USERS: No macros in Excel! Bad, bad, bad move. And no support for Visual Basic.


Bottom line: Office 2008 doesn't hold any surprises for experienced Office users. For the most part, everything still operates in the way to which you are accustomed. If you own a PowerPC Mac and use an older version of Office, you should carefully consider whether you want to upgrade or not. The benefits of the new features may be outweighed by the inconvenience of the slower performance and/or the need to adjust your workflow.

3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 due to the removal of macros and Visual Basic from Excel.

*Installation/First Look
**Office 2008 (Mac) vs. Office 2000 (PC)
***Cost vs. Benefit Analysis
****Alternatives
*****Pro's and Con's
******Recap

Hardware used:
MacBook Pro 1.83/ 10.5.8/ 2GB of RAM

*This beautifully packaged, 2-disc set comes in with the Office logos impressed against a black background to distinguish it from the lesser program, "Home and Office" which is on a rather unappealing yellow background. I suspect it has everything to do with an up-sell, but I'll get to that in a moment.

Installation took about 45 minutes. As installation was proceeding, I thought about the programs that I wouldn't use since I already have a copy of Office 2000 and it's not in use. So, I decided to I needed to get rid of Entourage and Messenger. I had trouble finding the uninstall button and I didn't want to make the mistake of dragging those app's into the trash and risk a problem when Microsoft send those security updates.

To uninstall the program and/or do a custom install, here's the process:
Applications-Microsoft Office 2008-Additional Tools-Remove Office

Doing a custom install, believe it or not, saved me almost 1GB of space. Once I had the program installed, the program engaged in a search for an older edition of Office, to either deposit in the trash or to have itself positioned along side. What's interesting is that the program wasn't able to recognize Office 2000 that was encased in Fusion w/ Windows XP. This worked out just fine for me as I brought up Fusion, then Office 2000 with my Word and Excel files. Dragged a copy of a file from each program on to the Mac side of my compare it to the new Word and Excel programs.

**As compared to Office 2000, Office 2008 is beautifully re-designed. The streamlined header against a silver grey background is a nice touch. If you're using one of the older versions of Office, you'll appreciate the new look. What Microsoft has wisely done is take a page from Adobe and adopted more of a minimalistic design. Keeping the frequently used New/Open/Save/Print/Format. There's also a sub-header and when engaged like "Document Elements" a drop down display is revealed with a picture viewer style of templates at your disposal. No more going to the top bar, clicking headers and working your way through the, sometimes, dizzying sections. Everything is neatly displayed and easy to get to. Clicking again on the sub-header brings it back to its original position.

Using the programs itself hasn't changed however. Since I've been working on a longer than usual review of a new Louis Armstrong biography, I wondered if there were any hidden advantages using the new Word program. I did the same for next year's budget for our company. This would be one of the things that one should consider when thinking of upgrading and especially concerning the cost.

*** The most impressive thing so far is the re-design of the suite. But, fundamentally, this is only cosmetic. The functionality hasn't changed. If you have an older version of Office, is it worth your wild to upgrade? If you need to upgrade can you get away with Office "Home & Student Ed."?

This is where it gets tricky for someone in my position. I work during the day as an account rep./ payroll admin. I also have my own multi-media company. As I mentioned earlier, I have Office 2000 (PC) installed on my MacBook thanks to my virtual software VMWare Fusion. From a practical standpoint, the answer is "no." Office 2000 is almost 10 years old and it was something I didn't have to buy since I bought my Mac a couple of years ago. All of my PC software I migrated over when I bought Fusion.

Cost is another consideration that I found a bit disconcerting. Depending on what your needs are, there may be no logical reason to go with the "Business Ed.," ($310, Amazon). The Home/Student Ed., ($99, Amazon) is roughly 1/3 the price and you have most of the core features of the Business ed., with the exception of the "Training videos from [...]", 200 business templates and Exchange Server support. (Free tutorials on the entire suite is available on YouTube and there are dozen of pages of free templates offered via a Google search.) So, for $200 less, the only thing you'd really be missing is the Server support.

****There are other alternatives. If you have a licensed, older copy from your PC days, then buying a virtual software (around $60) enables you to use that software and the other PC/ Windows based programs without having to buy a newer or a Mac OS version.

There's, of course, the free office suites available such as OpenOffice, ThinkFree, Google Docs and Zoho to name a few.

***** Pro's And Con's
Pro's
+Beautiful, streamlined interface with easier to use tabs
+Introduction of a "Detachable palette" for extra functions relieves the header of having unnecessary functions always present.
+Office suite takes up less space on the hd as compared to older ver.'s
+Extra software is included on disc #2, and doesn't have to be installed.
+Icons automatically install on Dock.

Con's
-Cost. Exorbitant.
-The Business Ed. is 3x of the standard version, but with nothing to justify the cost difference.
-There are free alternative available that functions the same of MS Office.

******Recap
I'm surprised that I like this version of MS Office, however, there aren't enough technical advances to justify the cost of a whole new program, especially if you have a fairly recent version. Comparing to Office of 10 years ago, there's only cosmetic changes here.

Price is also a major consideration. The Business Edition is way over-priced. If the standard version, "Home & Student" has a street price of $100, this should follow at about $150. For a small business needing an Office suite, I'd recommend MS Office Home & Student over everything else available because ease of use and the likelihood that someone is fairly familiar with Office by now. But, the free alternatives can't be discounted.

I'd like to give this 3-½ stars and perhaps the Home & Student 4, but since there are no half stars, I'm forced to give 3 stars.

Normally I write careful detailed reviews for Amazon Vine items in gratitude for receiving them for free. I asked for MS Office for Mac 2008 and was looking forward to testing all features thoroughly. Unfortunately, this is going to be a short review - after less than an hour I ran into a permanent fatal flaw.

As a dedicated Mac user, I would not use Microsoft products if I didn't have to - but I do. In my work I exchange documents every day with colleagues who use Office on the PC which of course is the worldwide business standard productivity software. I cannot function if I can't work back and forth with others on the same Word and PowerPoint and Excel docs. With Office 2004 for Mac, this generally has worked OK, with only a few annoying incompatibilities, mostly in PPT.

So I installed Office 2008. Opened a complex Word doc, no problems. Opened a complex PowerPoint doc, no problems. Then I tried to open an important financial spreadsheet sent to me by a US government agency.

Didn't work! Wouldn't open or run. Turns out the spreadsheet contained macros created using VBA which Office 2008 does not support!! So, for one of the indispensable things I need to do, does not function! Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition is NOT COMPATIBLE with other Microsoft Office users around the world - which, to repeat, is the one and only reason for using it on a Mac in the first place.

This is so arrogant on the part of Microsoft. We are talking here not about two different companies but one company with complete control over its various products for PC and Mac. Their excuse, that they did not have the resources or time to get VBA into this release, rings hollow - this is a company with 94,286 employees. So they want you to pay $300 for interim software until they finish the product. This is what happens when a monopoly develops in a market - no competition and no pressure to meet user needs. The Soviet Union tried producing things this way - "you vill take vat ve giff you" - but they eventually went out of business. Microsoft will eventually go out of business as well.

In the meantime, Microsoft has announced that VBA Macro support will be included in the next 2010 release ("the real release") of MS Office for Mac. Wait for that one.

I've used Office for Windows for years, and for the last several months, have used Office 2008 for OS X at work. The Business Edition differs from the Home/Student Edition by offering Exchange Server support (necessary if you have a corporate email account running Exchange) and support for Sharepoint (we use this religiously at work for collaboration). If you don't need either of those, the Home/Student Edition will do fine.

Installation itself is rather simple. On a Macbook Pro, this takes a matter of minutes. If you have an older version of Office (2004, for instance), the install will find it and delete it and migrate settings over if you need it. It also runs AutoUpdate after installation, which will pull service packs for Office (which is now on SP2.)

Office 2008 is a universal binary program, so it will run on the older PowerPC Macs and the latest (since 2006 or so) Intel-based Macs. On older Macs, it seems more responsive than Office 2004 for basic functions like documents and PIM (Entourage). Entourage 2008 has replaced Outlook for me at work for months now, and I'm able to function just fine with the occasional quirk here and there.

Buying Office products suck. Fundamentally, not much has changed in the last 10+ years. I don't blame Microsoft, I blame the fact that word processing and office software has sort of hit the ceiling of what it can accomplish. There's nothing compelling to make a user upgrade but at the same time you can't save money by buying an older copy.

Apple reviewers tend to malign Microsoft products, but Microsoft's doing something right with this much market share. They make for a good punching bag too, but I think that they make decent products, all rhetoric aside. The price is still too much for some considering there's free alternatives out there (even iWork '09 is a good competitor and cheaper), and I suggest you try them out to find what works for you. Office 2008 is great and I'm glad to use it, but I definitely wouldn't buy the Business Edition unless there was a need for Exchange support.

Would I recommend Office 2008 if it were inexpensive (Home/Student Edition level pricing)? Yes.
Would I recommend Office 2008 for home users at $300 a copy? No. However, the $300 is worth it for enterprise users if you've got a corporate Exchange environment.

I previously reviewed office 2008 for mac (regular edition) and I was satisfied with it except some international language support. This one is not much different than the regular edition except this version has more features such as SharePoint Service, Entourage Web Service, Live Work Support, and Remote Desktop connection for business.
One thing I'd like to mention is that there is new a 2011 version coming soon, maybe at second half of this year. The new version will have many new features like web apps for co-authoring and support spotlight search and time machine backup. I'm not sure if Microsoft would offer upgrade version of 2011 for the 2008 users. One could save some money if they do offer an upgrade. Otherwise, I think it would be better to wait for the new version. In the mean time, there are plenty of alternatives to Office 2008.

Does not have as many features as the Windows version and like Windows crashes frequently. All a bit of a pain really.

If your a serious office user, forget it. This products sucks. I would download open office for free until they update this. Don't get me wrong it's nice to have the easy compatibility but we've run into all sorts of issues in our accounting office using excel between this and office 2007. I'd suggest using office 2007 in Parallels before I'd buy this.

I've had a pretty rough year with PCs, maybe because they're jealous I got a pimped out iMac about a year ago. My desktop PC died and notebook got run over ... don't ask. I work from home, so this has been an adjustment to basically move my entire business onto my Mac. I mostly do a lot of online PR and web site development for various types of clients.

I actually have adjusted quite well to everything the Mac has to offer. However, using iWork has been less than pleasant. I assumed I would adjust, but being forced to use it was becoming a problem. This is my long overdue remedy.

Microsoft Office just brings me back to my comfort zone for the applications it offers. A familiar environment I've grown with for many years. There are cosmetic issues I have to adjust to. I feel like they might be trying a bit too much with the interface. There just seems to be a bit too much going on with the button and icon design, and it takes away from it's functionality. I guess I would prefer to edit the interface to my preferred sizes and shapes. But, this is not too much of a complaint.

I feel like I should have waited a bit before upgrading to Snow Leopard. Several issues of slowness that were never a problem before have started ever since. This is no exception. I'm sure without Snow that Office would run and start up a bit quicker.

Other than that, I am much happier with Word 2008 than iWork's Pages. It just does so much more, more organized, and again, I am a bit more familiar. Excel is much easier to control than iWork's "Numbers". I feel more secure with the data as well. There is nothing wrong with iWork if you hardly use these programs, but these are the main two that I need to rely on. I don't have much use for PowerPoint, however, the big relief here is Entourage. So much more organized with email and communication in general. Plus it is a lot more acceptable in business relations. I can find everything much easier and it is worth the cost alone.

Of course there is plenty of new tools and gadgets that I am still discovering and learning along the way. There are also many templates for forms and documents that I would actually use. I was planning on getting new PCs, so if I do, at least I know I will be able to use everything on either system without hassle.