Microsoft Office 98 for Macintosh (Visual QuickStart Guide) [Paperback]

Dan Henderson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Visual QuickStart Guide | Publication Date: July 29, 1998

Nowadays, many companies buy software suites for their employee - and expect them to gain at least a working knowledge of all the applications bundled as part of the package. Microsoft Office 98 for Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide is the most cost-effective, relevant solution for these new users. As with all the Visual QuickStart Guides, the emphasis is on addressing average users' most common, pertinent need--not on trying to show every feature of every application. The three main applications included with Office 98 are Word 98, Excel 98, and PowerPoint 98. Outlook Express (an email and newsgroup reader) and Internet Explorer 4.0 (a browser) are also included.

Microsoft Office for Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide uses pictures and step-by-step procedures to teach how to use and integrate this Microsoft suite of Macintosh applications. The book is divided into three broad sections. In the preparatory chapters of the first part, readers learn basic Macintosh procedures and become familiar with the common techniques shared by all four Office applications. In the detailed chapters of the middle part, readers learn each Office application in depth. In the final part, readers find unique and useful tips and techniques for combining the strengths of the Office applications to solve common business needs.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Nowadays, many companies buy software suites for their employee - and expect them to gain at least a working knowledge of all the applications bundled as part of the package. Microsoft Office 98 for Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide is the most cost-effective, relevant solution for these new users. As with all the Visual QuickStart Guides, the emphasis is on addressing average users' most common, pertinent need--not on trying to show every feature of every application. The three main applications included with Office 98 are Word 98, Excel 98, and PowerPoint 98. Outlook Express (an email and newsgroup reader) and Internet Explorer 4.0 (a browser) are also included.

Microsoft Office for Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide uses pictures and step-by-step procedures to teach how to use and integrate this Microsoft suite of Macintosh applications. The book is divided into three broad sections. In the preparatory chapters of the first part, readers learn basic Macintosh procedures and become familiar with the common techniques shared by all four Office applications. In the detailed chapters of the middle part, readers learn each Office application in depth. In the final part, readers find unique and useful tips and techniques for combining the strengths of the Office applications to solve common business needs.

About the Author

Dan Henderson is one of those Macintosh Evangelist types who have been devoted to the Mac since its introduction in 1984. His career in technical support and training spans more than 25 years and has given him the opportunity to help everyone from home users to CEOs, from Hawaii to Europe.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press (July 29, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201353512
• ISBN-13: 978-0201353518
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,684,224 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Well laid out but inadequate guide for bloated Office 98, February 11, 1999

By A Customer

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This review is from: Microsoft Office 98 for Macintosh (Visual QuickStart Guide) (Paperback)

I ordered the Visual Quickstart Guide with high hopes. It seemed a concise and easy to understand tome for understanding MS Office 98 for the Mac. Concise yes; maybe too concise.

I've been struggling with the outline features in Word. I hoped that the book would neatly lay out how to make an outline. Nope! Nary a mention of outlines in all of the Word chapters. Frustrating. My simple Claris works made beautiful outlines, easily, quickly, and that software was free!

Maybe it's just Office 98 that is a poor product. It makes many tasks harder and more frustrating than they need to be, with MANY more steps than older word processing programs, including Word 6.0. This book didn't help to dispel some of the above problems because it didn't mention how to properly perform them.

In all fairness, the book is great if you know little about Office 98 and you really do just need a "Quick Start" guide. That's all it is and it's nothing more.

I'm probably going to invest in one of the huge, dumbell weight Office 98 books so that I can really learn all the things I need to know to wring the most out of this frustrating software. I think MS has over-engineered Office 98. It does too many things for you! (yes, too many) And it makes others, like outlines, way too complicated.

That brings up another shortcoming of the book. It tells you how to do something to an already existing document, paragraph, or work in progress. For example, I don't want to turn a paper into an outline. I want to make it an outline from the first line. The book never addresses this task. It only shows you, BRIEFLY, how to add bullets or numbers. Why not just simply show us how to do an outline in Word from the beginning of the document? Is that too difficult? Once again, my basic Clarisworks (now Appleworks) did a better job, simply and effectively. I don't make outlines frequently, but being a student means I make them often enough for presentations, papers, proposals etcetera that I want a quick, slick way to make them. This outline problem is but one example of a simple oversight by the book's authors, and a testament to the bloated nature of Office 98.

I'm disappointed in the book and the software. And I was born and raised only miles from Microsoft! Viva Bill! (ha ha)

If you need a guide to MS Office 98 for your Mac, save yourself the headache, get one of the BIG, comprehensive ones. I'm going to.

-Cary W. in Seattle