Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Special Media Edition
by Microsoft Software
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Software Reviews of Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Special Media Edition
Customer Review: Works ok, new look hard to navigate, Office 2010 coming
Summary: 3 Stars
Unless you really had a specific problem using the older version, I would probably recommend sticking with it. While things have been reorganized (sometimes better) and potentially some bug fixes (though also new ones) ... I just find that the entire picture/pretty approach to navigation is really hard to use. These programs (word and excel especially) have a vast set of complex features ... arranging them so that the user can "progressively discover" the more complex features is fine ... but this whole "dumbed down" approach that has been taken with the new version, for me at least, just makes it really hard to understand how to find anything.
Also, Microsoft recently announced details of its upcoming Office 2010 release, and there are MAJOR changes in store, including significant web-based functionality for free (like Google Docs), as well as very strong support for synching documents across Desktop, Web, and Mobile. So potentially a strong reason to wait for the 2010 version.
Customer Review: Office is solid; "special media" not so much
Summary: 3 Stars
I held off on upgrading to the 2008 version of Microsoft Office because 2004 has actually been fine. (Note that I used Word and Excel way back in the 1980s, when they came on a 400K disc for the Mac Plus. I've used them ever since, and it's safe to say I know way more about working in Word--including such esoterics as style sheets and macros--than is healthy for a human being!)
The Office upgrade is solid. After using "the ribbon" for some time, I realize that explanations of it that I've read seem inadequate. The ribbon is a sliding, changeable toolbar under the main Toolbar that makes options available directly in the document window rather than through a dialog box or pop-up menu. For example, if you click on "Insert Chart," the Ribbon will display chart types as icons in a horizontal sliding format. Click on one, and that type is inserted in the document.
Interface tweaks like this are evident throughout Office. The big under-the-hood change (rewriting the code for compatibility with Intel Macs) does speed things up. I did note that apart from these big changes, and the addition of a "publishing layout view" that promises to replace dedicated page layout programs for casual users, I did not see huge feature changes in Word/Excel/PowerPoint. In fact, it was refreshing to see that Microsoft made an effort to pick up menu customizations I had made in Word 2004 rather than making me start all over again.
Which brings me to iView Media Pro-- er, Microsoft Expression Media. This is the quintessential Microsoft Corporation purchase: We have to have a better media cataloguing and gallery application. Let's buy something! While Expression Media does a competent job of cataloguing the images in a particular directory (or your entire iPhoto Library), it does not act like the mature application it was before Microsoft rebadged it. It's more like a version 1 program. Its most annoying feature was making an alert sound for every iPhoto image it catalogued...which really got on my nerves about 500 images into my 7,000-plus image catalogue. There does not appear to be any integration whatsoever with the Office suite, other than the ability bestowed by Mac OS X and Quicktime to drag and drop images from the catalogue window to a document. (iPhoto '09 and for that matter Safari can do the same thing.)
I frankly would feel cheated if I laid out the extra money to purchase this "special media edition" and ended up with a second-rate graphics cataloguer. Add to this a distinct lack of communication from Microsoft about an upgrade path (see their user forums), and I'd say don't spend your money thinking you're getting a super-duper edition of Office, because you won't.
To sum up: The Office suite is a worthwhile upgrade or new purchase, especially for Intel Mac users. I'd recommend the standard edition, or as a great value the Home and Student edition which gives you three CPU licenses at a lower price.
Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac
Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Home & Student Edition
Customer Review: Nice
Summary: 5 Stars
I use this almost entirely for spreadsheets and I'm pleased. I used this to upgrade from the home and student edition. I've noticed a lot more features in the overall feel of things, and several new stuff within excel that I've just started to utilize. I'm still discovering everything, but so far I am really impressed. Over all I think that this whole package is well designed. I guess I'm more of a casual user because I do not notice a lot of the flaws that others have pointed out. I'll update my review if I see anything else, but so far I'm very pleased. Customer Review: Office 2008 has some great improvements
Summary: 5 Stars
Compared to earlier versions of Office for Mac, 2008 is much more user friendly and has seemingly fit better into the more visual operating system than a few previous versions. The new templates and effects in PowerPoint alone made this purchase worthwhile over continuing to use an older version.Customer Review: Not bad, it just does not really shine
Summary: 3 Stars
If you are in the corporate world and work extensively with Excel or you have the need to use Entourage with Exchange than I do recommend buying Office 2008. However, if you are person who just does word processing or presentations then IWorks 09 will work for you. IWorks 09 will open Office 2007 documents.
As far as the special edition, I did not really use it because I have been a Macromedia/Adobe user for too long and will continue to use their products.
Yes I do recommend to product; however, I suggest you download the 30 day trial from Microsoft prior to deciding to buy it.