Microsoft Office v. X for Mac
by Microsoft Software
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Our Price: $179.95 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Software See more product details and other editions |
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Software Reviews of Microsoft Office v. X for Mac
Customer Review: Okay, but needs more. Specifically pertaining to Word/PP
Summary: 3 Stars
This version is much better than the PC version of Office 97 I was avoiding when I still used my IBM. Because of the Mac/Aqua interface, the menu and tool bars are much slimmer and don't feel claustrophobic the way the PC versions often do. Office X also has an all-in-one formatting palette that can be collapsed or hidden, and editing and creating toolbars is easier than in the PC versions of Office. Some of Office's other basic features are better integrated than on the PC (you only have to double-click on headers and footers to open them, it's easier to move text around, there are more text colors to choose from, etc.).
Still, Office X has its share of problems:
1. File compatibility. In an attempt to dissuade us from using rival word processors, Microsoft only allowed Word to recognize other types of Word documents in addition to the standard text file formats. This means all of my old WordPerfect and WordPro files need to be saved as Word or as Rich Text Format files (which lose some special features) on my old PC in order to be compatible with Word X. Also, you can't save Word files as recent Windows Word files, which means you have to save them as older Mac Word files and lose some features in order to read them in PC versions of Word. It is never really clear how much is lost by saving it in a particular Word format (Word 2004 supposedly has a tool for this now). PowerPoint has a similar problem--I had to try two different PowerPoint formats in order to figure out which one would be accessible on a 1997 PC version of PowerPoint.
2. Bugs. Word doesn't crash every time I use it, but certain actions give me a system message saying "Word has unexpectedly quit." I have to save frequently because I never know when a particular action--editing a chart is one of Word's favorites, as well as just finishing saving a document--will tend to make it crash. You ususally can retrieve the lost document, but it still shouldn't happen.
Edit: I've applied a number of Office X updates from Microsoft's website, and that appears to have gotten rid of most of the random crashes. If you still use Office X, DEFINITELY make sure you install the updates--they make a huge difference as far as stability is concerned.
3. Font corruption. I've been able to use fonts without problems in Photoshop and Illustrator, but when I click on the same font in Word it sometimes uses the wrong font (often the next one up/down on the list, even if I type in the font's name).
4. Slow! If you have OS 10.3 and mainly do simple word processing, you'd probably be better off using TextEdit most of the time (it has a page layout view, the system-wide spell-checker, etc.). Word takes longer to start up and sometimes lags a bit when you type, especially if you only have Apple's stock 256 MB RAM.
If you own a Mac and need to share complex documents with other computers, especially PCs, there aren't really any fully native, full-featured substitutes for Office on the Mac. As things stand right now, I'm sticking with MS Office, but that might change if another major office suite is ever ported to OS X.
Customer Review: Do not buy this garbage!
Summary: 1 Stars
Who I am? A professional writer that bought and Imac, 17'screen, 1 GZH, with all the ORIGINAL software.The computer is WONDERFUL. Then, I decided to buy the Office Package. That was the GREATEST MISTAKE!
I wanted word processor for my writings. Then, I would explain what happens. I charged the program in the Apple. Then, the word processor starts to fail. how? Simple at random, when you are working in a window, or open a word document, the message appears:
WORD QUITS UNEXPECTLY, THE SYSTEM HAS NOT BEEN DAMAGED
I contacted Microsoft for help. They told me that it was a kind of crashing because of fonts interfering? What fonts? That of the Macintosh? It is supossed that the Office is suited for the Mac, isn't? They offered me upgrades, None of them work.
I have to write a novel this summer. How can I be sure that, when I get the chapter 25, then, the message WORD QUITS UNEXPECLTY. THE SYSTEM HAS NOT BEEN DAMAGED, appears?
All what I did was:
First, buy the Imac
Second, buy The office.
Third, Install the Office
Four. garbage as a Result!
Do not believe any of the other reviews, or otherwise, loose your money. This program is pure garbage. I put one star because it has no option to put ZERO stars.
Customer Review: Could have been much more
Summary: 2 Stars
I use Word and Entourage, every single day. I use PowerPoint at least once a week. I use Excel about once every month. I must use this suite for the interaction I need with PC users, but I am not a happy camper. This program is pretty, and it has some nice features, but, overall, it's mediocre. At times, it's downright bad.Entourage is the worst of the programs in this suite. The freebie Mac Mail program has the most incredible junk mail filter I've yet used. It does nearly everything that Entourage does as far as making it easy to drop pictures or attachments into email. No, it doesn't have its own Calendar, but I don't use one of those things anyway. The Entourage calendar is a pain to deal with, anyway. It doesn't lay out well, and it doesn't account for schedules like mine. I have no use for it. Entourage also doesn't have a feature to just receive mail. No, one must send AND receive, at the same time, or just Send. Maybe I don't want to send mail just yet. Sheesh. Even MacMail lets you just Get Mail, without sending.
In Newsgroups, Entourage doesn't offer a preference to view only subscribed newsgroups for a particular server. No, I must go to the server, then go to View--Subscribed only. What a pain.
Where Entourage really messes up is its junk mail filter. It consistently lists valid mail as Junk Mail. Much of the time, anything from Apple comes in as Junk Mail. If Mac Mail mistakenly attributes an email after its "learning" phase, correcting it is a breeze: Click on Junk/Not Junk. The program REMEMBERS how to classify mail from the sender after that. To make the same change in Entourage, you have to add the sender to your address book. Maybe I don't want Apple in my address book, hogging up useless space. Why can't Entourage just REMEMBER that mail from that address isn't junk mail??? If I can ever get Mac Mail to connect to my college newsgroups (it's being temperamental about this ONE thing), Entourage is HISTORY.
If that's not bad enough, Entourage [alters] information I cut and paste into its standard text window from Word. Information I get from PC Outlook Express users who cut and paste from Word likewise gets jumbled when it gets to me. This program is a horrible mess.
Word has its quirks as well. Several times, I've been working on a document, I try to save it, then the Save window DISAPPEARS. I can't do anything with the document after that. I can't close it. I can't cut and paste the info into a new document. The doc window just sits there, taking up space. I usually have to quit or force quit to get rid of it. Sometimes, I'm lucky and autosave/autorecover save all my changes to a doc...but sometimes I'm not lucky. Sometimes I lose whole paragraphs of data. Most annoying, and Microsoft tech help is no help at all, as usual.
Word also has a nasty habit of changing the format of whole selections of text when cutting and pasting. I'll format all of a document to say, Verdana 12, and here comes a pasted selection in TimesRoman 12, or 10 or who knows what. I've changed my styles, font preferences, everything that remotely refers to fonts in any preference window anywhere--and it still does this.
Typical of all MS products, this monster known as Office has a really hard time remembering personal preferences for any of the programs, especially font settings in PowerPoint. I keep setting certain things, and Office blithely resets it to what it wants me to have, not what I want. This is like living with my mother.
Finding how to make certain settings in Office is a chore in itself. I don't like it when Word uses AutoType to input information from my address book for me, or when it tries to input a date. My work isn't oriented toward that, so this is most annoying. The place to set this preference isn't under Finder-->Preferences (where it logically belongs), it's under Tools-->Auto Correct-->AutoType. Brilliant. If I turn off my computer, my setting for this changes, according to Microsoft's whim.
If I could, I would junk this program.
Customer Review: Microsoft Office X Sets the Standard
Summary: 4 Stars
Starting with Word for Mac OS XMicrosoft's Word is considered the standard for most Windows and Mac users. Word has an automatic spelling checker as you type and an excellent grammar checker. You can set up special keyboard command keys in Word.
Unique to Microsoft Office X and especially to Microsoft's Word is WordArt. I know one Macintosh teacher who purchased the academic version of Microsoft's Word just for the use of WordArt. Word now has new and improved wizards for creating newsletters and brochures.
Microsoft's Excel Ad
The best advertisement that Microsoft ran for Excel was: "99% of spreadsheet users use Microsoft Excel. What are we doing wrong?"
Excel allows you to enter calculations, data and work with lists. Excel allows you to use multiple Excel worksheets within the same file. You can analyze data with PivotTables, Goal Seeking, What-If analysis and answer complex questions with Microsoft's Exel's Solver.
Microsoft's Excel has the distinction of having more Mac databases created in Excel then any other program. You can set up special keyboard keys in Excel. In addition, you can create macros (shortcuts) to automate your computer for repetitive tasks. Excel's New Features include transparent charts and importing from FileMaker Pro.
PowerPoint's Presentations
PowerPoint is standard for most presentations with excellent Dale Carnegie templates and presentations slide themes. ...You can add voice and music to your PowerPoint shows. Also, you can set up graphic icons for menu commands such as transitions.
PowerPoint's functions allow you to "Save for the Web" and make QuickTime movies. Also, you can save the file as PDF (Portable Document Format) within Mac OS X. PowerPoint is cross-platform for Windows and Mac computers users using Microsoft Office.
PowerPoint has dozens of professionally designed templates. PowerPoint allows you to create charts and graphs, slides, handouts and overheads. PowerPoint creates slide shows that you can run on your computer screen or through a projector for audience briefings.
PowerPoint's New Features
You now have transparency with see-through graphics. Also, new to PowerPoint is "Save as Package" feature. This allows you to save PowerPoint presentation in a single folder containing your movies and sound files. Improved PowerPoint movies display all transitions and features in your original presentation.
Entourage's Internet Connection and Event Calendar
Entourage becomes your "Internet Communication Center" and allows you to send and receive files. You can read and post to discussion groups on the Internet with Entourage. Also, you can maintain your calendars, address books, to-do lists and notes.
Entourage New Features
You now have improved calendar and other views. Office notification with .NET Alerts in MSN Messenger. You can insert pictures, background pictures, sounds and movies directly into email messages. The Calendar supports different time zones.
Pro Reaction
Office X's New Features: Text has smoothed edges, new Project Gallery options. You now have made to order toolbar buttons and you can output your file as PDF in Mac OS X. AutoRecover feature allows you to avoid data loss in event of a computer freeze-up or crash. AutoCorrect now includes Office's main spelling dictionary. Microsoft continues making improvements
Con Reaction
No Microsoft PowerPoint viewer. Does not have standard Mac keyboard Save As command (Command, Shift + S keys). Also, missing is setting up keyboard commands in PowerPoint. Also, you need sharp cutters to open Microsoft Office X's plastic package containing the two CDs.
Final Words
Microsoft Office X designed for Mac OS X. Office X has been completely redesigned with a new Aqua interface.
Microsoft Office X is compatible with Office 2001 for Mac and Office 98 Macintosh Edition. Also, Microsoft Office X is compatible with Office for Microsoft Windows, AppleWorks 6, and FileMaker Pro 5.5.
Secret: Save your documents as RTF (Rich Text Format) for non-Word computer users.
Customer Review: Not 100% Office Compatible!
Summary: 1 Stars
You would expect Office v. X by Microsoft to be compatible with Office XP and 2000.....but not. Although some simple Word, powerpoint files will cross platforms from MAC to PC, the translation is far from perfect.In addition, on the Mac you can drop all kinds of multimedia video clips into powerpoint and they work great, but when you take your file to Office XP/2000 it will display a defying message stating there is no way it is going to display Quicktime content. So...I installed Quicktime on the PC. But guesswhat?! Powerpoint still doesn't display the video. Maybe the video clip is in the wrong format. So I purchased QuickTime PRO for Mac and converted the video clip to a million different formats and they still don't work.
There are problems with Office V. X by itself on the Mac (not the Macs fault). You can change fonts in PowerPoint and save your file, close, and reopen your file and all your fonts will revert back to Times Roman!!! So forget using lots of different fonts.
Word seems to work as expected, however it has some quirks with bullets used in word documents on the PC. All these bugs EVEN AFTER THE Service Pack 1 UPDATE! This software just [stinks]. Too bad alternatives are slow in coming. In the rumor mill some say Apple is redoing Apple works to integrate KeyNote (really nice...doesn't import Power Point very well though) and add Office file open/save compatibility.