dacs.doc electric

When Jeff first handed me the review copy of Office:mac v.X, I was surprised by three things: The packaging was very strange; the product fit on one CD(!); and it was really a version of Microsoft Office for Unix (OS X is based on Unix).

I started playing with Apple’s latest operating system, OS X, about a year and a half ago. I was working with an early beta, and it was slow and you really couldn¹t do much with it. However, with the recently released OS X version 10.1, I can now do many of the things I need to make it my primary operating system, such as e-mail, Web browsing, telnet, ftp, and other such things. But there was something missing from OS X.

Like most people, I spend most of my computer time using Web, email, word-processing and spreadsheets. Until I got a copy of Office:mac I wasn¹t really able to use OS X full-time. Sure, OS X included an e-mail client that was pretty decent, and a beta of Eudora was also available. But it still wasn¹t usable as my only machine. I’ve outgrown Eudora because of poor support for HTML email, and I’ve become very used to the Outlook I use at work.

Microsoft has created a special email and calendaring program for OS X called Entourage. I wish they had called it Outlook, but I understand that it¹s a different product that needs a new name. I love it. I was up and running quickly--it’s similar enough to the Windows version, but has all of the OS X look and feel. The only thing missing is a Palm software link so I can synch my Palm with the address book. I’ve heard that one is in the works; then I can fully switch to OS X. I love having a calendar built into my email program, and I’ve even started using the notepad feature.

Word is Word. I was up and running in minutes when I was writing this article. It’s a true OS X version of Word, with all of the goodies that come with OS X. A new addition is something that I believe was "borrowed" from GoLive--a floating palette for formatting. I didn’t like it at first glance, maybe because change is hard, but it’s a fast way of getting to the formatting tools you need most. I have a confession--I really like Word with the cool candy-colored look of OS X.

Excel is Excel, too. I use Excel almost every day, and was quickly opening spreadsheets from Office 2001 and Windows Office without trouble. They have made sure that you can open almost any spreadsheet from Mac or Windows versions without any work--even if it’s an email attachment. I'm able to work with documents without worrying that I’m on a Mac and can’t open something that has been sent to me.

I haven’t spent much time with PowerPoint v.X yet, but I will. I use PowerPoint for teaching and presentations, so I’ll have the chance soon. I did play a bit, and one thing I wanted to try was the transparency affects.

OS X has a new graphics system (Quartz) that gives you the ability to do all sorts of cool things, like transparencies and anti-aliased lines and shapes giving your projects a professional look. I had a lot of fun playing with the transparency settings for images and other features of the new PowerPoint.

Office:mac also includes an MSN Messenger client, but I use AOL Instant Messenger, so I didn’t try it out. All of my friends and co-workers are on AOL's chat program, so I really don’t have a choice. However, give Microsoft another year or so and I bet I’ll be running the MSN tool. Microsoft rarely loses a fight.

All of the applications in Office:mac are very stable. I‘ve been using them for a few days now, and have opened some really tough documents and have tried to crash it, but it seems to be very stable. I’m surprised Microsoft made the transition to OS X with this complex product relatively quickly--and as a result they have made OS X a serious alternative to Windows.

Before you call me a sell-out to Apple, think about what you need to use your computer for. Microsoft makes a great Web browser, word processor, spreadsheet and presentation program. I need these tools to do my job and manage my personal life. Microsoft didn’t make WordPerfect miss the transition to Windows by over a year--they did it to themselves. With one company making the major software we use, we actually have a standard that makes life easier. Sure, they are in trouble for the path they went down to get to this point, but the end result has made life easier for all of us.

I don’t know why Microsoft decided to create the Mac business unit, but it really saved Apple. The iMac was a great computer to give to a new user (and it was cool to look at) but without Office for the Mac, Apple stock would be really cheap.

I read somewhere that Microsoft makes more money for each new Mac than Apple does. It doesn’t surprise me--Office:mac costs about $450 for a new version, and $199 for the upgrade. It’s worth the price--your Mac is pretty much useless without Office:mac.