By Matt Berger (IDG) - As Macintosh fans eagerly await Apple Computer's release of a tuned-up version of its Mac OS X operating system, Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled its latest desktop Office suite intended to run on it. Microsoft says it will release the latest Office for Mac in November, about two months after Mac watchers expect Apple to release Version 10.1 of its Mac OS X. The first version of OS X, while generally well reviewed, some analysts have criticized for slow performance and lack of support for some features and applications. The suite of Microsoft applications-renamed Microsoft Office v.
X for Mac-will include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the e-mail management software Entourage. IDG.net INFOCENTER. Related IDG.net Stories. Features. Visit an IDG site IDG.net search Microsoft designed the new office suite to match OS X's 'Aqua' look-the term Apple executives use to describe the new colors and interface featured in the operating system. Microsoft officials say they expect the set of applications to set the tone for other third-party software intended for use on Apple's operating system.
'It is literally the poster child for what an Mac OS X application should feel and look like,' says Erik Ryan, a product manager with Microsoft's Mac group. Previewed in July Microsoft previewed most of its Office suite-known previously as Office 10 for Mac OS X-at the MacWorld Expo in July. At the time it announced new features including Microsoft's Messenger 2.1 instant messaging software and the latest Windows Media Player. At the time, the company had yet to detail the improvements made to its e-mail management software, Entourage. Microsoft gave more details on that application Wednesday. Called Entourage X in its latest incarnation, Microsoft has altered the look and feel of the software to 'increase the discovery of navigation tools,' Ryan says. New additions to Entourage include the ability to send HTML e-mail.
That means users can cut and paste, or drag and drop picture files into the text of an e-mail message. The new applications also give users the ability to 'undo' multiple entries, whereas most Mac applications only let users undo the last entry, Microsoft says. Microsoft also made major changes to the calendar features in Entourage X, including added support for international users. The software can now store calendar entries across time zones, and its address book has the ability to store addresses in formats respective to the region.
In addition to an English-language version, Microsoft Office v. X for Mac is available in Spanish, Japanese, French, German, and Swedish. The software suite also makes use of an Apple technology called 'keychain support,' which lets a user store passwords. Microsoft also added its new notification technology, which can send automatic notices and reminders through a pop-up window on a users' desktop.
Some features remain XP only While Office for Mac does bring new changes to the software, Microsoft has left out a number of features specific to the latest version of the software for the Windows operating system, Office XP. The Mac version won't include support for Microsoft's controversial Smart Tags, which offer links to Web content and other information stored in a user's computer from within the desktop. 'It's similar to what we've done with Office XP in that it's really the beginning of bringing.Net over the Mac platform,' says Michael Connolly, group program manager for Microsoft's Mac division.
'But we have some pretty different goals in Office XP. I think a direct comparison with Office XP isn't the right way to think about this release,' Connolly says. Microsoft has set pricing for Microsoft Office v. X for Mac at $499 for the full version and 299 for an upgrade. The company is also offering a special upgrade price of $149 for users who already run Office 2001 applications for Mac.
I am Senior Manager of Content Marketing for Alert Logic and Editor-in-Chief of TechSpective. I have a passion for technology and gadgets-with a focus on Microsoft and security-and a desire to help others understand how technology can affect or improve their lives. I also love spending time with my wife, 7 kids, 2 dogs, 5 cats, 3 rabbits, 2 ferrets, pot-bellied pig and sulcata tortoise, and I like to think I enjoy reading and golf even though I never find time for either. You can contact me directly at tony@techspective.net. For more from me, you can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.
Microsoft held a press event today in New York to reveal new hardware. Microsoft also took advantage of the opportunity to share some of the new capabilities that are part of the Windows 10 2018 Update and new features rolling out to Office 365 users. New Windows 10 and Office 365 Features Microsoft said that Windows 10 is now running on more than 700 million devices around the world. Office 365 continues to see strong adoption and growth year after year.
Combined, Windows 10 and Office 365 form the foundation for much of the core computing people do—which makes it crucial that people are satisfied with the user experience. Microsoft is constantly exploring the way people actually use the software and hardware they create and striving to improve and streamline those experiences. Here is a quick synopsis of the major updates and features announced today:. You will soon be able to view and search your PC timeline from your iPhone. Your Phone app: By installing the Your Phone app on your Android smartphone, you get seamless access to photos and texts from your mobile device on your Windows 10 PC. When you take a picture with your smartphone, you can drag and drop them from your device to your PC—and copy, edit, or markup the photo. You can also view, send and receive SMS text messages from your Android phone on your PC through the Your Phone app.
Microsoft Unveils New Office For Mac 2017
There is an iOS version of the app that is slated to be available in early November, but the capabilities in iOS appear to be limited to being able to send a web page to your PC so you can pick up where you left off and continue surfing on a larger screen. Timeline on smartphone: Microsoft rolled out the Timeline feature on Windows 10 earlier this year.
It lets you go back in time to find websites, documents and other resources you were working on whether it was on your PC or a connected smartphone. The new Timeline update allows that to work in reverse as well—so you will be able to view and scroll through the Timeline from your PC on your smartphone. This feature is available in preview starting today for Android via the Microsoft Launcher app and will be coming soon for iPhone.
Inking and 3D: Microsoft announced new AI-powered inking and 3D updates for Word and PowerPoint. You can draw or sketch your thoughts and Microsoft AI will transform it into perfectly formatted slides. AI will also help recommend slide designs based on handwritten ink or change written text to Smart Art.
New 3D embedded animations can expand creativity by automatically turning your work into 3D animations. Microsoft also added new pen gestures that make it easier to add line breaks, insert new words, or split or join words when writing text by hand. Line Focus helps you stay focused on the content you’re reading in Microsoft Edge. Microsoft Edge: There are a few cool new tools for the Microsoft Edge browser. Line focus lets you highlight a set of one, three or five lines at a time so you can focus better on the content. There are also new grammar and learning tools and an offline dictionary that allows you to look up definitions for words in Reading View for web pages, books, and PDFs even if you’re not connected to the internet. Snip & Sketch: The new Snip & Sketch app will appear on the list when you press Alt + Tab, and you can quickly invoke the snipping tool by pressing the Windows key + Shift +S.
You can just snip a rectangle or the full screen or select a freeform area, and then you can annotate and share the screenshot. Microsoft says the original Snipping tools for Windows 10 will still be available until or unless they receive enough user feedback suggesting that people don’t need both experiences. Evolution of Windows and Office I have to say—I am a huge fan of both Windows 10 and Office 365. There are a variety of features and benefits to appreciate about each of them, but one of the things I love the most is that they are “living” platforms that are constantly updated and evolving. Office 2019 was recently launched for Windows and macOS systems, and I looked at the news and said, “Oh! The people who don’t subscribe to Office 365 can now spend an inordinate amount of money to catch up with the features and capabilities I’ve already been using in Office 365 for months—or years.” I just don’t understand sticking with that old model.
It doesn’t make sense from a functionality and productivity standpoint because almost as soon as you install the software it’s already obsolete and you lack a rapidly growing list of new features and capabilities that Office 365 subscribers have access to with each passing week. It also doesn’t make sense from a financial standpoint, because upgrading every 3 or 4 years to a new version of the than just paying the monthly Office 365 subscription.
When it comes to Windows, there were always monthly patches and updates, and you would get massive Service Pack updates every year or so, but there was still an expectation that every few years you would have to scrap the Windows operating system you have and install a whole new one—going from Windows XP, to Windows Vista, to Windows 7, and on and on. Windows 10 just continues to grow and evolve over time. Granted, the annual fall update is a bit like a Service Pack, but—at least as of right now—there doesn’t seem to be any anticipation or expectation of scrapping Windows 10 and installing a completely different version of Windows at some point in the future.
Microsoft Unveils New Office For Mac 2016
I appreciate updates like these—new features and capabilities that aren’t necessarily revolutionary, but evolve and improve the user experience in subtle—but important—ways. The synchronization and seamless integration of the phone and features like Line Focus in Microsoft Edge and the new Snip & Sketch tool are all great improvements that will help people work more effectively and efficiently with Windows 10 and Office 365. Read more of my writing at, and follow me on social media (links at TechSpective).
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