Excel 2008 is craptacularly slow. Anyone else having the same issues?
Thought I would share with everyone some alarming performance issues I have been having with Excel 2008. I have a 1.83 GHz Core Duo MacBook running 10.4.11 with no "haxies" or performance issues in any other applications. I have Office 2004 which of course runs via Rosetta emulation.
As Office 2008 is Intel native, I was expecting a speed-boost over 2004. However, I have found that creating and editing charts is over four times slower in 2008 as opposed to 2004!
As an example comparison, I have a spread-sheet containing three columns of data, each 1201 cells long. One column is "X" data, the other two are "Y" data - for building an X-Y chart with two lines on one graph.
I performed a sequence of operations using this .xls file in Excel 2004, and then repeated the same operations in Excel 2008. In each case, the only programs running on the system were Excel 2004 or 2008, Activity Monitor and TextEdit, Finder and the usual background processes.
First I ran the tests in Excel 2004, then I rebooted my laptop and ran the tests in Excel 2008.
Unless otherwise stated, the time quoted is the time taken from the moment the operation is initiated to the moment Excel is ready for further user input. The amount of RAM being used by Excel immediately after a given action has been performed, as reported by the "real memory" column of Activity Monitor, is also quoted. The sequence of operations was as follows:
1.) Launch Excel (timed from clicking the icon in the Dock to the moment at which Excel is ready to accept user input).
2.) Open the .xls file (timed from the moment the "open" button is clicked in the "open file dialogue" to the moment the file is completely loaded).
3.) Make an X-Y chart with a smoothed line. In Excel 2004, this requires the use of the "chart wizard", but in 2008, the "gallery" is used. In 2008, the gallery generates a chart using the defaults, i.e., it delivers the same result as 2004 would if the "next" button were to be pressed in the "chart wizard" repeatedly without making any modifications. Therefore, in Excel 2004, the time quoted is the time taken from the moment the "chart wizard" button is pressed to the moment the new chart appears on the sheet and Excel is ready to accept user input again, the "next" button being clicked as soon as possible along each step of the chart wizard. For Excel 2008, the time quoted is that taken from the moment the "charts" button is pressed to the moment the chart has appeared in the sheet and Excel is ready for user input.
4.) Update the chart so that it appears in its own sheet.
5.) One of the X-Y lines is moved to a secondary axis.
6.) Label each axis.
7.) Change font for X-axis.
8.) Change font for first Y-axis.
9.) Change font for second Y-axis.
10.) Change number format of X-axis and scale to logarithmic.
11.) Change range and number format of first Y-axis.
12.) Change range and number format of second Y-axis.
13.) Change line and marker style for line 1.
14.) Change line and marker style for line 2.
15.) Save file under new file name.
16.) Close file.
17.) Quit.
The results are as follows:
For Excel 2004:
1.) 16.89 seconds, 67.36 MB
2.) 1.47 seconds, 75.72 MB
3.) 13.66 seconds, 84.50 MB
4.) 13.88 seconds, 87.41 MB
5.) 9.28 seconds, 89.03 MB
6.) 30.82 seconds, 93.81 MB
7.) 8.24 seconds, 95.02 MB
8.) 5.96 seconds, 98.9 MB
9.) 5.06 seconds, 99.23 MB
10.) 17.19 seconds, 100.34 MB
11.) 10.74 seconds, 101.06 MB
12.) 14.26 seconds, 101.91 MB
13.) 11.62 seconds, 103.96 MB
14.) 8.30 seconds, 104.69 MB
15.) 8.48 seconds, 106.86 MB
16.) 0.5 seconds, 103.82 MB
17.) 1.69 seconds.
Total time: 178.04 seconds (2 minutes and 58.04 seconds)
For Excel 2008:
1.) 24.78 seconds, 72.63 MB
2.) 1.83 seconds, 73.14 MB
3.) 24.53 seconds, 209.01 MB
4.) 24.19 seconds, 227.94 MB
5.) 77.09 seconds, 374.86 MB
6.) 202.22 seconds, 374.04 MB
7.) 24.49 seconds, 373.97 MB
8.) 20.66 seconds, 374.05 MB
9.) 19.28 seconds, 374.00 MB
10.) 47.78 seconds, 403.24 MB
11.) 84.21 seconds, 405.23 MB
12.) 101.66 seconds, 405.35 MB
13.) 43.16 seconds, 359.18 MB
14.) 42.55 seconds, 311.45 MB
15.) 34.27 seconds, 312.31 MB
16.) 0.4 seconds, 302.83 MB
17.) 1.47 seconds.
Total time: 774.57 seconds (12 minutes and 54.57 seconds)
I hope that these results make it clear as to why I am currently deeply unimpressed by Excel 2008. I hope that Microsoft are aware of these issues and are working hard to correct them.
As Office 2008 is Intel native, I was expecting a speed-boost over 2004. However, I have found that creating and editing charts is over four times slower in 2008 as opposed to 2004!
As an example comparison, I have a spread-sheet containing three columns of data, each 1201 cells long. One column is "X" data, the other two are "Y" data - for building an X-Y chart with two lines on one graph.
I performed a sequence of operations using this .xls file in Excel 2004, and then repeated the same operations in Excel 2008. In each case, the only programs running on the system were Excel 2004 or 2008, Activity Monitor and TextEdit, Finder and the usual background processes.
First I ran the tests in Excel 2004, then I rebooted my laptop and ran the tests in Excel 2008.
Unless otherwise stated, the time quoted is the time taken from the moment the operation is initiated to the moment Excel is ready for further user input. The amount of RAM being used by Excel immediately after a given action has been performed, as reported by the "real memory" column of Activity Monitor, is also quoted. The sequence of operations was as follows:
1.) Launch Excel (timed from clicking the icon in the Dock to the moment at which Excel is ready to accept user input).
2.) Open the .xls file (timed from the moment the "open" button is clicked in the "open file dialogue" to the moment the file is completely loaded).
3.) Make an X-Y chart with a smoothed line. In Excel 2004, this requires the use of the "chart wizard", but in 2008, the "gallery" is used. In 2008, the gallery generates a chart using the defaults, i.e., it delivers the same result as 2004 would if the "next" button were to be pressed in the "chart wizard" repeatedly without making any modifications. Therefore, in Excel 2004, the time quoted is the time taken from the moment the "chart wizard" button is pressed to the moment the new chart appears on the sheet and Excel is ready to accept user input again, the "next" button being clicked as soon as possible along each step of the chart wizard. For Excel 2008, the time quoted is that taken from the moment the "charts" button is pressed to the moment the chart has appeared in the sheet and Excel is ready for user input.
4.) Update the chart so that it appears in its own sheet.
5.) One of the X-Y lines is moved to a secondary axis.
6.) Label each axis.
7.) Change font for X-axis.
8.) Change font for first Y-axis.
9.) Change font for second Y-axis.
10.) Change number format of X-axis and scale to logarithmic.
11.) Change range and number format of first Y-axis.
12.) Change range and number format of second Y-axis.
13.) Change line and marker style for line 1.
14.) Change line and marker style for line 2.
15.) Save file under new file name.
16.) Close file.
17.) Quit.
The results are as follows:
For Excel 2004:
1.) 16.89 seconds, 67.36 MB
2.) 1.47 seconds, 75.72 MB
3.) 13.66 seconds, 84.50 MB
4.) 13.88 seconds, 87.41 MB
5.) 9.28 seconds, 89.03 MB
6.) 30.82 seconds, 93.81 MB
7.) 8.24 seconds, 95.02 MB
8.) 5.96 seconds, 98.9 MB
9.) 5.06 seconds, 99.23 MB
10.) 17.19 seconds, 100.34 MB
11.) 10.74 seconds, 101.06 MB
12.) 14.26 seconds, 101.91 MB
13.) 11.62 seconds, 103.96 MB
14.) 8.30 seconds, 104.69 MB
15.) 8.48 seconds, 106.86 MB
16.) 0.5 seconds, 103.82 MB
17.) 1.69 seconds.
Total time: 178.04 seconds (2 minutes and 58.04 seconds)
For Excel 2008:
1.) 24.78 seconds, 72.63 MB
2.) 1.83 seconds, 73.14 MB
3.) 24.53 seconds, 209.01 MB
4.) 24.19 seconds, 227.94 MB
5.) 77.09 seconds, 374.86 MB
6.) 202.22 seconds, 374.04 MB
7.) 24.49 seconds, 373.97 MB
8.) 20.66 seconds, 374.05 MB
9.) 19.28 seconds, 374.00 MB
10.) 47.78 seconds, 403.24 MB
11.) 84.21 seconds, 405.23 MB
12.) 101.66 seconds, 405.35 MB
13.) 43.16 seconds, 359.18 MB
14.) 42.55 seconds, 311.45 MB
15.) 34.27 seconds, 312.31 MB
16.) 0.4 seconds, 302.83 MB
17.) 1.47 seconds.
Total time: 774.57 seconds (12 minutes and 54.57 seconds)
I hope that these results make it clear as to why I am currently deeply unimpressed by Excel 2008. I hope that Microsoft are aware of these issues and are working hard to correct them.
Comments
Would be nice to see the numbers of Office for Windows XP/Vista running under Parallels or VMware. I can't imagine things like that taking that long.
1) 300 time points (on X-axis)
2) 3 sets of data with 300 entries each... (1 per time point) = 3 curves
3) scatter plot
4) add trend-line
i'll spare the gory details, but excel 2008 is t-o-o... f-r-i-c-k-i-n... s-l-o-w.....
"format data series" seems to take ages...
"format axes" & "format chart area" seem to need God's Will...
so much so, even moving around the chart window takes ages & brings out the beachball.... wtf???
i'm seriously thinking of going back to office 2004...
(BTW, my MacBook specs: 2.16 GHz C2D, 2GB RAM)
Hopefully it's fairly straightforward for them to fix rather than the problems being interwoven all over the code from the ground up.
I'd encourage anyone having these problem to send feedback to Microsoft here.
I'm going to guess that they can't be fixed easily otherwise they would have been.
Cripes, I hope not!
Honestly, I cannot work out how anyone at Microsoft could possibly think that the performance of Excel 2008 is acceptable.
*sigh*
just having a windows computer really maesyou relise ow long it takes to get a update.
i would say about.. 2-4 months. Min.
Wow. There must be something wrong with your computer. I got rid of 2004 because it was MUCH MUCH slower than 2008.
Nope, nothing wrong with my machine. There are plenty of other similar reports over the web. Excel 2008 has serious issues with moderate to large data sets.
Have you tried to create a chart with at least 3600 data points?
Do this:
Open Excel 2008. In column A, create a number sequence from 0 to 1200 incrementing by one each time. In columns B and C, create random number sequences the same length as column A. Now you have a data set that you can use to create a two-line X-Y scatter. Give it a try and let us know how long it takes.
The windows version can't do that. That's why you have other software. Excel plots supper fucking suck any way. If you show someone your excel plots it only shows what an amateur you are.
You are talking shit. The Windows version is perfectly capable of doing that, and I can make Excel 2004 produce perfectly respectable looking plots.
Look:
(higher-res version here.)
That chart took 3 minutes to create in Excel 2004. It takes 13 minutes to get the same result in Excel 2008. That is totally unacceptable. 2008 should be even quicker as it's running native on my machine rather than emulated.
BTW, what the hell does "supper fucking suck" mean?
Cripes, I hope not!
Honestly, I cannot work out how anyone at Microsoft could possibly think that the performance of Excel 2008 is acceptable.
Business 101:
How to kill the one product that kept you from being broken up 10 yeaers ago now that the FTC isn't watching...
step 1: make a really shitty mac version, stripping out essential features and functionality
step 2: over the next year, talk loudly and openly, about how sales lag, while ignoreing the reason
step 4: say that "due to the lack of sales, we will no longer make Office Mac, and we will fold the Mac BU and spin off Mactopia as it was before we acquired it"
step 5: modify the OOXML standard as implemented by Windows Office and do not document it in the standards
Step6: Windows and Office once again become the de-facto universal standard with no choice as it has a foothold and mindshare
BTW, what the hell does "supper fucking suck" mean?
Dont know, but I wouldn't google it
Dont know, but I wouldn't google it
There seems to be some really cack-handed programming going on though.
Office has been poorly coded for years and years. MS has an epidemic problem with their product and project management systems, but their monopoly allows them to coast-by. Now, they are in deeper shit, because the talent pool of young developers they used to attract mightily is now more interested in working for Google or Apple. Future versions of Office and Windows will continue to suffer until MS goes under or until they make dramatic management changes across the board.
Business 101:
How to kill the one product that kept you from being broken up 10 yeaers ago now that the FTC isn't watching...
step 1: make a really shitty mac version, stripping out essential features and functionality
step 2: over the next year, talk loudly and openly, about how sales lag, while ignoreing the reason
step 4: say that "due to the lack of sales, we will no longer make Office Mac, and we will fold the Mac BU and spin off Mactopia as it was before we acquired it"
step 5: modify the OOXML standard as implemented by Windows Office and do not document it in the standards
Step6: Windows and Office once again become the de-facto universal standard with no choice as it has a foothold and mindshare
I have one question, do you work for Microsoft?
Scary.
I have one question, do you work for Microsoft?
Scary.
No connection to MS, just knowledge of how management thinks, Microsofts past trends, basic business understanding, and critical business analysis skills...remember, MS has been doing so bad lately that the only thing that they care about now is that P/E rate...they want earnings to go up, that means kill Mac stuff, and all other non-golden-gooses.
Also, this Silver light thing is a trogan horse of sorts, the minute they get critical mass amoung web devs, they will kill expressions for the mac and the plug in for all non-MS OSes -- mark my words.remember IE and WMP anyone?
I have the same issue with Excel regarding pivot tables. It will take $@! minutes to open a file which contain around 5000 lines of data with pivot table reports