Take your time, Microsoft. I mean it's only been about eight years since Apple started strongly suggesting all developers move their apps to Cocoa and xCode.
Office is the most bloated, resource-eating, slow-as-hell collection of programs on the platform. Seriously, HD After Effects renders are less taxing on my Mac Pro than launching Microsoft Entourage.
Actually, I use Office 2008 for work every single day. Sadly, it is only because iWork doesn't do Office templates that well - at least well enough that I can pass them to the editor. What I put up with everyday is worse than any application I've ever paid money for: very few OSX keyboard shortcuts, horrid placement commands, tables, objects: everything moves of its own free will, 100% crap expose control (windows change at their whim), and many other problems.
32-bit, 64-bit, it doesn't matter. First, Microsoft just have to treat the Mac like a Mac, not like a Windows machine. If I could paste with no formatting via the ubiquitous alt-ctrl-shift-, that alone would save me probably an hour per day. Then if Expose transitions wouldn't plop me into another window altogether (only happens with this shyte suite of apps), it would be another 20-30 minutes saved.
Even if I could shift--s, it would be a huge 'hello'. The most embarassing thing, however is the dictionary which doesn't catch about 5/20 words I use to write middle-school English textbooks! Middle school! I can count on Office 2008 to fail about 40% of the time, to cause me lost time in almost every area, and to be a drag on all but template support.
Microsoft, who cares about 64-bit, just get your effins shyte soft working like an Apple app on the Mac. Right now, it is the WORST app I've ever bought on any platform.
I think until Apple themselves gets all their apps to cocoa, this is just going to keep happening. They can't keep releasing new versions of their own apps in carbon and expect 3rd parties to do better.
I can't wait to try this version out and see if I hate the interface as much as I hate using 2007 on my PC at work.
I've used a lot of tools that I've been annoyed with at first, but learned to appreciate. Office 2007 still frustrates me after more than 2 years using it. The Ribbon is NOT an advancement.
As for 64-bit, I can't say it matters much. Companies have a limit to resources, and it is hard to see any immediate motivation. It does say something about the bloat in the code that they can't get it converted to Cocoa after all these years.
I hope it is a marked improvement. I have Office 2004 and would like to upgrade if its a good product. I have and prefer iWork but I get a fair number of Office documents sent to me and it is nice to have Office for the Mac for those occasions.
So what ever happened to Steve saying Adobe was the "last" major company to move to Cocoa... I guess Microsoft (and Apple... iTunes and most of their pro software still not cocoa) don't count.
Is Adobe the *only* company with their majority of apps in cocoa?
Hmm... don't really care that it isn't 64 bit yet; glad Microsoft is heading in that direction. I imagine most everyone complaining in forums like this one probably isn't going to get a great performance increase out of 64 bit Office anyway. It would require some pretty hard-core use, but down the road that definitely needs to be done.
I'm glad to see they've improved the interface. People actually do like the ribbon layout, though I'm not used to it yet, and I think some of the compromises they've made between the two worked out well for them.
What they really need to do is make the program faster and more reliable. Office 2008 is utter trash—an embarrassment compared to the Windows version. The only thing I use it for these days is Microsoft Excel. If they can address the performance issues and other user interface issues (Pages is beautifully designed in terms of usability by way of comparison) that'll be a great step in the right direction.
In any case, I'm looking to the next iWork suite to take me an even greater distance away from caring about Microsoft Office. Numbers is still playing catchup, which is a shame because it has some absolutely ingenious features Excel can't even touch.
Because if they were identical, the Mac Office menu bar would just contain a single menu. for example, "Word", which would make for a pretty confusing user experience on Mac OS. The ribbon is confusing enough as it is for Windows users.
OK, smartass - toolbars, then... No matter what you think of either design it makes little sense to make them different from one another... is my point
The ribbon is what keeps me from upgrading my old Office. Excel is what keeps me from switching to an alternative.
Word is the application I most need to upgrade, as it crashes incessantly when doing reports with pictures, and has the least compatibility with the Windows version.
I suppose iTunes is also a "fail" because it it still 32 bit and uses Carbon, and you won't consider using it until Apple finally gets its act together.
Zing.
It certainly isn't fail. No one forced Microsoft to port Office to Mac (or now via Cocoa), they are doing it by their own graces, and having Office across both Windows and OS X benefits everyone. I actually like the layout of the Mac ribbon more than the Windows ribbon. As one who used Office 2007 for two years at my previous job and now has gone back to Office 2003 at my current job, going back is painful. You don't appreciate the ribbon feature until you've used it for awhile. People here who say that the ribbon is awful clearly haven't used it long enough.
I suppose iTunes is also a "fail" because it it still 32 bit and uses Carbon, and you won't consider using it until Apple finally gets its act together.
This and iTunes isn't the only 32bit Apple app. I'm actually looking forward to the new Office and a return of some missing features. It definitely is more aesthetically pleasing than it's Windows counterpart.
I also hope I'm not the only one in hoping to see an Office for iPad.
I hope that 10.7 drops support for compiling Carbon apps, but continues to provide Carbon support in the runtime environment. I hope 10.8 drops runtime support for Carbon.
The biggest challenge to using Office that it is so slow. Even on a Mac Pro, for crying out loud.
Startup takes forever, pagination is like watching paint dry.
I assume that it's all interpreted intermediate-code that MS compiles into native on Windows, but that's just a guess. I can not think of any other reason why everything takes so long.
I don't really care about 32-bit vs. 64. I'd rather just be able to get my work done today instead of having to finish it tomorrow
The ribbon is what keeps me from upgrading my old Office. Excel is what keeps me from switching to an alternative.
Word is the application I most need to upgrade, as it crashes incessantly when doing reports with pictures, and has the least compatibility with the Windows version.
Why not move away from Office for everything but Excel files, then?
It isn't like iWork (or any of the alternatives) are expensive or anything...
Has any unreleased software product ever enjoyed so many posts? Not only is it unattractive, M$ knows how to drag out product releases to the point where it's actually aggravating.
Comments
Take your time, Microsoft. I mean it's only been about eight years since Apple started strongly suggesting all developers move their apps to Cocoa and xCode.
Office is the most bloated, resource-eating, slow-as-hell collection of programs on the platform. Seriously, HD After Effects renders are less taxing on my Mac Pro than launching Microsoft Entourage.
Microsoft Office 2008 woes
Actually, I use Office 2008 for work every single day. Sadly, it is only because iWork doesn't do Office templates that well - at least well enough that I can pass them to the editor. What I put up with everyday is worse than any application I've ever paid money for: very few OSX keyboard shortcuts, horrid placement commands, tables, objects: everything moves of its own free will, 100% crap expose control (windows change at their whim), and many other problems.
32-bit, 64-bit, it doesn't matter. First, Microsoft just have to treat the Mac like a Mac, not like a Windows machine. If I could paste with no formatting via the ubiquitous alt-ctrl-shift-, that alone would save me probably an hour per day. Then if Expose transitions wouldn't plop me into another window altogether (only happens with this shyte suite of apps), it would be another 20-30 minutes saved.
Even if I could shift--s, it would be a huge 'hello'. The most embarassing thing, however is the dictionary which doesn't catch about 5/20 words I use to write middle-school English textbooks! Middle school! I can count on Office 2008 to fail about 40% of the time, to cause me lost time in almost every area, and to be a drag on all but template support.
Microsoft, who cares about 64-bit, just get your effins shyte soft working like an Apple app on the Mac. Right now, it is the WORST app I've ever bought on any platform.
I've used a lot of tools that I've been annoyed with at first, but learned to appreciate. Office 2007 still frustrates me after more than 2 years using it. The Ribbon is NOT an advancement.
As for 64-bit, I can't say it matters much. Companies have a limit to resources, and it is hard to see any immediate motivation. It does say something about the bloat in the code that they can't get it converted to Cocoa after all these years.
I hope it is a marked improvement. I have Office 2004 and would like to upgrade if its a good product. I have and prefer iWork but I get a fair number of Office documents sent to me and it is nice to have Office for the Mac for those occasions.
Is Adobe the *only* company with their majority of apps in cocoa?
Do most users need 64 bit office? No.
Does it run in 64-bit snow leopard? Yes.
Will this stop most users from updating? Not likely.
Is this good for iWork? Yes.
Is it a fail? Not really.
Great synopsis Eriamjh!
Ps...I will stay with my iWork and upgrade that with every new iteration available!
I'm glad to see they've improved the interface. People actually do like the ribbon layout, though I'm not used to it yet, and I think some of the compromises they've made between the two worked out well for them.
What they really need to do is make the program faster and more reliable. Office 2008 is utter trash—an embarrassment compared to the Windows version. The only thing I use it for these days is Microsoft Excel. If they can address the performance issues and other user interface issues (Pages is beautifully designed in terms of usability by way of comparison) that'll be a great step in the right direction.
In any case, I'm looking to the next iWork suite to take me an even greater distance away from caring about Microsoft Office. Numbers is still playing catchup, which is a shame because it has some absolutely ingenious features Excel can't even touch.
Because if they were identical, the Mac Office menu bar would just contain a single menu. for example, "Word", which would make for a pretty confusing user experience on Mac OS. The ribbon is confusing enough as it is for Windows users.
OK, smartass - toolbars, then... No matter what you think of either design it makes little sense to make them different from one another... is my point
Word is the application I most need to upgrade, as it crashes incessantly when doing reports with pictures, and has the least compatibility with the Windows version.
I suppose iTunes is also a "fail" because it it still 32 bit and uses Carbon, and you won't consider using it until Apple finally gets its act together.
Zing.
It certainly isn't fail. No one forced Microsoft to port Office to Mac (or now via Cocoa), they are doing it by their own graces, and having Office across both Windows and OS X benefits everyone. I actually like the layout of the Mac ribbon more than the Windows ribbon. As one who used Office 2007 for two years at my previous job and now has gone back to Office 2003 at my current job, going back is painful. You don't appreciate the ribbon feature until you've used it for awhile. People here who say that the ribbon is awful clearly haven't used it long enough.
I suppose iTunes is also a "fail" because it it still 32 bit and uses Carbon, and you won't consider using it until Apple finally gets its act together.
This and iTunes isn't the only 32bit Apple app. I'm actually looking forward to the new Office and a return of some missing features. It definitely is more aesthetically pleasing than it's Windows counterpart.
I also hope I'm not the only one in hoping to see an Office for iPad.
Startup takes forever, pagination is like watching paint dry.
I assume that it's all interpreted intermediate-code that MS compiles into native on Windows, but that's just a guess. I can not think of any other reason why everything takes so long.
I don't really care about 32-bit vs. 64. I'd rather just be able to get my work done today instead of having to finish it tomorrow
The ribbon is what keeps me from upgrading my old Office. Excel is what keeps me from switching to an alternative.
Word is the application I most need to upgrade, as it crashes incessantly when doing reports with pictures, and has the least compatibility with the Windows version.
Why not move away from Office for everything but Excel files, then?
It isn't like iWork (or any of the alternatives) are expensive or anything...
Microsoft is a relic of the past.
agreed...everyone will be using iwork on ipad