We’ve covered the trials, tribulations, and even tribbles of Microsoft’s forthcoming new version of their flagship productivity suite, Office 2008. The software was released to to manufacturing just a few weeks back, and while it’s not scheduled to ship until January 15th, during Macworld Expo, the NDAs were lifted with a fanfare yesterday and first looks have spiraled out across the web.
Our big siblings at Macworld have put together an in-depth look at all the various components, bringing together a respected roster of Mac writers. You can read Jeffery Battersby on Word 2008, Franklin N. Tessler on PowerPoint 2008, Tom Negrino on Entourage 2008, and Macworld’s own Rob Griffiths on Excel 2008.
While Microsoft Office remains the 800 lbs. gorilla on OS X, the suite is increasingly facing challenges from smaller and nimbler programs. Apple’s iWork suite, for example, may not have all the features of Office, but it costs around half as much as Office’s cheapest version. Macworld’s Office are decidedly mixed: Entourage and PowerPoint garner positive comments, but Word and Excel seem to be less impressive, especially now that Microsoft has cut Visual Basic scripting support. Keep tuned to Macworld for the full reviews, due on the 15th when the suite ships.
