News, info, and opinion by Mac users, for Mac users.

September 18, 2006

updates

Universe Watch: Creative Suite still PowerPC only; Office gets its Xcode on

Posted Sep. 18, ’06, 8:06 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Software » Updates

Microsoft Office & Adobe Creative SuiteHey, great news everybody. Adobe’s upgraded its Creative Suite 2 software package to 2.3 Premium. What does that mean? Glad you asked: CS now includes Dreamweaver 8, thanks to the happy marriage between Adobe and formal rival Macromedia. Also, Acrobat has been revved to version 8.

But don’t worry, I’ve saved the best for last: no Universal Binary support. Despite Apple having completed its transition to Intel chips, Adobe’s decided to take the road less traveled by. Relax, I’m sure they’re working on it. Maybe it’ll be out my next year. Who knows?

Adobe’s not the only one who’s lagging behind on the Universal transition. Software big boy Microsoft hasn’t gotten Office native on Intel either. However, the Mac Business Unit has achieved a significant milestone by finishing the move to Apple’s Xcode. What does this mean for release dates for the next version of Office? According to Mary Starman, group product manager for the MacBU:

“Typically we release about 6-8 months after Windows Office, and they’ve announced general availability in the January timeframe, so we would be 6-8 months after that.”
So Mac users should be looking at Office 2007 to appear sometime in the summer of next year. Maybe around the WWDC? Starman also confirmed that the UI would be getting a refresh, though it wouldn’t necessarily resemble its Windows counterpart.

To which Derik and I can offer a simultaneous, vehement “Good!”

[Office 2007 info via Infinite Loop]


2 Comments

Moe said:

This is just a pie in the sky kind of thing, but you know what I think should happen? Apple should just buy Adobe. That would end this carrot-dangling fiasco once and for all.

September 18, 2006 8:39 AM
Geoff Green said:

I haven't seen any definite word whether Acrobat 8 (not the other apps in the upgraded Creative Suite, just Acrobat) is a universal binary or not. The system requirements state that Acrobat 8 is Intel-compatible, but doesn't specifically state that it runs native on Intel processors or that it is a UB.

Also, Acrobat 8 Standard isn't available for the Mac, only Acrobat 8 Professional. Too bad.

September 18, 2006 9:03 AM

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