Tuesday, December 11,2007 @ 1:20pm
Office 2008 nears 'gold' (RTM), sneak peek
As the MacBU's Office 2008 nears its release to manufacturing (RTM), meaning that the code is completed for final release next month. Simultaneously, the company is offering its final sneak peek into the product suite, which will officially launch at Macworld Expo in San Francisco. The final preview provides a look at the Excel 2008 improvements that cater to spreadsheet novices and experts alike with helpful new formula tools and a significantly increased grid workspace.
Formula Builder, found in the updated Excel 2008 Toolbox, walks users through the steps needed to create a formula for various tasks. Formula AutoComplete allows users to start by typing the first part of a formula in the Formula Bar, and a dynamic drop-down menu of functions and names appears, with the most recent ones at the top. Select an item to insert from the list and let the computations begin. Excel 2008 also introduces increased rows and columns. This expansion matches the Windows Office System 2007, so all Excel spreadsheet users on Macs and PCs will have access to up to 16,000 columns and more than 1 million rows.
Office 2008 for Mac requires an Intel, G5, or G4 computer rated at 500MHz or faster, with Mac OS X 10.4.9 or later. For an in-depth look at Office 2008's key features, see our first and second glimpses into what Microsoft has released thus far.
The Office 2008 for Mac core suite ($400) includes Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Entourage along with Microsoft Exchange Server support and Automator tools, while the Office for Mac Special Media Edition ($500) combines Office 2008 applications with the Microsoft Expression Media digital asset management system. The special education and consumer version, Office 2008 for Mac Home and Student Edition ($150), provides the basics of Office 2008 for Mac for home and school users: it includes three user licenses for use by consumers and students but does not include connectivity to Microsoft Exchange Server or support for automated workflows.
See our first look at Office 2008 for further details.