Microsoft’s Macintosh Business Unit today announced some details of its next version of Microsoft Office for the Mac—and the big surprise is that Microsoft is committing to shipping a version of Outlook for the Macintosh. The Mac version of Outlook will replace the existing Entourage email and communication application that’s been part of Microsoft Office for several years; although Entourage has long features some Exchange capability, it’s always been a second-class citizen in the Exchange world—and it’s often unreliable monolithic database won it few friends even among Mac Office users. The new version of Outlook promises to make the Mac an equal player alongside its Windows counterparts—and it will be an entirely new Cocoa application, built using Mac OS X’s base technologies and featuring a new database system.
Tag Archive: Office
Free Microsoft Office Web Apps to Take on Google
At its Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans today, Microsoft formally announced Microsoft Office 2010, along with 2010 versions of Sharepoint server, Visio, and Project. But perhaps the biggest news of the Office 2010 announcement is that the Redmond software giant plans to go head-to-head with Google in offering lightweight, browser-based versions of its mainstream productivity applications that can be used from anywhere a user can get Web access—and for Windows Live users, they’ll be available for free.
Corel Targets Netbooks with Home Office Suite
Folks who’ve hopped on the netbook bandwagon have probably noticed the systems are a little under-powered—and lack the screen real estate—to handle mainstream office productivity suites. Software maker Corel hope to tap into that nascent market with Corel Home Office, a three-app suite designed to handle word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations on netbook-style systems. And, the suite is even available on a USB key, so folks with netbooks that don’t have an optical drive have a non-download option for installation.
Global Job Cuts At MySpace?
According to reports in the Guardian, MySpace is considering shutting down its offices in San Francisco, Italy, France and Spain. If this happens, and it could possibly occur as early as this week, hundreds of jobs will be lost.
The office in San Francisco is home to 200 employees and only opened at the end of 2007. It’s believed some workers would be given the chance to relocate to MySpace HQ in Los Angeles.
10 Updates For Patch Tuesday
There will be a total of 10 security updates tomorrow for Microsoft’s monthly Patch Tuesday, the company has said in its security bulletin.
Three vulnerabilities in Windows (affecting Windows 2000, XP, XP Professional edition, Vista, Server 2003 and Server 2008, Office 2000, 2003, 2007 and XP, and Microsoft Office 2004 and 2008 for the Mac) could let attackers elevate privileges, while another moderate vulnerability in Windows could enable information disclosure.
Other patches cover Office Excel Viewer; Office Word Viewer; Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats; Works 8.5 and 9.0; and Office SharePoint Server.
Office 2010 Preview Due In July
Microsoft has announced that it will launch an invitation-only Technical Preview Program of the new Office in July, according to CNET.
The new version, Office 2010 (aka Office 14), will be available in a 64-bit version, as well as the more standard 32-bit, and the release will also see Microsoft launching Office Web Applications, which are browser-based versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. To run 2010 on a desktop, users will need Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista or Windows 7.
The final version of the software is due to appear next year.
Office 2010 Beta Will Be Open
It’s official: the beta for Office 2010 will be open to the public. Microsoft has refuted rumors that have been circulating that it will only have a closed beta program for the software.
A spokesman told Vnunet:
"Although we are not disclosing a date for the public beta, there definitely will be one, this development cycle for Office is no different than years past."
"In Q3 of this year Office 2010 will enter technical preview, which is an invite-only program and this will be followed by a public beta where millions can get and try out Office."
Support Ending For XP And Office 2003
April 15 might be a date etched deep in the psyche, but for users of Windows XP and Office 2003, April 14 has resonance, too. That’s when Microsoft will end its mainstream support for both products.
For Office 2003, there will, however, be extended support until 2014, meaning that Microsoft will deliver patches for the software. Only those with support contracts for the software will receive more than that, ZDNet reports.
Similarly, only contract XP users will receive support after April 14.
Office Depot Closing 112 Stores
Office Depot may not carry the commercial weight of consumer electronics retailers like Best Buy or Wal-mart, but the company moves plenty of technology gear and accessories…and certainly isn’t exempt from the current tough economic climate. Office Depot has announced that as part of a strategic review, it plans to close some 112 “underperforming” stores in North America over the next three months, and in the process shut down some 33 distribution centers and say goodbye to about 2,200 employees. And additional 14 stores will be shut down throughout 2009 as leases expire or other lease arrangements get worked out.
Web-Based Microsoft Office Next Year
Microsoft had originally hoped to have a preview of Web-based applications for its Office suite available this year, but now it’s going to be sometime in 2009, according to CNET. At the moment less than 1,000 Microsoft employees are testing it, in a project that will last until February.
The company isn’t saying when a beta will be available, but a full release is expected to coincide with the release of the next version of Office, known internally as Office 14. And when will that be? Again, no one’s saying.










