Microsoft and Apple products in general aren’t generally thought of as compatible, but Microsoft Office for Mac just upped its appeal. The manufacturer will now offer a 30-day free trial of the software for Mac computers that can be conveniently found on Microsoft’s Office website. Apple computers will be eligible starting next week, just in time for the MacWorld Expo.
Prior to this offer, Mac users would either have to take the expensive plunge and purchase Office, or visit a retailer with the software to demo it out in store.
It seems a little late coming, seeing as the Mac App Store and Open Office provide a host of free choices, but the productivity tools of Office 2011 are hard to beat. Anyone who needs access to PowerPoint or Outlook even minimally is likely inclined to purchase the suite – but now can put it off for a month.
According to Cult of Mac, the download requires an Intel-based Mac with an extra 2.5GB of space lying around.
Microsoft Office has done generally well with Office for Mac, surpassing internal company milestones. But compared with Office for PC, it’s a drop in the bucket – Office 2010 was a monumental success for the company, besting past sales of the software. At the moment, Office for Mac is only available as a bundled package that includes Word, Powerpoint, Excel, and Outlook, and there hasn’t been any indication Microsoft will sell software individually. But Microsoft is clearly open to collaborating with Apple, and just last week launched the OneNote Office app for the iPhone.
