Microsoft releases SP2 for Mac Office 2008
Microsoft released the second service pack for Office 2008 for the Mac saying it includes better Mac browser support, improved speed and stability, and better collaboration tools.
The major mid-cycle upgrade is, of course, free and should be available on the Microsoft Web site sometime tonight. Perhaps the major feature update is a new Document Connection tool that will allow much better collaboration for Mac users. The service pack will give Mac users access to SharePoint and Microsoft’s Office Live Workspace.
Mike Tedesco, a senior product manager for the Microsoft Mac Business Unit, said, “There’s never been a better time to try Office 2008 for Mac — with SP2 we are not only delivering on top customer requests mid-cycle, but also taking a first step in bringing Microsoft software plus services to Mac users. This connection unlocks the door for Mac users to Microsoft services for easier collaboration and file sharing with colleagues, customers and classmates.”
The newly released Document Connection tool allows users to open and save Office files in the Microsoft Office Live Workspace. To make the Mac connection more workable for Mac users, the Office Live Workspace now supports both Safari 4.0 and Firefox 2.0 browsers. The Connection tool also simplifies the SharePoint experience, according to a Microsoft statement.
The new update also improves application performance relative to launching and scrolling in Word and Excel. SP2 also adds two new feature to PowerPoint: Custom Path Animation adds the ability to author motion-path animations, and the ability for users to create a default theme, features that the Mac user group had asked for, according to a Computerworld article.
The collaboration tools should make it much easier for OS X users to work with their Windows colleagues in office environments where both operating systems are used. This has long been a sticking point for the use of the Mac version of Office in corporate environments using mainly Microsoft tools for collaboration, and Microsoft is hoping to see a larger Office for Mac product share in those situations both now and in the future.
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