Office2007
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Pre deets continue to trickle out; Office 2007 support in the mix
Still no word on pricing or a release date, but the kind chappie running Inside Sprint Now has posted up a little Pre FAQ to tide us over. If you're inclined to believe this information indeed comes from deep within Sprint customer service -- and we've no reason to not to -- you'll find some interesting factoids in the mix, including full support for Office 2007, ringback tones, and custom ringtones. There's also a promise of video recording support and wireless PictBridge printing sometime down the line. Great, great -- but we'd really rather learn all this stuff on our own after release, you know?[Via PalmInfoCenter]
Microsoft Office Mobile 6.1 due out soon
There's good news, and there's bad news, and we'll be hitting the latter first. Days ago, reports flooded the net claiming that an Office Mobile upgrade that would allow viewing / editing of Word, Excel and PowerPoint files created in Office 2007 was available. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a mistimed leak, so we're back to testing our patience for now. On the bright side, we do have a good indication of what this free upgrade (for Office Mobile 6.0 users) will bring, which reportedly also enables users to "view and extract files from compressed .zip folders." So just hold tight, the update should be flowing out for real "within the next two weeks."[Via DownloadSquad]
Microsoft Office Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 0.2 (Beta)
Today not only marks the release of a new beta Remote Desktop client from Microsoft, but also a new beta Microsoft Office Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 0.2 (Beta). What the heck is this? It converts Office files that use Microsoft's new Open XML file format (i.e. files created in Office 2007 for Windows) into a file format that Office 2004 for the Mac can read. This release promises improved conversion of files containing inline graphics, amongst other things.Since this is a beta Microsoft warns that all files might not be converted correctly. They suggest you open the file and make sure it looks like it should.Update: As was pointed out in the comments, this only converts Word and PowerPoint documents.
Microsoft releases Word 2007 '.docx' file converter
If you've been gnashing your teeth as more and more Office 2007 files come your way from your innocent, early-adopter Windows colleagues and friends, time to quit your gnashing. Microsoft's beta of the mellifluously named Microsoft Office Open XML File Format Converter for Mac can now be downloaded from the big M's website. This initial version of the standalone converter tool supports Word 2007 files and is one-way: the resulting RTF output can be resaved as Office 2004 .doc files, but not as Office 2007 .docx files. Support for the newfangled PowerPoint and Excel document formats will be coming later this summer.As previously noted, the final integrated format conversion bundle that will live inside Office 2004 will not ship until after Mac Office 2008 hits the street. So it goes.
Microsoft Clippy, RIP: 1997 - 2007
Not too long after MobileESPN breathed new life, now we've got the unfortunate duty of informing the world that Microsoft finally axed the most annoying aspect of Office has decided to leave "Clippy" behind in Office 2007. We suspected something was brewing when the iconic figure started donning a 3D skirt in Japan, but a brief interview with Office's group program manager revealed that the clip is indeed dead. While it had been fading for awhile due to an apparent lack of mass fanfare, and was even turned off by default in Office 2003, it seems that Clippy fans will be forced to stick with now-antiquated versions of the Office suite in order to keep their darling on screen. But don't fret too much, as the countdown until someone crafts a freeware app re-instilling a Clippy rendition into Office begins... now.[Via ChipChick]
Microsoft's "Clippy" putting on a 3D skirt in Japan?
We're not sure what's going on here exactly, but based on our interpretation of the machine translation, Microsoft Japan is at the very least helping to promote Frepar Network's new 3D virtual communication products in an Office 2007 giveaway. Of greater interest however, is the ability for that device (or POD) pictured to display a three dimensional woman who interactively titillates demonstrates Microsoft's new Office 2007 software much to the delight of Japan's lonely businessmen. Just insert a "Codec Cell" -- a type of DNA horse-pill imprinted with the personality and attributes of different characters -- into Frepar's Virtual Communications POD and watch your virtual friend come to life. Drunk at the hotel mini-bar missing her? No problem, grab Frepar's VoIP-based Samuraiphone and give her a ring. Just don't get carried away because her skirt will flutter against the waft of your hot, breathy prose. No, really. A variety of planned accessories will allow the POD's characters to link to terrestrial digital broadcasts and the Internet for a bit more lifelike interaction and widgetry than say a blinking bunny or customizable keyboard. What's more, Frepar plans to offer "material transfer fields" which act like portals to transfer real-world items into her virtual world such as food, medicine, and plenty of costumes to feed your sick fantasies. You can even put your character on an "enjoyable diet" and monitor her weight -- fun! So what are we talkin' for all this space-age technology... beaucoup dinero, right? Not so, the Frepar POD will hit later in the year for about ¥30,000 or right around $250. Goodbye "Clippy," hello girlfriend! Check all the gear below as well as a prototype on display at CES.%Gallery-1429%Read -- Frepar Networks Read -- Microsoft campaign
Microsoft says file converter for Office 2007 in the works
According to a post on Mac Mojo, the Mac BU's blog, Microsoft is committed to getting out a free file format converter so that Mac users can open Office 2007 Open XML formatted files with Office 2004 (Laurie posted about the problem earlier today). This converter is expected to be released late March/early April and will be free.The next version of Office for the Mac will support the Open XML Format as its native format, and that is expected to ship 6 to 8 months from now.Until then you can either use a hack, or ask your Windows using friends to save the documents they want to share with you as the older Word/Excel/PowerPoint 97-2003 Document (.doc, .xls, .ppt).
Windows Office 2007 files not compatible with Mac Office 2004
Delayed or not, the next version of Microsoft Office for Mac can't come soon enough for those who have little choice but to stick with Office in corporate environments. Although we have enjoyed reasonable (but still far from perfect) compatibility with our Windows Office brethren for some time now, that all changes with Office 2007 for Windows, which uses a file format incompatible with Mac Office by default. Out of the box, Office 2007 saves documents in "Microsoft Office Open XML." The saved file formats are docx for Word, xlsx for Excel and pptx for PowerPoint. The good news is that Novell has promised that it will release code for OpenOffice that will support the new file format, but it'll be at least another month or two before that's a viable option for end users, and there are still many corporate users who will be stuck since many of them don't have the option to use or install OpenOffice. Also, just because Novell releases the code to the open-source community, it doesn't mean it will actually get integrated into the OpenOffice suite, although it's a good bet.Windows users with Office 2003 will, of course, be able to download a compatibility pack that will let them open Office 2007 files, but Mac users are being left in the cold, probably for months, while the Mac Business Unit at Microsoft takes their time in making a similar solution available to Mac users.I know the comment section will now be flooded with comments about how Mac users should ditch Office completely and use OpenOffice, NeoOffice, ThinkFree, iWork or a host of other Office alternatives, and that's fine and dandy for many people. I encourage people who have the choice to explore other options on their personal or work computers that aren't completely locked down, to do so, with gusto. But the fact remains that the majority of corporate IT departments don't see it that way and since many of them still resent having to support Macs to begin with, these compatibility issues just make matters worse for Mac users in those environments and it makes it that much harder for them to do their jobs.
Microsoft unveils unified communications platform
Microsoft has just announced a series of new products and upgrades to existing software which together will form a platform that promises to deliver unprecedented convergence among disparate communications technologies. Part of the "Office system 2007 wave of products," this combination of hardware and software will allow users to perform such tasks as checking their voicemail directly from Outlook or calling up an Exchange Server to have it email other participants of an impending meeting that they're going to be late. The move also sees Redmond making an even bigger push into Internet telephony in the form of the Office Communications Server 2007 package, which is a SIP-based platform that will allow seamless VoIP calling, videoconferencing, and instant messaging across a broad range of existing applications, services and devices, including the all-in-one Office Communicator 2007 -- available in desktop, web-based, and mobile flavors -- which just so happens to support voice, video, and chat as well. Finally, we'll see remote conferencing get a boost in the form of enhanced A/V capabilities and Office integration for Live Meeting, along with a new tool called RoundTable that employs a 360-degree camera for letting group web-conference participants view the entire remote team simultaneously. On the hardware side of things, Microsoft has partnered with HP and Motorola to provide support for the new platform, with HP delivering systems integration services and unspecified "enhanced products" and Moto throwing down compatible mobile devices and network equipment. While new versions of Exchange Server and Speech Server are on their way by the end of the year, the majority of the platform -- including IP desktop phones from Polycom, LG-Nortel, and Thomson to support the Office Communicator phone experience -- is not scheduled to roll out until sometime during Q2 of next year.[Via The New York Times]
