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Office for Mac 2016 exits preview, bridges the gap with Windows
The last time a new version of Office for Mac came out, the year was 2010. Microsoft had recently released the Kin; our favorite e-reader had a QWERTY keyboard; and people were still snickering at some awkwardly named gadget called the iPad. A lot has changed since then: OS X looks a little different; Windows looks a lot different; and believe it or not, people actually want to use Office on that weird iPad thing. Until recently, though, Mac for Office looked the same as it did when it first came out on OS X Snow Leopard. Finally, earlier this year, Microsoft released a preview of Office for Mac 2016, which brings feature parity with the Windows version (Office 2013) and also better matches OS X's current aesthetic. The final version is out today, and you can download it now for free -- with an Office 365 subscription, or if you're a student. What's that, you say? You'd rather use Google Docs or OneDrive? You prefer Pages?! You can have a peek anyway at the screenshot gallery below, and then read on for a summary of what's new.
Microsoft expands Office integration with third-party apps
So far, Microsoft's Build 2015 keynote has mostly been focused on the tools available for developers. But the company just made an announcement that's beneficial to its core consumer base. Rob Lefferts, GM of the Office Extensibility, took the stage to reveal that the Office productivity suite will be further integrated with third-party applications and services. With Uber in Outlook, for example, you can click on a button and quickly catch a ride to your next appointment, all without having to manually enter a destination address -- it does this automatically by grabbing data from your email accounts.
The new Office for iPhone is everything it should have been on day one
I remember when Microsoft first came out with Office for iPhone. It was actually kind of exciting. Here was this thing that for years had only existed in the form of rumors and leaked documents. And there it was, at last: the killer iPhone app, ready to download. Or so I thought. Maybe I was expecting too much, but I came away feeling underwhelmed. That first version of Office Mobile was a watered-down gimp of a program, with pitifully few editing tools and an occasionally confusing layout (imagine having no way of knowing what size font you were using). Compared to some apps, like Google Drive, it wasn't that bad, but it still wasn't as feature-rich as Apple's own iWork suite. Worst of all, the software has received few feature updates in the 17 months since it debuted. Is this what we waited so long for? At last, however, Microsoft seems to have come to its senses. The company is getting rid of Office Mobile and replacing it with three standalone iPhone apps for Word, Excel and PowerPoint, just like on the iPad. In fact, because these apps share code with the iPad version, they arrive with the same robust feature set, along with a couple tricks designed specifically for the iPhone. In short, then, the new apps are everything the original Office for iPhone should have been.
Microsoft makes Office for iPad free to use, starts testing Android tablet version
Considering how popular Office has been on the desktop, you'd assume it'd be the go-to productivity suite on mobile too. In fact, though, the company has made a few missteps: The iPhone app is watered down, and as nice as the iPad version is, you need an Office subscription to do any sort of editing. Fortunately, though, Microsoft is changing course: The company just announced that it will offer basic editing as a standard feature on the iPad, the same way it already does on Android and the iPhone. Keep in mind that you'll still need an Office 365 subscription to unlock certain advanced editing tools, but most of those are probably better-suited to business users anyway. Additionally, the company is beginning public beta testing on its first-ever Android tablet app, which will see a wide release early next year. The software, which includes standalone Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps, is still in development, but what we've seen so far suggests the apps have feature parity with the iPad suite. Also like the iPad app, it will include basic editing tools for free. You can sign up for the preview today, but it may take a while before you get a turn: Microsoft says it plans to add users gradually, with an eye toward testing a wide variety of devices.
12 million people are already using Office for iPad
Microsoft's version of Office for iPad has apparently been a rousing success. So much so, that the company's taken to Twitter to boast that the productivity suite has topped 12 million downloads. In a week. As the Seattle Times points out, though, Redmond hasn't said how many Office 365 subscriptions (which are required to create and edit documents) have been sold alongside the free, document-view-only downloads. We reached out to Microsoft for clarification, and, well, weren't given much. A spokesperson told us that the company is extremely pleased with the interest that Office has gotten so far, but that it has no additional details to share. So, there's that.
Office for iPad review: three beautiful apps, each with strong competition
After loads of leaks -- and some serious denial from Microsoft -- the company has finally released a version of Office for iPad. It's not surprising, in a way, given that Microsoft already has Office Mobile for iPhone. And yet, this new trio of apps (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) isn't at all what we expected. In fact, it's a lot better. You see, rather than simply blow up the current iPhone app to iPad-sized proportions, the company started from scratch, and built a software suite that takes advantage of the iPad's extra screen real estate. This means a lovely design that looks less like a mobile app, and more like a full version of Office. It also means more features -- everything from custom text colors to a "whiteboard" that you can use to write off-the-cuff comments during presentations. But as ever, you'll need an Office 365 subscription to edit or create documents with it, and meanwhile, there are plenty of free alternatives. That said, could it still be worth it?
Microsoft releases Office for iPad, subscription required for editing docs
Rumors have been circulating for years that Microsoft was working on a version of Office for the iPad, with speculation getting so intense at one point that the company went out of its way to categorically deny it. Still, once Microsoft released Office for iPhone, an iPad version seemed more plausible; indeed, credible sources said it would arrive in the first half of this year. Turns out, there was something to all that scuttlebutt: Microsoft today announced Office for iPad, a trio of apps that bring Word, PowerPoint and Excel to tablets. Those should be showing up in the App Store shortly -- around 11AM Pacific (2PM Eastern), to be exact.
Microsoft rebrands Office Web Apps as Office Online because it's an online version of Office
Use Office Web Apps much? Us neither, which is probably why Microsoft's answer to Google Docs felt it needed a makeover. Following SkyDrive's recent rebrand to OneDrive, Office Web Apps has received similar treatment, and now asks you to call it Office Online. Microsoft hopes this new title more accurately reflects what Web Apps was/is: an online version of Word, Powerpoint, Excel and others, free to SkyDrive OneDrive users. Furthermore, Office Online is now located at the convenient URL of Office.com, which should prompt a few more people to stumble across it and add it to their bookmarks. Otherwise, it's the same Office-in-a-browser experience with real-time co-editing features, just with a heap of new document templates and a dropdown toolbar for selecting different apps on the fly. Now, go get your spreadsheet on -- we need those TPS reports by lunch.
Microsoft Office Web Apps get real-time co-editing, similar to Google Drive
Microsoft promised earlier this year that it would soon be updating its Office Web Apps so that multiple people could edit documents at the same time (yes, just like in Google Drive). Now, five months later, the company's finally ready to show us the finished product. Starting today, you can work on a Microsoft Word document, PowerPoint presentation or Excel spreadsheet, even if someone else is already in there editing. And if you happen to be offline, you can make your changes in the regular desktop suite and they'll sync up with the web version once you re-establish an internet connection. As with Google Docs, an unlimited number of people can edit at once -- at least in Word and Excel (PowerPoint has a hard limit of 20 simultaneous editors). Also like Google, Microsoft gives you not one, but two indicators as to where someone is inside the document. These include a list in the upper-right corner, with helpful specifics like "Dana Wollman editing slide 12." Then, once you scroll through the document, you'll also see pinpoints indicating what people are working on. And in case none of that was intuitive enough, each person will also be marked with a distinct color (yep, also like Google Docs). As you'd expect, all of this will roll out for both SkyDrive and Office 365, though Microsoft warns it could take until the end of week before these co-editing features are available to everybody.
Excel's Power Maps take bar graphs to some new and mildly interesting places
There are only so many ways one can juice up boring Excel data, but Microsoft's new Power Map Preview for Office 365 looks like it's up to the challenge. The 3D map visualizer has just graduated from "project" status with a handful of features sure to please number crunchers and map lovers alike. Power Map can automatically recognize geographical data in your spreadsheets -- from latitude and longitude coordinates to city or country names -- and plot associated values to points on a Bing map. You can also color code locales to see regional trends, switch between globe and flat map views and create "interactive" video tours for traversing your 3D spreadsheets. Those determined to turn raw numbers into eye candy will find the add-in on Microsoft's Download Center, and for an idea of what it can do, a sample video tour Redmond made earlier is located after the jump.
Microsoft releases fixes, critical security update for Office 2011
Microsoft has pushed out an update to Microsoft Office 2011 that fixes numerous issues with the suite as well as addresses a critical security flaw. The Office for Mac 2011 14.3.7 fixes a long list of bugs, most notably several with Outlook: Improves opening and checking out a file from SharePoint in Microsoft PowerPoint for Mac. This update fixes an issue that may sometimes cause Mac Office to crash when you try to open Office documents from a SharePoint site. Improves access to customer's spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel for Mac. This update fixes an issue that causes Excel to randomly crash when a file contains several drop-down macros. Improves message browsing using screen reader software in Outlook for Mac. This update fixes an issue that causes certain information in the navigation pane and message list to not be read by screen reader software. Adds item sort order to the View menu in Outlook for Mac. This update includes functionality that lets you change the sort order of Outlook items in the Outlook item list through the View menu. Menu items are located in the Arrange By submenu. Includes pane navigation functionality in Outlook for Mac. This update includes functionality that lets you move quickly through the navigation pane, the reading pane and the Outlook item list using the View menu, the Previous Pane keyboard shortcut and the Next Pane keyboard shortcut. Improves message and meeting viewing and composing using screen reader in Outlook for Mac. This update fixes an issue that causes certain message and meeting information to not be read by screen reader software. Improves the Contacts Search panel in Outlook for Mac. This update fixes an issue that causes action buttons for search results to not be keyboard-accessible. Adds an Insert Image command to the Format menu in Outlook for Mac. This update includes functionality that lets you insert images into Outlook items through the Format menu. Improves the ability to move through meeting attendee free / busy information using screen reader software in Outlook for Mac. This update fixes an issue that causes free / busy information in the Scheduling Assistant to not be read by screen reader software. Improves the ability to add and edit accounts using screen reader software in Outlook for Mac. This update fixes an issue that causes certain account information to not be read by screen reader software. The Office for Mac 2011 14.3.7 update is recommended for all users and can be downloaded by running Microsoft AutoUpdate on your Mac or via the Microsoft Download Center here.
Microsoft teases a Metro-style version of Office, no word yet on availability (updated)
We already knew that Windows RT tablets would be getting their very own Outlook app with Windows 8.1, but apparently Microsoft has even more plans up its sleeve. Here at Build, the company is teasing a Metro-style Office suite that will be available through the Windows Store, just like any other non-desktop Windows program. Unfortunately, this is a tease in the truest sense of the word: Redmond won't say when the app will be available, and isn't providing many official screenshots. However, a company spokesperson did tell reporters that PowerPoint will have "all of the same transitions, the same graphic power [and] file format capability" as the desktop version, so presumably the same is true of Word and Excel too. That's all we have to share for now, though you can bet we'll be back with a proper hands-on as soon as Microsoft is ready to show off a more final version of the app. Update: ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley reports that the Metro-style Office applications (codenamed Gemini) will hit the Windows Store in 2014.
Microsoft demos real-time co-authoring for Office Web Apps
With Microsoft's Build developer conference kicking off in just a week, we're frankly surprised the company is choosing to release any news ahead of time. Today, though, the firm posted a video showing some changes to Office Web apps. In particular, the preview indicates that these various apps will now support real-time co-authoring, with multiple users making changes at once (yep, just like Google Docs). That's a nice, long-awaited improvement over the current setup, in which multiple users can make changes, but not alongside one another. According to Microsoft, this set of features will roll out over "the next several months." For now, we've got the video preview embedded after the break. And don't be put off by the 14-minute length; the demo doesn't actually begin until five and a half minutes in.
Microsoft Office Mobile for iPhone hands-on
It wasn't a question of whether Microsoft would release Office for iOS, but when. The company just released a free Office Mobile app for the iPhone, and it's available today in the US, with other regions to follow over the coming days. Before you all go rushing off to the download link, though, there's something you need to know: an Office 365 subscription is required in order to use the app. That's a bummer for people who bought a traditional copy of the suite, or who normally use other word processors, but it makes perfect business sense for Microsoft. After all, the company doesn't want to give folks too many reasons to use iOS, and it also needs to protect the precious revenue stream that is Office sales. In any event, if you do have a 365 subscription, you'll be delighted to know that the iOS app does not count toward your limit of five PC / Mac installations. Rather, you get to install the application on up to five iPhones, the same way you can put the full suite on up to five computers. Also, in addition to merely viewing whatever Word, PowerPoint and Excel files you already had stored in SkyDrive, you can also make light edits. Additionally, you can create new documents from your phone, though this only applies to Word and Excel, not PowerPoint (understandably so, we think). Again, the app is available today in the US, and for the iPhone, specifically; for the iPad, Microsoft is steering people toward its Office web apps. As for other platforms, the company won't comment on whether an Android version is in the works. At any rate, all you iPhone owners with 365 subscriptions can get your download on now. And then you can read on past the break, where we've got some screenshots and hands-on impressions at the ready.%Gallery-191113%
New Chrome Beta extension from Google lets you view Office files directly in the browser
One of the more unique features of Google's web browser for Chromebooks has been the ability to open and view Microsoft Office files directly in the browser (as opposed to pushing them to Drive), but that's so far remained confined to those devices. Google's decided to change that today, though, releasing a new extension for Chrome Beta that allows the same functionality in the browser for Windows and Mac. There's no indication yet as to when it will make it to the stable release of Chrome, but beta users can install the extension now at the source link below.
Evernote premium adds document search, Deutsche Telekom customers get one year free subscription
Evernote's premium package adds a bunch of extra features to the online jotter if you're willing to pay the price. Now though, if you've got a mobile, fixed-line or broadband contract with Deutsche Telekom, a deal between the companies means you'll be able to skip that 40 euro annual charge (around $52) and enjoy the power-user suite free for a year. Don't get down if you've already forked out, though, as current premium subscribers can just tag that extra year onto the end of their cycle. In addition, Evernote has added another feature for premium users worldwide it calls "Document Search," which'll rifle through various note-attached files created in MS Office, iWork or OpenOffice. If you happen to be on Deutsche Telekom's books, you can sign up for your free premium account at the link below. Then again, you've got until the back end of September 2014 to claim, so you could always clip this and get to it later.
Microsoft's Office 365 subscription service is now available for businesses
Back when Microsoft released its Office 365 subscription service for home users, it said the business version would be arriving on February 27th. Sure enough, today's the 27th, and Microsoft's issued a press release explaining the pricing for Office 365 ProPlus, Midsize Business and Small Business Premium. At the least expensive end of the spectrum is ProPlus, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, InfoPath, Lync and Access. Like the Home Premium version of Office 365, a user can install the software on up to five devices, though IT controls are of course more of selling point here than they are on the consumer version. That costs $144 per user for a one-year subscription. Moving on, the medium-sized-business sku costs $180 per user per year, and adds Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Lync Online and a few IT tools. It, too, is based on the same five-device-per-user model as ProPlus. As for the small business version, you get all the basic Office apps, plus email, shared calendars, website tools and videoconferencing. Pricing there is $150 per user per year. Sorry, though, no dice on the five-device, ProPlus thing -- that's not included in the small biz version.
MacTech, Microsoft team up to offer Office for Mac support credential
Got Macs? Got Office? For support personnel who want to show the world that they know which end of a pivot table goes into a stylesheet and how to upgrade PowerPoint for full compatibility with Exchange Server 2013*, your opportunity has arrived. MacTech's upcoming seven-city BootCamp II tour, which provides a full day of seminars for people supporting the Mac in small to medium size business and other contexts, now has a frontloaded (and free) certification option for Microsoft's new Office for Mac Accredited Support Professional credential. For a half-day ahead of the BootCamp, attendees can learn all about Office installation, deployment, troubleshooting and much more. While the Office credential program, including the final evaluation and certificate, is free, MacTech BootCamp II itself is $299 for early-bird registrants, $499 for regular registration. The tour kicks off in Seattle in early March, so check to see when it's coming to your neck of the woods. If you do sign up, be sure to use our TUAW reader affinity link to make sure you get your special benefit! *Yes, those are nonsensical support challenges. Congratulations, you passed the first quiz.
Microsoft confirms Office 2013 licenses can't be transferred to other computers
It's no secret that copies of Office 2013 bind themselves to a single computer, but Microsoft has now confirmed to Computerworld that the software's license can't be reassigned to another PC, as is possible with Office 2010. When asked whether a license could be transferred to another machine if the original rig was destroyed, lost or stolen, Microsoft replied with a frosty, "No comment." However, Redmond did mention that the productivity suite could be reinstalled on the same PC after a crash. Just how Ballmer and Co. will enforce the policy remains a bit murky, but it's pretty clear they hope folks who have a penchant for switching up computing environments will be enticed by an Office 365 subscription.
SkyDrive now hosting over a billion Office files, adds editing without Microsoft login
Microsoft's cloud storage service SkyDrive has hit a significant numerical landmark: over a billion Office documents are now hosted on it. To celebrate, Redmond has made is a little easier to edit files using Office Web Apps -- you no longer need to sign in using a Microsoft account (unless the sharing party wants you to), so if you've got the right link, you can start tweaking with minimal fuss. A billion Office files sounds like a big number, but we'd really like the details of how many users that's spread over. As many as DropBox? Who knows.
