Mac OSX, Office X a stable team

  • Matthew Fordahl / Associated Press
  • Friday, November 23, 2001 9:00pm
  • Business

By Matthew Fordahl

Associated Press

Apple’s new operating system, Mac OS X, is a work of art.

It’s fast, and a Unix base provides stability. But the lack of compatible software long prevented Apple from winning converts from the Windows-based PC world and even thwarted Mac users who wanted to upgrade from Mac OS 9.

Now, a new office productivity suite makes the strongest case yet for a switch. And it’s from Microsoft Corp.

Making good on a promise that came with a $150 million investment in Apple five years ago, Microsoft has released Office X, the latest version of its ubiquitous office suite.

It contains the familiar names from earlier versions: Word for word processing, Excel for spreadsheets and PowerPoint for presentations. It also has an e-mail and organizer program dubbed Entourage.

Fundamentally, the features differ little from Office XP for Windows or earlier Mac operating systems. But this suite is not backward compatible. It only runs on Apple’s new operating system.

That alone will score points for the Mac faithful who ran the last version of Office in Mac OS X’s slow compatibility mode.

In the Microsoft tradition, the suite carries a high price: $499 for a complete copy or $299 for an upgrade. Apple offers an alternative for starving students, the $79 AppleWorks suite.

The biggest change in Office X is the look.

Microsoft developers captured the feel of Apple’s new operating system and its "Aqua" interface, from ever-so-slightly transparent menus to 700 crisp new icons. Dialogue box buttons look like jelly beans.

Unlike older Office versions for Macs or PCs, the charts and graphics also can be made semitransparent. Documents appear professionally produced.

Office X’s programs have inherited OS X’s stability. During my tests, there were no unexpected freezes or crashes.

Most dialogue boxes no longer prevent the rest of the program from being used until a choice is made. Other files can be opened while the dialogue box patiently awaits input.

A context-sensitive palette also makes finding features easier — mirroring functions in Adobe and Macromedia programs. The palette eliminates the need to browse through menus or interpret arcane toolbar icons.

Better yet, the Microsoft Mac team did not include the underhanded activation scheme found in Office XP and Windows XP, where users must send information back to Microsoft or face deactivation of their software.

Office X also does not include Smart Tags, an Office XP feature that links text in one document to information in others or on the Internet.

Documents produced in Office X can be shared with Windows PCs and older Macs. And Apple wisely improved the Mac’s ability to communicate on a Windows network.

I merged data from an Excel worksheet into a form letter in Word. It worked flawlessly — even after I transferred everything back to my Windows computer.

Entourage, Office’s e-mail and personal organizer, underwent the greatest number of changes since Mac Office 2001. Its various features — whether a list of tasks, e-mails, calendar settings, notes or address books — are easily accessible from the main page.

A number of Wordlike editing features are available, including identifying misspelled words and multiple undo.

There are some limitations, including the lack of support for synching with a Palm hand-held computer. It also lacks some of Outlook 2001’s groupware features popular with businesses.

A couple of applications from the PC version are missing from the Mac suite, including the relational database program Access and the Web site editor FrontPage. Office X’s Excel can import data from the popular non-Microsoft database program Filemaker Pro.

Another minor annoyance is the ugly "office assistant" that popped on the screen when I sought online help. It doesn’t fit into the stylish environment, though it’s not as annoying as the animated paper clip in some Windows versions.

Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Business

A closing sign hangs above the entrance of the Big Lots at Evergreen and Madison on Monday, July 22, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Big Lots announces it will shutter Everett and Lynnwood stores

The Marysville store will remain open for now. The retailer reported declining sales in the first quarter of the year.

George Montemor poses for a photo in front of his office in Lynnwood, Washington on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.  (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Despite high mortgage rates, Snohomish County home market still competitive

Snohomish County homes priced from $550K to $850K are pulling in multiple offers and selling quickly.

Henry M. Jackson High School’s robotic team, Jack in the Bot, shake hands at the 2024 Indiana Robotics Invitational.(Henry M. Jackson High School)
Mill Creek robotics team — Jack in the Bot — wins big

Henry M. Jackson High School students took first place at the Indiana Robotic Invitational for the second year in a row.

The computer science and robotics and artificial intelligence department faculty includes (left to right) faculty department head Allison Obourn; Dean Carey Schroyer; Ishaani Priyadarshini; ROBAI department head Sirine Maalej and Charlene Lugli. PHOTO: Arutyun Sargsyan / Edmonds College.
Edmonds College to offer 2 new four-year degree programs

The college is accepting applications for bachelor programs in computer science as well as robotics and artificial intelligence.

FILE — Boeing 737 MAX8 airplanes on the assembly line at the Boeing plant in Renton, Wash., on March 27, 2019. Boeing said on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, that it was shaking up the leadership in its commercial airplanes unit after a harrowing incident last month during which a piece fell off a 737 Max 9 jet in flight. (Ruth Fremson/The New York Times)
Federal judge rejects Boeing’s guilty plea related to 737 Max crashes

The plea agreement included a fine of up to $487 million and three years of probation.

Neetha Hsu practices a command with Marley, left, and Andie Holsten practices with Oshie, right, during a puppy training class at The Everett Zoom Room in Everett, Washington on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Tricks of the trade: New Everett dog training gym is a people-pleaser

Everett Zoom Room offers training for puppies, dogs and their owners: “We don’t train dogs, we train the people who love them.”

Andy Bronson/ The Herald 

Everett mayor Ray Stephenson looks over the city on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2015 in Everett, Wa. Stephanson sees  Utah’s “housing first” model – dealing with homelessness first before tackling related issues – is one Everett and Snohomish County should adopt.

Local:issuesStephanson

Shot on: 1/5/16
Economic Alliance taps former Everett mayor as CEO

Ray Stephanson will serve as the interim leader of the Snohomish County group.

Molbak's Garden + Home in Woodinville, Washington will close on Jan. 28. (Photo courtesy of Molbak's)
After tumultuous year, Molbak’s is being demolished in Woodinville

The beloved garden store closed in January. And a fundraising initiative to revitalize the space fell short.

Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin, Advanced Manufacturing Skills Center executive director Larry Cluphf, Boeing Director of manufacturing and safety Cameron Myers, Edmonds College President Amit Singh, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, July 2 celebrating the opening of a new fuselage training lab at Paine Field. Credit: Arutyun Sargsyan / Edmonds College
‘Magic happens’: Paine Field aerospace center dedicates new hands-on lab

Last month, Edmonds College officials cut the ribbon on a new training lab — a section of a 12-ton Boeing 767 tanker.

Gov. Jay Inslee presents CEO Fredrik Hellstrom with the Swedish flag during a grand opening ceremony for Sweden-based Echandia on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Swedish battery maker opens first U.S. facility in Marysville

Echandia’s marine battery systems power everything from tug boats to passenger and car ferries.

Helion Energy CEO and co-founder David Kirtley talks to Governor Jay Inslee about Trenta, Helion’s 6th fusion prototype, during a tour of their facility on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
State grants Everett-based Helion a fusion energy license

The permit allows Helion to use radioactive materials to operate the company’s fusion generator.

People walk past the new J.sweets storefront in Alderwood Mall on Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Japanese-style sweets shop to open in Lynnwood

J. Sweets, offering traditional Japanese and western style treats opens, could open by early August at the Alderwood mall.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.