Rating: 
Summary: MS Office 2001 for Mac: You Need It With Mac OS 9.1
Review: As a dedicated Mac user, I approach new Microsoft products with a healthy skepticism. However, I must have cross-platform reliability since I use Windows NT, too. So I took what I needed from MS Office 98, and I disabled the rest. Then I upgraded my Mac OS from 8.6 to 9.0 to 9.1. While Word 6.01a and PowerPoint 8.0 still worked, Excel 5.0 would not work with Mac OS 9x. Thus, I had to purchase MS Office for Mac 2001 in order to get an Excel program that would work with Mac OS 9.1 (and that I hope will work with the new Mac OS X). This software comes in a cute round plastic box, but there is no written manual included. I have found that it takes about a week or two to complete the usual de-bugging processes. As with most "Value Packs" or "CD Extras," one needs to do a "custom install" because some of these "free" applications might be earlier versions than those which one is already running (if one has kept current with updates). As another example, I have been running Internet Explorer 5 for some time. I did not need to re-install it and re-configure my plug-ins and preferences. Also, I have Outlook Express 5.02; I did not need to re-install it. I did not like the way the these two programs "interfaced," so I have tweaked them so they that do not grab information from each other. (I highly recommend Aladdin Systems "Spring Cleaning 3.5" software's "Internet Cache Remover" feature to assist with this issue.) With MS Office for Mac 2001, PowerPoint documents can now be "saved as" QuickTime Movies, which is a timesaver for creating presentations. This feature is quite an improvement over Office 98, even if it does grab a considerable amount of RAM. (Do check to see if you need to add more RAM to your Mac before installation of this software.) I have been keeping Virtual Memory turned on, with which I boost my RAM by 150 percent, with only a slightly detectable slowing of processing speed. My vote is still out on the new Entourage program. I need to test it more to see if I like it, and if it will work efficiently with e-mail applications with proxies and with those behind firewalls. One bonus for Mac users has been the relative immunity to most e-mail generated viruses, worms, and trojan horses, so I plan to make the transition to Entourage with all due discretion. The ability to integrate with Palm OS is nothing new for Mac users; however, Entourage may simplify the process. ... The instant access to "Encarta Dictionary" through Word may appeal to some users. I do not like "Encarta Dictionary" very much, although it is an improvement over the dictionary that was included in Word 6.01a. I prefer to use the only CD-ROM dictionary that I believe works with Mac OS at present, which is "The Oxford English Dictionary" 2nd ed. (However, it still seems necessary to keep it as the resident CD-ROM for it to work with the Mac OS.) Finally, the main drawback to MS Office for Mac 2001 is that there is no manual in print now for users who run Mac OS 9.1. So be prepared to do your de-bugging, tweaking, and navigating without much written help until the various "after-market" print manuals are updated and reissued.
Rating: 
Summary: incremental improvements
Review: Essentially an incremental update of Office, with some cosmetic improvements and a useful new automatic floating palette function. It's good that Microsoft has stopped simply porting the Windows version of Office to the Mac; however, if you are happy with Mac Office 98, you should look at the "new" features carefully to ensure upgrading is worth the hassle and the cost. Beware of the included Value Pack as well, it will slap several hundred Mb of flashy clip art and bloated document templates on your hard drive if you aren't careful.
Rating:
Summary: Why Make it More Complex?
Review: Every time I upgrade, some features are better but many more have become over-complex. Lets face it - how many people are capable of using even a quarter of the features of Word? Who wants 150 templates? I never use them - I make my own. There seem to be some serious problems with Word. Tables in Word on the Mac are a nightmare. Its all so unpredictable and can be very slow compared to a PC. For no apparent reason (usually when I've cut'n pasted a row - or reduced the font size using keystrokes rather than the mouse)it crashes. It even took Excel with it last time. I hate the new drop-down autofill in Excel 2001. The old one was fine and quicker. Why "improve" something just for the sake of it? They have done something really odd to the sort function with numbering. At one time it sorted 2 after 20 ...another "improvement"? As for the multilevel numbering. If only they would stop changing it. I just get my head round the latest version and they change it again! The contortions one has to go through to miss out a level .... Overall I like the look of Office 2001 and some of the features are great. I even like Entourage - contrary to popular opinion. Why isn't there a decent built-in fax facility? I am having a dreadful time with Symantec - it won't open with anything I posess! In desperation I was going to try Appleworks but was put off by the reviews ....
Rating:
Summary: Why Make it More Complex?
Review: Every time I upgrade, some features are better but many more have become over-complex. Lets face it - how many people are capable of using even a quarter of the features of Word? Who wants 150 templates? I never use them - I make my own. There seem to be some serious problems with Word. Tables in Word on the Mac are a nightmare. Its all so unpredictable and can be very slow compared to a PC. For no apparent reason (usually when I've cut'n pasted a row - or reduced the font size using keystrokes rather than the mouse)it crashes. It even took Excel with it last time. I hate the new drop-down autofill in Excel 2001. The old one was fine and quicker. Why "improve" something just for the sake of it? They have done something really odd to the sort function with numbering. At one time it sorted 2 after 20 ...another "improvement"? As for the multilevel numbering. If only they would stop changing it. I just get my head round the latest version and they change it again! The contortions one has to go through to miss out a level .... Overall I like the look of Office 2001 and some of the features are great. I even like Entourage - contrary to popular opinion. Why isn't there a decent built-in fax facility? I am having a dreadful time with Symantec - it won't open with anything I posess! In desperation I was going to try Appleworks but was put off by the reviews ....
Rating:
Summary: Not an overwhelming update, but a welcome one...
Review: First thing about this product, and about all Microsoft products for Mac that have come out over the last few years - installation is simple, just drag and drop one folder for a basic install, or run the installer to get only certain components. Either way works well (I've used them both). The big deal with this version of Office is the new e-mail client/PIM, Entourage. This is sort of a combination of Outlook, from the Windows version (calendar, powerful address book, reminders, tasks), and the popular free Outlook Express for Mac (mail, newsgroups, directory services) - and if you ask me, they kept the best parts of OE for Mac and built the rest around what was already a great program. The calendar function is a little on the weak side, but OK for a version 1.0 program. The important thing is that Entourage handles Mail, News and other functions with a very Mac-centric feel; there's very little in way of learning curve. Palm synchronization is also a nice touch. I wouldn't necessarilly call this a "killer app", because most of the functions most users will utilize in Entourage can be found in OE - but if you're going to pony up what MS is asking for the new versions of Word, Excel and Powerpoint, it's a nice added bonus. Also, Entourage serves as a "hub" for the other Office applications, so it's designed as a place from which to start whatever you're working on. (One more note about Entourage: since Office for Mac isn't as tightly connected to the OS as its Windows cousin, Entourage must be open to deliver reminders & calendar items. But since most mail users keep their mail reader open all the time anyway, this probably won't be a big deal.) Speaking of which, the new versions of those core programs seem to be changed little in terms of function - new features have been slathered on liberally, as is Microsoft's upgrade policy, but unlike Office 2000 for Windows, the new features aren't as "in-your-face". The first thing you notice is the revised GUI, which finally makes the Mac version of Office look and feel less like it's Windows counterpart. Programs are speedier, which is a welcome change from Office 98 and Office 4.3.1, which seemed to lumber about. A welcome change to Word in particular is that the screen has been de-cluttered, to a point - the fotmatting toolbar has been replaced with a palate that can sit anywhere on screen, or closed completely. The Office Assistant is still here as well, and can now be resized at will. The changes to the core programs aren't massive, but they were needed and are welcome. Problems with this release: Users of RamDoubler 9 will be disappointed on the outset, because Office 2001 doesn't work with RamDoubler - yet. Enough has been posted about this conflict that I suspect that MS will post a patch in the near future. Also - anyone fond of the Office Manager menu, hold on to the old extension - there is no Office Manager in this release. Users are expected to use the "project gallery" (which replaces the "New" dialog box) in Entourage to open the other applications, assuming you don't just open them directly. Overall, this version is (aside from Entourage) more about the little things - but a lot of little things add up to a big thing. Also, if you're looking for platform cross-compatable word processing, spreadsheets and presentations, Office is really the only way to go. The addition of Entourage finally gives users something else to use besides Netscape (which I've always felt was bloatware since version 4), and that's worth something. All in all, it gets 4 out of 5. It misses the 5th star because of the price - for the featureset, it's a little expensive. But if you're an avid Office user (like me), it's worth it. (Remember, also, that there's an upgrade for existing Office users...)
Rating: 
Summary: ($$$) ...
Review: High priced, low grade programs. Apple needs to develop office programs of their own.
Rating:
Summary: Overpriced & Crash-prone
Review: I am surprised by the number of positive reviews for this version of Office. I have used Office 98 for 3 years, which had it's problems but was OK. This version doesn't provide many new features & certainly isn't worth the price upgrade. Moreover, the only new feature, Entourage, crashes your computer (if you are running OS 9) & simply doesn't work. Trying to hotsync w/ your Palm is not an easy matter if you can get it to work. Moreover, Microsoft still loads a bunch of extensions into your system folder which conflict with other Microsoft software, especially Outlook Explorer & Internet Express. It's been a nightmare just trying to things to work properly. I have tried all the fixes posted on troubleshooting sites, but still have yet to get Entourage to evenopen. To add insult to injury the Upgrade price is even more than I paid to buy the full Office '98 package w/ extras.
Rating:
Summary: Overpriced & Crash-prone
Review: I am surprised by the number of positive reviews for this version of Office. I have used Office 98 for 3 years, which had it's problems but was OK. This version doesn't provide many new features & certainly isn't worth the price upgrade. Moreover, the only new feature, Entourage, crashes your computer (if you are running OS 9) & simply doesn't work. Trying to hotsync w/ your Palm is not an easy matter if you can get it to work. Moreover, Microsoft still loads a bunch of extensions into your system folder which conflict with other Microsoft software, especially Outlook Explorer & Internet Express. It's been a nightmare just trying to things to work properly. I have tried all the fixes posted on troubleshooting sites, but still have yet to get Entourage to evenopen. To add insult to injury the Upgrade price is even more than I paid to buy the full Office '98 package w/ extras.
Rating: 
Summary: Office 2001 for the Mac - Too Buggy
Review: I have used this product for only a month, and for the most part I love it. The only part I find frusterating is: I can't recieve any E-mail mesages from Entourage. I can send, edit, etc..., but not recieve. One more complaint: this product, for the price I paid, should have included the latest version of "FrontPage".
Rating:
Summary: Office:mac is great - BUT:
Review: I have used this product for only a month, and for the most part I love it. The only part I find frusterating is: I can't recieve any E-mail mesages from Entourage. I can send, edit, etc..., but not recieve. One more complaint: this product, for the price I paid, should have included the latest version of "FrontPage".
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