Review by Steve H

I love my Macs. In truth, I love nearly everything created by Apple including their software. I own their iWork office suite. However, do not be surprised when I highly praise Microsoft’s Office 2008 for Mac. I find it to be a fantastic product, for most Mac users, I would say it’s difficult to live without it.

When Office 2008 first came out, it was somewhat slow compared to the outgoing Office 2004 even on new Intel based Macs. However, several updates have sped up Office, and I highly recommend it. In fact, while I perhaps hate to admit it, I find Microsoft Word a better daily experience than Apple’s similar Pages program. The office suite is something that Microsoft has done for years, and they do a good job of it. Furthermore, the Mac Business Unit at Microsoft has worked hard to keep a Mac feel and usability in the Mac version. I find Word & Excel almost feel more Mac-like than the competitive Apple offerings.

You are simply never going to compete with the depth of Word and Excel, from Microsoft. Sure, Powerpoint cannot touch Apple’s Keynote besides compatibility, but for Word and Excel, Office 2008 really shines. You can save your documents in all the Office formats you know your co-workers use, and you will be able to read all those documents sent to you.

Overall, Office is something that Microsoft usually does right, and Office 2008 for Mac is a particularly good example of that. It is a current generation product with a current generation interface and feel. It will fit in with your Mac workflows. This version is for your Home or Student use, therefore including license keys for up to three Macs in your home, an unbelievable value. Highly recommended.