Microsoft’s Macintosh Business Unit (MacBU) has released Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Service Pack 2 (SP2) – an update that is reportedly designed to improve the Office 2008 experience. SP2 includes a new tool, Document Connection for Mac, that is said to improve access and browsing to documents on SharePoint Products and Technologies and Microsoft Office Live Workspace.
The company claimed that these new features are aimed at delivering enhanced cross-platform collaboration and compatibility for Mac users.
Mike Tedesco, senior product manager of MacBU at Microsoft, said: There’s never been a better time to try Office 2008 for Mac – with SP2 we are not only delivering on top customer requests midcycle, but also taking a first step in bringing Microsoft software plus services to Mac users. This connection unlocks the door for Mac users to Microsoft services for easier collaboration and file sharing with colleagues, customers and classmates.
SP2 reportedly provides new updates across the Microsoft Office 2008 suite. According to the company, new features in Microsoft PowerPoint 2008 for Mac include: custom path animation to author motion-path animations; default theme which lets users define their own fonts, color scheme and slide layouts; and improved speed in Microsoft Word 2008 for Mac (launch and scroll times) as well as Microsoft Excel 2008 for Mac with features such as calculation performance.
Microsoft said that, using Document Connection, Office 2008 users can save and open documents to Microsoft Office Live Workspace from Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint; Document Connection also allows for collaboration within a SharePoint environment by simplifying how users can browse, access and manage files online and offline.
