Full-screen, autosave and Lion versions support for Office Mac 2011 on the way

By Tom Warren, on 28th Jul 11 9:41 am with 47 Comments

Microsoft confirmed on Wednesday that it is planning full-screen and versioning support for Office for Mac 2011 on OS X 10.7 “Lion.”

The Office for Mac team is currently working on a number of bug fixes for Mac OS X Lion. Communicator for Mac has been updated to prevent a crash when users send an instant message or start an audio/video chat. The fix will be distributed via Microsoft AutoUpdate in the next few days. Microsoft is also working on a fix for importing Apple Mail into Outlook. “We’re reviewing this and don’t yet have a plan to fix it,” said Microsoft’s Pat Fox.

There are a number of outstanding issues that Microsoft describes as “fairly minor” or cosmetic. Windows might not align in the same was as they did in Snow Leopard but Microsoft say it’s working with Apple to fix these with regular updates. Office for Mac 2004 is not supported in Lion as this was a PowerPC-based product which Lion no longer supports.

Despite the bugs, Microsoft hinted that they are working with Apple to support the latest features of OS X Lion. “We are working hard with Apple to enable versioning, auto save, and full-screen for Office for Mac 2011,” said Fox in a blog post on Wednesday. “I know your next question will be “when?”, and unfortunately I can’t answer that – but it’s likely measured in months not days – just to set expectations.”

  • Guest

    OSX Lion is just awesome. Kudo Apple

    • http://doctorwhofan98.wordpress.com/ doctorwhofan98

      OS X Lion’s awesome?! What? Compared to Windows 7 is nothing!

    • http://twitter.com/Wheezle211 Wheezle

      In what respect? Lion certainly wasn’t much of an upgrade to Snow Leopard, but I don’t see how the OS itself is “nothing” compared to Windows 7.

    • Unit057

      Lion is a pretty good upgrade, I agree more could have been added, but it was only $30

    • Guest

      Have you seen Mission Control? How can you do this in Windows 7? Windows 7 is nothing!

    • http://doctorwhofan98.wordpress.com/ doctorwhofan98

      Ok, you have a bit of a point. Win 7 does have Aero Flip 3D though.

      With Win 7 you can have parental controls synced across computers, and allow/block websites from any PC. You can’t do that on a Mac.

    • Guest

      Yes. What’s next?

    • http://doctorwhofan98.wordpress.com/ doctorwhofan98

      Can you allow/block websites, and set time limits online? On a website, on any computer?

    • Guest

      Why should I allow/block websites on my computer? Is this a killer feature in Windows 7?

    • http://doctorwhofan98.wordpress.com/ doctorwhofan98

      It’s part of Windows Live. I find it useful.

    • Unit057

      Then again, Windows Live wasnt built in with Windows 7. It was a forced download via Windows Update, either that or your PC came with Windows 7 and the update that included Windows Live

    • Unit057

      I dont have any parental controls activated, so I cant test it, but I am pretty sure Macs can allow and block websites

    • Unit057

      I dont have any parental controls activated, so I cant test it, but I am pretty sure Macs can allow and block websites

    • Anonymous

      Yes, you can. 

    • http://twitter.com/apuyana Alberto Puyana M

      How about a live TV and recording solution (aka Windows Media Center)  within the OS (no third partty software)

    • http://adamhaider.com Adam Haider

      To compare OSX Lion to Windows 7 is like comparing a smartphone to a feature phone, they are two different types of platforms. Mission Control is nothing more than a UX shell which could be installed via 3rd party software and Linux has been able to do that for years and much more. Wait till Windows 8 is released and then a comparison between Lion would be interesting.

    • Guest

      So I should wait till Windows 8 is out to do a comparison? And then I should compair Win 8 with next OSX? This is a never ending game, right? If Mission Control is just a UX shell then I guess Win 8 is just a UX shell over Win 7, right?

    • http://adamhaider.com Adam Haider

      Yes you should wait because then it would be a fair and logical comparison, and yes the Windows 8 start-screen that replaces the start menu is essentially an UX shell of sorts so it’s yet another reason not to compare Lion with Windows 7. It is a never ending game, welcome to the world of technology. :-)

    • Cal Cn

      And Yeah Win 8 is just gonna imitate the features of Lion, and that’s what Microsoft has been accused of doing all those decades. Remember dude, there was OS X LONG before there was even Win 95. It’s a never ending game of copying other’s hard work. 

    • Unit057

      Long before Windows 95, Mac OS X wasn’t around, it was Mac OS 7.6 (And even earlier it was System 2.0.1). But yeah your right :) (I am cool like that)

    • http://www.computergrafiken-digitale-kunst.de/ecard-grusskarte/ecards-grusskarten.php E-cards kostenlos

      wanted to add that information aswell. Btw.. there are better softwares instead of OM 2011.

    • Unit057

      Compare Windows 7 against Mac OS X Snow Leopard then. You will find Snow Leopard will come out on top.

    • Anonymous

      It’s nice, but is this a killer feature? A preview of open programs. Win 7 shows you a small image of the open programs. This is larger. Aero flip will also show you previews. I also remember a program that came with my mouse that showed you screenshots of open programs when you press the middle button. That was on a xp machine at work.

    • Anonymous

      It’s nice, but is this a killer feature? A preview of open programs. Win 7 shows you a small image of the open programs. This is larger. Aero flip will also show you previews. I also remember a program that came with my mouse that showed you screenshots of open programs when you press the middle button. That was on a xp machine at work.

    • Guest
    • Guest
    • Anonymous

      LOL i dont care about lion, but alot of people think Lion its not awesome, including my girlfriend, but she doesn’t like osx at all, she wants a vaio or something because her mbp is failing and apple doesn’t really support tiger anymore.even her friend, think osx lion its nothing more than an paid update like SP157, because the UI doesn’t really change, nothing really changes… they said some programs were included. so its not that awesome to alot of people i know :P also.. windows 7 is nothing? seriously? i use 3dsmax, play videogames specially MMOs which are 99.9% windows only. and windows 7 works amazing. and i like that in every release i get different UI and stuff, not just like a paid SP.compared to any OS release Lion its the worse thing, its good to keep update but you cant call something lke that amazing, yeah its no expensive, but its not thing you should pay for. specially when there are users like my girlfriend with Tiger and apple doesn’t support that anymore.people should use what they want and stop this fight OR continue the fight.i use windows because i like microsoft but also becasue stuff like 3dsmax its windows only. why would i get a mac and get parallels or bootcamp? there is no point, specially since i can get a FASTER and cheaper computer with windows.

    • Anonymous

      LOL i dont care about lion, but alot of people think Lion its not awesome, including my girlfriend, but she doesn’t like osx at all, she wants a vaio or something because her mbp is failing and apple doesn’t really support tiger anymore.even her friend, think osx lion its nothing more than an paid update like SP157, because the UI doesn’t really change, nothing really changes… they said some programs were included. so its not that awesome to alot of people i know :P
      also.. windows 7 is nothing? seriously? i use 3dsmax, play videogames specially MMOs which are 99.9% windows only. and windows 7 works amazing. and i like that in every release i get different UI and stuff, not just like a paid SP.compared to any OS release Lion its the worse thing, its good to keep update but you cant call something lke that amazing, yeah its no expensive, but its not thing you should pay for. specially when there are users like my girlfriend with Tiger and apple doesn’t support that anymore.
      people should use what they want and stop this fight OR continue the fight.i use windows because i like microsoft but also becasue stuff like 3dsmax its windows only. why would i get a mac and get parallels or bootcamp? there is no point, specially since i can get a faster and cheaper computer with windows.

    • Anonymous

      Lion is a step in the right direction. The reason it doesn’t look like it’s changed is that Apple don’t want its users learning something completely different. They subtly change things so it’s an easier learning curve for the average consumer. Plus it’s only 30 bucks so quit bickering …

      Apple don’t support Tiger anymore because it’s 6 years old. 6.

      Want 3DS Max and play the majority of MMOs (even though that monstrosity, WoW is Mac compatible)? Get a PC. To each their own.

    • Peadcee

      are you sure to do it http://www.san-diego-dentist.us/

    • Cal Cn

      Yo, how much do you pay for your Win 7? For Lions it’s only 30 bucks.

    • http://twitter.com/hvnchrstn hyn chrstn

      i prefer keyboard gesture like simple alt+tab

    • Guest

      LOL i dont care about lion, but alot of people think Lion its not awesome, including my girlfriend, but she doesn’t like osx at all, she wants a vaio or something because her mbp is failing and apple doesn’t really support tiger anymore.
      even her friend, think osx lion its nothing more than an paid update like SP157, because the UI doesn’t really change, nothing really changes… they said some programs were included. so its not that awesome to alot of people i know :P

      also.. windows 7 is nothing? seriously? i use 3dsmax, play videogames specially MMOs which are 99.9% windows only. and windows 7 works amazing. and i like that in every release i get  different UI and stuff, not just like a paid SP.
      compared to any OS release Lion its the worse thing, its good to keep update but you cant call something lke that amazing, yeah its no expensive, but its not thing you should pay for. specially when there are users like my girlfriend with Tiger and apple doesn’t support that anymore.

      people should use what they want and stop this fight OR continue the fight.
      i use windows because i like microsoft but also becasue stuff like 3dsmax its windows only. why would i get a mac and get parallels or bootcamp? there is no point, specially since i can get a faster and cheaper computer with windows.

    • Unit057

      (Sarcastic) yeah your right, floating 3D pictures, icons and a new theme beats Mission Control, Full Screen Apps, Dashboard, Launch Pad, Multi-touch gestures, Mac App store, Resume, Auto-Save, Versions, Air Drop and iLife 11″. Do you really think that?

    • Wourelia

      Yeah, ít´s an awesome SP.

    • Guest

      Are you being paid to shill for Apple?

  • http://doctorwhofan98.wordpress.com/ doctorwhofan98

    “Office for Mac 2004 is now support in Lion as this was a PowerPC-based product which Lion no longer supports.” That doesn’t make sense!

  • Larry

    Full hotmail sync please???  I mean we are talking about Microsoft Office and Microsoft Hotmail.

  • Anonymous

    YAAAAAAAY. Hope it isn’t too long a wait. 

  • Renzo

    I need Windows Live Essentials on my Mac.

    That is all.

    • Anonymous

      Why would windows provide free software for a mac? Unless they advertising income somehow, it doesn’t make sense. For windows users, they at least made money on the purchase of windows and provide this as an added benefit. If they charge for it for the mac, then it would make sense.

    • Mark

      A better question is what in Windows Live is so great that a Mac user would want it? Outside of Writer, I don’t know what it is.

  • Mark

    Seems like the Office team could have been on these changes a little earlier. They’ve had lots of time to work with Lion and figure out what needed changing. I know Apple screws around with WIndows support, but I’d hoped for more from MS.

    • Unit057

      True that, it’s not like Microsoft found out about the new features after Lion was released

  • Ledeee

    Well for me EasyCap driver works out fine 

  • http://comedones.net Laurajohnsonrocks

    I’m an apple fan ever since I bought my ipod touch. The UI is intuitive.

    but I hate the ribbon interface in the windows versionf of Office.  Nothing is where I expect it to be. It’s a failed experiment

  • http://daterussiangirls.net Laurajohnsonrocks

    Who here likes the ribbon interface in the windows version of word? I don’t – nothing is where I expect it to be