Test Drive Microsoft Office 2008, Full Functionality Included!

[Jeff Campbell]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/04/14/microsoft_offering_office_2008_free_trial_for_mac_users.html' target='_blank'>http://www.appleinsider.com/article..._mac_users.html</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Microsoft's Mac Business Unit this week is making available to Mac users a "fully functional, no strings attached" free trial of Office 2008 so that prospective buyers and users of previous versions can 'kick the tires' on new suite before plunking down the cash for a permanent copy."</em></p><p><em><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1239760504.usr105634.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></em></p><p>I'm not a power user of office product software, so I haven't had much of a need to use anything but <a href="http://www.openoffice.org/" target="_blank">Open Office</a>&nbsp;since I switched from using Microsoft Office products about a year ago.&nbsp;And I've been pretty happy with it so far. However if you want to give <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/Office2008/trial-download.mspx" target="_blank">this</a> a try, even though it is only for 30 days, you get full functionality (a first from Microsoft) of the Microsoft Office 2008 suite of products.&nbsp;</p><p>If you do decide to buy, they offer three editions: student for $149.95 USD, standard for $399.95 USD and Special Media Edition for $499.95 USD. Before forking out the bucks, best stop in at Amazon.com, the price differential is from roughly $40.00 USD to about $250.00 USD. Quite a difference.&nbsp;</p>

[crimsonsky]

So why did it take Microsoft so long to make this available? Office 2008 has been out for nearly two years IIRC. As a Office 2004 user, I immediately upgraded to 2008 when it came out but it would have been nice if a trial had been available at the time.

[Jason Dunn]

So why did it take Microsoft so long to make this available? Office 2008 has been out for nearly two years IIRC.

Tthere is no Office 2008 on Windows. It's Office 2007, and it was released in January of 2007, so it's over two years old now. Office 2004 for the Mac was released in 2004, and now updated to 2008 in January of 2008. Office 2010 for Windows isn't expected until next year. So it's a staggered released cycle...

[crimsonsky]

Tthere is no Office 2008 on Windows. It's Office 2007, and it was released in January of 2007, so it's over two years old now. Office 2004 for the Mac was released in 2004, and now updated to 2008 in January of 2008. Office 2010 for Windows isn't expected until next year. So it's a staggered released cycle...

Jason, I was talking about Office 2008 on the Mac, not Windows. And yeah, I forgot Office 2008 for the Mac came out in Jan 08. My point was why has it taken Microsoft a year and a half to come out with the trial version.

[Jason Dunn]

Jason, I was talking about Office 2008 on the Mac, not Windows. And yeah, I forgot Office 2008 for the Mac came out in Jan 08. My point was why has it taken Microsoft a year and a half to come out with the trial version.

Ah, I see - sorry for misunderstanding you. :o