Ho: It’s great that TextEdit can read the basic data in the file, but we have a different mandate when it comes to compatibility with the 2007 Microsoft Office system, and file fidelity is paramount. PressPass: How come other vendors, like TextEdit, were able to develop converters before the Mac BU? Now that 2007 Office system for Windows is being released, we are working to complete compatibility with the released formats, and we will release converters once they have been tested thoroughly. This process included support work of a rich and compatible XML parser, code to understand the new package structure, and beginning work on reading and writing early development versions of the file format. We spent the last year and a half preparing and planning for our own development of file format converters for Office for Mac. Ho: In order to develop file-format converters, we had to wait until the 2007 Office system bits and the new file format itself were locked down and complete. PressPass: It seems like it takes longer to issue Mac converters than the Windows-based converters, which are already available. ppt) to ensure the documents can be easily shared across platforms. For now, we recommend that Mac users advise their friends and colleagues using the 2007 Office system to save their documents as a “Word/Excel/PowerPoint 97-2003 Document” (.doc. We will release a public beta version of the converters in the spring of 2007, and final versions of the converters will ship six to eight weeks after Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac is available. Ho: We’re building file-format converters that will allow Mac users to access Office Open XML Format following the general availability of the 2007 Office system at the end of January. PressPass: Since Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac will be released after the 2007 Office system, how will customers be able to access the new XML files in the 2007 Office system now to ensure compatibility? Office for Mac users will benefit from the ability to access raw XML data within the file without having to parse the entire document, and ZIP-based container technology, allowing for easier recovery of corrupted documents and smaller file sizes. The other important change with this version is that like the 2007 Office system, Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac will be based in the Office Open XML Format – which was approved in December by the standards body ECMA International as an international standard. Both of these features leverage Apple OS capabilities to retain a Mac-like look and feel while taking advantage of new technologies. We share a new graphics engine with our Microsoft Windows counterparts, called Office Art 2.0, and we have a new UI that introduces the Elements Gallery. Mac customers have told us they want quick access to tools and features within Office, and we’ve made a lot of improvements to deliver that. Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac is packed with new, Mac-first, Mac-only features that are designed to provide a unique, engaging and definitively Mac experience, along with new collaboration elements to provide increased compatibility with the 2007 Microsoft Office system for Windows. Ho: With Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac, we focused on what our users want the most – compatibility with PCs, along with unique features for their Mac experience. PressPass: What would you say are the key differentiators in the new version? We are excited to get this next version out as another example of our team’s dedication to building leading-edge products for the Mac platform. Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac is expected to be available in the second half of 2007, and will provide Mac users with tools designed to be simple, intuitive and easily discovered – to help them work smarter and more efficiently. The new version of our productivity suite is designed to work seamlessly for users on either Intel-based Macs or PowerPCs. Roz Ho: This year we are thrilled to announce our intent to deliver the first Universal version of Office for Mac – Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac. PressPass: What have you announced at Macworld Conference & Expo 2007? PressPass spoke with Roz Ho, general manager for the Microsoft Macintosh Business Unit, about the Mac BU’s work to build next generation software for Apple Corporation’s Intel-based Macs and about announcements Microsoft is making at Macworld Conference & Expo 2007, being held this week in San Francisco. Roz Ho, General Manager, Macintosh Business Unit, Microsoft
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