Which version of Office 2008?

[arashi]

I have to use Word and Excel to be compatible with work.

I going to take advantage of an offer from Microsoft to purchase for the price of $140 either (1) Office 2008 for Mac Special Media Edition (includes 1 license for business or personal use, also includes Exchange Server support, additional Automator Actions plus Microsoft Expression Media for Mac); or (2) Office 2008 for Mac Home & Student Edition (includes 3 licenses for home or non-commercial use only; does NOT include Exchange Server support or Automator Actions) plus Microsoft Expression Media for Mac.

Option (1) normally costs around $500, way more than the Home & Student edition. So how will I take advantage of Exchange Server support and additional Automator Actions? I don’t even know what they are. What are they for?

Option (2) gives me 3 licenses. Is that really significant? Is there something in the software that will allow me to install Office 3 times only? And then become dead? Or is this 3 license limit imposed by the well known “honor code?â€

[Maria]

Arashi,

maybe you answered this question several times, but I just ask: Why don't you use NeoOffice, which is free? The newest versions work excellent for me -- just to exchange documents (Word, Powerpoint and Excel) with colleagues. Formats are OK, and what I send back to their Windows machines is always OK as well.


Maria

[kewms]

[quote="arashi"]
Option (2) gives me 3 licenses. Is that really significant? Is there something in the software that will allow me to install Office 3 times only? And then become dead? Or is this 3 license limit imposed by the well known “honor code?â€

[Jaysen]

Arashi,

maybe you answered this question several times, but I just ask: Why don't you use NeoOffice, which is free? The newest versions work excellent for me -- just to exchange documents (Word, Powerpoint and Excel) with colleagues. Formats are OK, and what I send back to their Windows machines is always OK as well.


Maria

I kind of second this. I use OO (the base of neo) on my M$ systems. No one here has ever noticed. I have asked several folks if they have seen anything interesting in my docs, but no reports yet.

[gr]

You won't use the Exchange Server support (since you are not planning to use Entourage), and a few promised Automator Actions count for nothing.

So, the only extra you get in the deal is Microsoft Expression Media for Mac. If you look at the MS "Suite Deal" form very carefully, you will notice that it is inconsistent about whether you will get this item. In the table of what you can get, it suggests that you would not get this with the Home/Student edition, but if you look at the actual checkbox choice you have to make on the form, it says you do get Expression Media with the Home/Student edition. So, seems to me that they are going to be coughing up this Expression Media to you no matter which you choose.

So, go for the Home/student version with the 3 licenses (since it sounds like you do have some need to install on more than one machine).

I cannot resist to say further though: Do you really want this Expression Media thing anyway? It looks to me like a MS attempt to convince you to store your media in MS application -- instead of in the various integrated Apple media apps (e.g., iPhoto). Why would you do that? To paste pictures into Word?

I consider it a bad sign that on the MS website for Expression Media, you cannot even view the info in your browser on what exactly the application is without downloading and installing some MS software. Hmmm.

So, I say, go for the Home/Office edition and don't install the Expression Media package, if it is included.

--Greg

[arashi]

I decided to buy the home edition which gives you the 3 licenses. A month ago I decided to take advantage of this special offer because I thought I might end up some day having to connect to an Exchange Server system. Getting the $500 package for $140 was a bargain. But I finally decided the probably of having to connect to a windows mail system was remote. Besides, the review in MacWorld didn't leave the impression that Entourage worked all that well with Exchange Server support.

And, Greg, I think you got it right about Expression Media. I investigated a little further and decided I would never use it.

I don't need the other licenses right now, but some day I might.

I don't know the extent to which Microsoft can discover license abuse. I've been led to believe, however, that I might run into problems if I tried to use two computers running the same licensed Word application on a network at the same time.

I haven't tried NeoOffice or any other suite that is open source or free. Someday I may use iWork programs, especially Keynote. But since I have to exchange word and excel documents with PC people, I decided to invest in the Microsoft programs.

arashi