OFFICE 2011 FOR MAC ARRIVES

Microsoft announced this morning that Office 2011 for Mac is now available.  The software suite features a number of enhancements including the return of Visual Basic scripting.

In addition to Word, Excel and Powerpoint, which are pretty much the standards for company word processing, spreadsheets and presentations, the suite also includes a new version of Outlook.  Outlook is a combination email, calendar and contact management application.  This new version of Outlook for Mac can now connect to Microsoft Exchange enterprise email servers, allowing corporate Mac users the same abilities as Windows users and help cut down on the number of email software supported by IT departments.

Additionally, Office 2011 supports Microsoft's online collaboration tools such as Windows Live SkyDrive, Microsoft SharePoint, and Microsoft Office Web Apps. Office 2011 users and Office 2010 users on Windows can simultaneously edit documents from any location with an Internet connection. The return of VBA scripting means complex documents with special forms, macros, and other features from Windows colleagues will be completely accessible. And, new photo editing and layout tools also make it easier to create visually rich documents without having to rely on other apps.

General manager for the Office for Mac team, Eric Wilfrid, noted that about three-quarters of all Mac users install and use Office. "Some people choose Windows, and some people choose Mac. That conflict tends to get a lot of attention, but I deal in the reality that there are customers who love their Macs and also love using Office," he said. "The vast majority of Mac customers [are] counting on Microsoft for a critical piece of their computing needs."

Office 2011 for Mac comes in three editions: Home & Student, Home & Business, and Academic. The Home & Student edition includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and includes license keys for up to three computers. Home & Business also includes the new Mac version of Outlook. The Academic version includes all four suite applications for a discounted price with a limited academic license.

Office 2011 for Mac is available to purchase today from Apple, Amazon, Best Buy, MacMall, or directly from Microsoft. Home & Business has a suggested retail price of $149.99, Home & Business is $279.95, and the Academic bundle is $99.95 (though some schools have arranged for special pricing from Microsoft). [Geek]