Microsoft has announced Office 2008 for Mac OS X with three different versions and pricing. The three different versions are aimed at three different groups of buyers. The first, Microsoft Office 2008 for the Mac is a core version. The second is called Microsoft Office for the Mac Home and Student Edition and it is geared for the casual and student user. The third version is called Microsoft Office for Mac Special Media Edition, this one includes media pack software.
Microsoft Office 2008 for the Mac core edition includes the productivity software suite includes Word, Excel, Entourage and PowerPoint. It also includes some Automator work flows, as well as Exchange support in Entourage. The upgrade is priced at $239.95 USD and the full version is $399.95.
Microsoft Office 2008 for the Mac Home and Student Edition version is programmed for users needing the core Microsoft office software suite without Exchange support. This means that Entourage supplied with this version does not include Automator work flows or Exchange server support. The full version is priced at $149.95 USD.
Microsoft Office for Mac Special Media Edition includes everything that the core version has and yes that does mean Exchange support, as well as the full version of Microsoft Expression Media for Mac. The upgrade is priced at $299.95 and $499.94 USD for the full version.
This is great news for Microsoft Office Mac users as the current version 2004 was not coded to be fully compatible with the Intel Macintosh. Also, Microsoft Office 2003 users have had XML file support so the new Office 2008 should finally even the playing field. At launch, there will be international versions of Office 2008 which include support for Dutch, French, German, English, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Swedish. Languages new to this version of Office 2008 for the Mac includes Finnish, Danish and Norwegian