Third Office for Mac 2011 Beta Reveals New Icons, Splash Screens, more

[.Neo]

It won't offer much improvements over 32-bit. Excel would gain for those who use it as a database. A company I use to work for still uses it from what I've heard for spreadsheets that should have been turned into, at the very least, Access databases. They have millions of rows. It will definitely help with performance in that. I guess VB too. But for the most part, it won't offer much performance increases.

That's what I thought as well. :)

[Xtreme $niper]

Given that Visual Studio 2010 is still 32-bit only, I can only guess that it is not Microsoft's top priority to move their apps to 64-bit processing.

[.Neo]

What a disappointment... The final version of Messenger 8 for Mac still carries largely the same IM window with fat borders, slider and message style.

I was really hoping for a nice redesign of the GUI, obviously that's too much to ask. Performance hardly improved either. Staying with Adium then...

[PyX]

What a disappointment... The final version of Messenger 8 for Mac still carries largely the same IM window with fat borders, slider and message style.

I was really hoping for a nice redesign of the GUI, obviously that's too much to ask. Performance hardly improved either. Staying with Adium then...

Wow, talk about a huge letdown on Microsoft?s side. THing is, Adium isn?t that good either.

I guess the next step will be to :

- Switch Office to 64-bits

- Add a new app to Office

- Redesign Messenger and optimize it

They don?t have so much to do so I?m hoping for good work on Messenger this time (hope it?s not too much to ask). From Office 2008 to 2011 there?s a HUGE step. Even for Messenger, we now have cam support. But that?s all the time they hd to put on Messenger it seems :-\

[.Neo]

Nope Adium has it weaknesses as well, but at least I can make it connect to Facebook (so far I haven't seen an option like that in Messenger 8) and you can customize its interface to not look like complete ass...

[what]

What do the final versions of the main apps look like?

[rajputwarrior]

What a disappointment... The final version of Messenger 8 for Mac still carries largely the same IM window with fat borders, slider and message style.

I was really hoping for a nice redesign of the GUI, obviously that's too much to ask. Performance hardly improved either. Staying with Adium then...

yeah i thought the whole drawers in osx apps was done in tiger... skype still uses them to, ridiculous.

[.Neo]

What do the final versions of the main apps look like?

Same as the latest beta versions.

[Quillz]

There are several apps in Mac OS X that still use sliders, or drawers, whatever you want to call them. The question is, what will replace them? Floating Inspector windows? I know that's what replaced the drawer in iCal and some people really didn't care for it.

[.Neo]

There are several apps in Mac OS X that still use sliders, or drawers, whatever you want to call them. The question is, what will replace them? Floating Inspector windows? I know that's what replaced the drawer in iCal and some people really didn't care for it.

I don't really mind sliders in some cases. I just think the overall IM window appearance looks like complete and utter **** compared to most other popular clients like iChat, Trillian and Yahoo! Messenger. At the very least they should have gotten rid of those damn borders around the window. Why the hell are they still there?

Honestly, what is this:

Application design doesn't come much more bland and imagination-less than the above... Does Microsoft's MacBU even know there's a IM window in there? Or did they just completely forgot?

[.Neo]

I literally just found out how to add Facebook chat to iChat, so right now I officially don't give a **** anymore about Microsoft Messenger... (Y) After years of having to deal with crap using Microsoft's protocol on Mac I'm finally done with it.

[Quillz]

I guess Messenger sucking on the Mac explains why QuickTime sucks on Windows.

I don't really mind sliders in some cases. I just think the overall IM window appearance looks like complete and utter **** compared to most other popular clients like iChat, Trillian and Yahoo! Messenger. At the very least they should have gotten rid of those damn borders around the window. Why the hell are they still there?

Honestly, what is this:

Application design doesn't come much more bland and imagination-less than the above... Does Microsoft's MacBU even know there's a IM window in there? Or did they just completely forgot?

I'll be honest, I really don't think it looks bad, and I can very easily distinguish where the conversation will be posted.

[.Neo]

Obviously it isn't hard to see where the conversation is going to end up, it's about interface design. Except for the huge Send button being removed I don't think the IM message window changed since the initial release on Mac OS X. Here's a list of what's wrong with it.

- No borderless design

- Unnecessary drawer

- Unlike the Windows version no new emoticons

- Incredibly bland way of showing messages (most IM clients use cool bubbles, animations etc.)

- No updated or customizable sounds

- So-so file transfers

- Status (x is typing a message etc.) is weirdly centered and looks crammed

- No Dock badges for away, busy, offline

- Dock badge for new messages just stays stuck on "1" all the time

- Overall no fit and finish, extremely unpolished look

I guess Messenger sucking on the Mac explains why QuickTime sucks on Windows.

QuickTime is Apple's way of saying thanks for the amazing list of quality software from Microsoft for Mac now and in the past.

[Mr. Gibs]

Yeah it's Apple's way of saying thanks for the amazing list of quality software from Microsoft for Mac now and in the past.

Well apple's software (iTunes / Quicktime) is used by a lot lot more people on Windows, than it is on Mac. So at the very least they should improve their software performance on Windows.

Mac office and messenger, is used by what? Less than 5% of the world?

[.Neo]

Well apple's software (iTunes / Quicktime) is used by a lot lot more people on Windows, than it is on Mac. So at the very least they should improve their software performance on Windows.

Mac office and messenger, is used by what? Less than 5% of the world?

iTunes on Windows doesn't even begin to compare with the crap Microsoft spit out on Mac. QuickTime is pretty bad, yes I totally agree, but I recently tried iTunes 10 on Windows and it felt pretty responsive. At least, not that much worse than on Mac OS X. iTunes is also fully featured on Windows, we can't say the same of Microsoft software that runs on Mac.

I have no idea what the amount of users have to do with anything. There are more than enough software companies out there (both PC and Mac) that probably have a lot less customers yet still manage to bring out superior software. I can't imagine Yahoo! Messenger for Mac being more popular, yet it looks and works great.

[Xtreme $niper]

Honestly, I would have liked to see an update to this a few years ago... you know, when I used to give a crap.

I've since almost stopped using MSN altogether since most of my communications happen via phone, text, or facebook these days. For when I do go online, Adium seems sufficient, and when I need video chat I use Skype.

I'm glad they added some new features, but let's face it... They are just playing catch up with features that have existed on the Windows version for years now. The main reason why I started using Adium over Microsoft Messenger was because I was tired of not being able to reply to people when they messaged me while offline. Basic crap like that was just the last straw for me, and now it's too late.

Overall, the UI of the convo window is not too terrible... It is still an improvement (even if it is slight) over the existing one. The only part that I think really stands out as being terrible design is the slider sidebar. Too much wasted space, but then again it's similar in Windows (last I checked) and it has it's purpose in a multi-user chat.

[revanmj]

The final version of Messenger 8

Where did you get the final version?

[.Neo]

Where did you get the final version?

It's part of the Microsoft Office 2011 Volume Licensed suite Microsoft began shipping early.

@Xtreme $niper

Couldn't agree more. (Y)

[rawr_boy81]

It's part of the Microsoft Office 2011 Volume Licensed suite Microsoft began shipping early.

@Xtreme $niper

Couldn't agree more. (Y)

I for one can vouch for its shear awesomeness lol It is definitely worth the upgrade.

[.Neo]

I for one can vouch for its shear awesomeness lol It is definitely worth the upgrade.

It wasn't really too hard to top version 7. Unfortunately they hardly improved its interface and didn't improve its crappy Carbon plumbing.

[neo1911]

And the scrolling is pathetic at its best!!

[what]

Scrolling is better than 2008 for me so I'm not going to complain. The most awkward thing I've noticed so far is the animation when you close the ribbon. Ouch :laugh:

[saxondale.]

My MSN isn't closing straightaway...it's like transmission.

[rawr_boy81]

My MSN isn't closing straightaway...it's like transmission.

I noticed the same thing; I wonder whether it has to do with something they've added in terms of features; IIRC I've found the Windows version there is a delay when quitting as well.

[.Neo]

My MSN isn't closing straightaway...it's like transmission.

Yeap. Although it isn't anywhere as bad as Transmission.

The most awkward thing I've noticed so far is the animation when you close the ribbon. Ouch :laugh:

Microsoft wouldn't know what fit and finish is even if it hit 'm in the face. The company is oblivious to detail.