Microsoft will launch its Office 2008 for Mac in the second half of 2007. It will work on the old PowerPC Mac computers and the newer ones with Intel processors.
As with that Windows-geared update, much of the focus on Office 2008 for Mac was on revamping the user interface. The new Mac software, though, will not use Office 2007's "ribbon" user interface, but will instead have its own look, dubbed the "element gallery."
"It's very Mac-like," said Microsoft's Sheridan Jones. "It's not an incredibly abrupt change for our users."
The software has taken somewhat longer to arrive than the 18 months to 24 months that typically elapse between releases. The current version, Office 2004 for Mac, debuted in the spring of 2004.
