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OFFICE 2001 FOR MAC IS SERIOUS BUSINESS

Microsoft's Office Suite of applications enjoys being one of the most successful suite of applications and is found on many Windows based PCs around the world. But when it came to the Macintosh, Microsoft applications such as Word and Excel were lackluster at best. They were bulky, slow to perform and didn't follow Macintosh guidelines. However with the release of Office 98, a lot of that changed. With Office 98, Microsoft started from the ground up and wound up with a product that was fast, responsive and Mac-like in its operation. And with the newly released Office 2001, Microsoft continues in the 98 tradition.

Designing a complex suite of applications is tough enough but Microsoft was faced with trying to design one that would satisfy the needs of both Windows and Mac platforms. Office 2001 continues to offer the important Mac appearance and behavior attributes while keeping compatibility with its counterpart, Office 2000 for Windows. Documents created on the Windows platform can be directly read by the Mac version and vice versa. Be aware that there are differences and sometimes subtle changes in operation and functionality between platform versions.

Office 2001 for the Mac installs quickly and requires no special Control Panels nor extensions. Any needed library and other operational files are automatically replaced if deleted and require no special attention by the user.

Office 2001 consists of four main applications that interact with each other. The Word, Excel and PowerPoint applications should be familiar to anyone using Office. However the new Entourage application replaces the Outlook email application while adding several new enhancements found only on the Macintosh version. These include a personal information manager and color coded appointment calendar.

Other Office 2001 enhancements include added support for Apple technology such as Quicktime transitions in PowerPoint presentations and the ability to create Quicktime movies. Appearance Manager support gives 2001 a better integration to any color schemes and styles you've chosen.

The 2001 CD also includes a large collection of clip art that can spruce up even the dullest report. The included Gallery lets you manage as well as more easily view and select the appropriate images.

Another important area of support is Office 2001's Internet functionality. Documents can now be previewed and saved as web pages with their corresponding HTML code generated automatically. Entourage even lets you create a Web version of its calendar. This is particularly handy if you want to view or share appointments from a remote location.

If you already have Office 98 for the Mac, Office 2001 for the Macintosh is a worthwhile upgrade. All of your files should be compatible with this new version. Microsoft has kept Office 2001 responsive, added lots of new features and it launches faster than its predecessor. And if this is your first copy of Office, get ready for some truly productive results. $495.

Microsoft
www.microsoft.com/mac