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Mac office 2004 vs 2008

2K views 18 replies 9 participants last post by  Rob 
#1 ·
I have the home/academic version of 2004 but can buy a clearance upgrade to 2008 for $20. I'm wondering a couple of things:

1st: can I upgrade from the version I have with this software and....

2nd: should I? I'm curious if people think it's a good idea in their opinions. Is it worth the hassle of learning the new layout as I believe it changes.

thanks!
 
#2 ·
Double check that the upgrade is compatible with your license. Typically, educational/academic licenses of Microsoft Office are not upgradable, and must be repurchased in full.

That said, I'd consider jumping right to 2011. The price has come down a lot, and it's much better than 2008 (and leaps and bounds better than 2004).
 
#3 ·
I'm not sure how I check if the upgrade is compatible. Can you tell me how I do this?

Re 2011, the specs say I need: HFS+ hard disk format (also known as Mac OS Extended or HFS Plus). Again, I'm not sure what this is or how to check.

Thanks for replying
 
#6 ·
If you have an academic version and you are still at an academic institution, you should be able to get Office 2011 for about $100. If you have any doubts about what you are eligible for, either ask at your academic institution or phone Microsoft Canada (they have a toll-free number). Your MBP will run Office 2011 for sure.
 
#7 ·
I would say the $20 for Office 2008 would be worth it, as that's a fully Intel version of the software, versus 2004 being run in Rosetta (PowerPC emulation) on your Intel Mac.
 
#9 ·
I would go for the update if it were possible. The biggest annoyance that 2008 introduced was the replacement of Microsoft's scripting language. This caused problems if you were sharing documents (chiefly excel spreadsheets) that used them. Otherwise, 2008 is preferable, and 2011 better still.
 
#10 ·
Thanks for all the replies. I was planning to pass on it but now I'm thinking of going for it. Someone mentioned that it will run natively on my computer. If the 2004 is Rosetta, does it get switched when it's upgraded?

To actually do the upgrade, do I just put the disc in and follow prompts?

Thanks.
 
#11 ·
Rosetta doesn't get switched off when you run Office 2008, but Rosetta won't need to be running when you use it. You won't notice any difference; you don't actually see Rosetta running. Ironically, I find that Office 2004 starts up faster and loads faster than Office 2008, even though it needs Rosetta to run.

Basically the upgrade just replaces 2004 with 2008; it doesn't literally upgrade the 2004 programs like a system updater or an MS Office patch does. If I recall correctly, the installer does give you the option to remove 2004 from your computer. One thing to consider before you do this, Excel 2008 actually loses some functions that 2004 has. (I think it is VBL plus the statistical toolpack.) You can always keep both on your drive and use whichever you want.
 
#12 ·
If I recall correctly, the installer does give you the option to remove 2004 from your computer. One thing to consider before you do this, Excel 2008 actually loses some functions that 2004 has. (I think it is VBL plus the statistical toolpack.) You can always keep both on your drive and use whichever you want.
Thanks for this info. I can see the plus of keeping both. Can I just keep Excel or does all of it have to remain?

Another person earlier asked if I could go back to my educational institution. I can't do that but I'm going to see if the organization I'm now with might qualify.

If not, I'll just get this upgrade.
 
#13 ·
The other good point made in this thread is that Office 2004 won't run on Lion or Mountain Lion. There's no Rosetta anymore in either of those, so the PPC-Office 2004 won't run. If you ever want to upgrade your computer to Lion or Mountain Lion from Snow Leopard, you need Office 2008 or 2011.
 
#14 ·
Hi Fyrefly,

That is a good thing to note. One thing, though, is a few folks were saying they aren't so happy with Lion. I've been fine with Snow Leopard but never checked what the differences are. But, it is good to know for future reference for any new OS that come along.

thanks,

going to buy it today!
 
#15 ·
You don't need to keep the whole Office 2004 suite of programs if you don't want to. I think you can uninstall them with the built in uninstaller. Its in an extras folder I think. Or possibly on the install media you'd have for Office 2004.Use spotlight to find it if you can't dig it up.

I think you'll like Office 2008 once you have it!
 
#16 ·
Thanks for the info re 2004 and the vote for 2008! I picked it up and am looking forward to the new features.

Thanks everyone! ...this is a great site!

:)
 
#19 ·
Office 2008 doesn't support VBA macros, whereas Office 2004 does. This is obviously critical if you need or use VBA macros in any of your files.

..... and hats off to Microsoft for still providing regular updates to Office 2004, unlike that shameless nameless fruit company.
 
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