It?s love at first sight. I love Microsoft Office 2008. I?ve used Office 97 since 1942. It?s fine. Really. I?ve use Office 2007 just a little. First impression: Ick. I?ve used Office 2000 — it is Office 97. I?ve used Numbers and Pages ?08. They?re okay. I?ve used OpenOffice and it?s alright. I?ve used NeoOffice (OS X Java port of OOo.) I used that for XLS and DOC files on the Mac until last week, when I got a totally legit copy of Office 2008 from Spencer as a gift.
Office 2008 is too legit to quit. The Formatting Palette is fabulous. Wow, I just realized I prefer using the Formatting Palette with my mouse (mouse == ick) to using the keyboard with Office 97! That really is saying something. All the tools I need on a regular basis are right there.
And the rendering of pages and GUI elements is superior to NeoOffice/OOo. Things just look good. Damn good. I?m hooked and totally surprised.
Edit: Reading this entry, I realized that if I like this so much, I?ll eventually want to move my meager VB macros into it from Office 97. That isn?t going to fly since there?s no VBA in Office 2008. Funny, I had to really love it in order to be disappointed by its lack of VBA. If I hadn?t liked it so much, I wouldn?t have considered moving my macros into it.
