Microsoft has released version 6.1 of VirtualPC, which includes bug fixes and enables users of Connectix Virtual PC for Mac to seamlessly transition product support to Microsoft. Microsoft has also created a new, “professional” version of Office for Mac that includes VirtualPC. The regular version of Office for Mac had its price reduced by $100, to $399.
“This Virtual PC for Mac version 6.1 update does not include an uninstall feature.
Billy is coming to your Mac to stay a while. 😉
Shows how much you know. MS was among the top5 software houses that were making software for the Mac, in 1984, and they stayed pretty faithful to the Mac platform for years (and even supported Apple back when MS was just a software house and its main business wasn’t OSes).
I think Kon was just making a joke, regarding the lack of an uninstall feature. So maybe you need to calm down a bit.
IMO, Microsoft Word for Mac version 5.1 is one of the best pieces of software that Microsoft ever produced on any platform, and should be in the top 10 apps on the mac platform overall. A very nice word processor from before the age of bloatware.
Agreed, David.
I remembered using it on System 7 on a classic Mac with 2MB
of memory. It was feature rich and quite zippy on that
machine.
Just to show u how times have changed
I agree Word 5.1 on Mac was one of the best peices of software ever produced. The only problem was with file conversions when the Windows versions started to get all wierd (i.e. 6.1, 97, etc.)… they never provided translators for many of these formats (there were something like 3 formats in two years!).
I used to do part-time support for a lab of Word users (> 3000)… and 5.1 was awsome.
🙂 However there were a couple of die hards who prefered LaTex and/or FrameMaker (an awsome document program btw)
peace,
Quack!
Reduced $100 to $399; WOW…WHAT A BARGAIN!!!
Microsoft has been a long time Mac programming hous and it makes the most Mac friendly software, to Kon: MS has always been watching your Mac, in fact it wouldnt surprise me if you are typing you comment from IE for Mac.
I wish they would make ACCESS for MAC. File Maker Pro does not cut it for me.
“Microsoft has been a long time Mac programming hous and it makes the most Mac friendly software”
This is not necessarily the case with all their software. Just ask anyone who had used Office98 Mac when it was first released or even the current version of Outlook for the Mac. Since the MacBU was created the software is a lot better.
IE on MacOSX is not as good compared to the free alternatives. It is easily the slowest browser on MacOSX. Hopefully more people will move off of IE especially since MS no longer supports it on Mac.
This update offers rebranding. There are no bug fixes or other improvements. Unless you call M$ tech support for the product an improvement.
The neat thing about VirtualPC is that it’s a guaranteed revenue stream for MSFT simply because they sell a legal OS license with every copy (which is why Virtual PC was always so expensive — before the buyout, I doubt MSFT gave Connectix very nice discounts).
They never need to drop VPC for MacOS and could even reasonably port it to other OS’es for the sole purpose of selling more Windows licenses. I mean, Microsoft is (mostly) a software company, and I’m positive that they do not mind selling more of their own software. They are also not beyond aggressive pricing schemes to reel customers in.
Finally, it offers a Microsoft approved upgrade option for the many, many people still satisfied chugging away on NT4 — they can run VirtualPC and NT4 on WinXP, Server 2003, Longhorn, and beyond (Longhorn Server and Blackcomb?)
–JM
Mac users can get MSBLASTED as well 🙂
VPC won’t last past Longhorn in 2005.
I was already debating buying MS Office X for school. I use Apple works for now, but as with most office clients with Word and Excel “compatibility”, exporting tends to stink; and most of my professors are naturally using Office. Now with the Student and Teacher edition it’s all $150 instead of $200. That doesn’t seem all that bad at all.
Dan, I’m just curious, how does FileMaker not “cut it” for you? Is it missing some critical features vs. Access? I’m not completely familiar with the differences between those 2 programs, and was interested in your opinion.
Well, except a few odd Linux users, people who have Virtual PC have Windows anyway. Now, it is easier as well as cheaper for Mac users – sorry if I don’t see the horror in that.
If you are one of those few people who uses features Access provides but FMP doesn’t, really, would you be even considering Mac in the first place, no less actually own one?
The only reason I can think of anyone needing Access on the Mac while staying within Apple’s target market are those who have Access database. But since between every major Access versions there isn’t compatibility, and database tables have to be converted, I don’t see why the same can’t be done with Access to File Maker.
And then there’s familarity – if you are moving from Windows to the Mac, trust me, you have to relearn a lot of things anyway.
And why not cahnge to a faster PC machine and run Access ? Or the free mysql with the (free) mysql control center ?