Improvements for Excel X

Quartz Text Smoothing--If you are using Mac OS X version 10.1.5 or later, Excel X enables Quartz text smoothing. Quartz text smoothing makes text more readable by using the Quartz drawing engine to smooth the edges of characters on the screen. Quartz text smoothing is off by default in Excel.

ODBC Integration--This version of Excel reintroduces support for Open Database Connectivity (ODBC). You can refresh existing queries that were created in other versions of Excel (Excel 98, Excel 2001, and Excel for Windows). However, you cannot modify existing queries or create new ones. To refresh queries, you must install the appropriate ODBC drivers. For up-to-date information regarding ODBC and Excel integration, including how to obtain drivers, visit the Mactopia Web site at <http://www.microsoft.com/mac>.

FileMaker Server Integration--Excel X enables you to import data from a local FileMaker Pro database. That functionality has been upgraded in this service release. Now you can import external data from FileMaker Pro databases that are hosted on a FileMaker Server.

Saving a File in Excel X and Opening It in Excel 98--When you save a file in Excel X and then try to open that same file in Excel 98, Excel 98 sometimes has difficulties opening the file and displays an "Out of memory" message. This problem has been resolved in SR 1 for Excel X. If you are currently encountering this problem in Excel 98 with a file that you saved in the previous version of Excel X, install SR 1, and then open and save the file in Excel X. You will then be able to open the file in Excel 98 successfully.

Freezing Panes and AutoComplete--You might have encountered problems with AutoComplete and freezing panes in Excel X. In some cases, Excel stops responding if you freeze panes and then instigate the AutoComplete feature by typing similar text in adjacent cells. This problem has been resolved in SR 1 for Excel X.