Redux: Microsoft Office for Mac Delay or When is a Delay not a Delay?
Office Delay? Ya Don't Say.
No, seriously, you don't say (or shouldn't), because it isn't true. Over the last few days, some Mac sites have been reporting that the Universal Binary version of Office for Mac (officially unnamed, but currently code-named Office 12) has been delayed, but there is no delay or deviation from our development schedule. We're hitting our milestones, checking in our features, and making the move to Intel as planned. We've totally moved from Code Warrior to Xcode, so we've crested that hill. We usually ship 6 - 8 months after the availability of Office for Windows so we can do compatibility testing. This has been our shipping cycle for ages, and we're right on track. In fact, for Office 12, we've not even officially announced a launch date (but when we do, we should do it here first).
Apparently, the answer is a delay isn't a delay when it is a planned delay. The next Office for Mac (Universal), officially still Office 12, has a planned delay of 6-8 months after the Windows version hits the market so it will come out in the second half of 2007, as reported by The Courier Mail. That is provided, of course, that the Windows version of Office 2007 actually ships early in the first half of 2007. Will the official name of Office 12 be Office 2008 for Mac?
As we stated, we really don't care personally but we shouldn't have been so self-centered. Why? First, the Microsoft Mac Business Unit makes excellent Mac software within the confines that Microsoft dictates to it. And second, there are Mac users who do care, especially if real parity with the Windows version is achieved, i.e. it includes a Mac version of Access and Outlook. [Bill Fox]
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