Stan's List

Macworld reports that Sun has release the beta for downloading. Of course the beta is free, but current release versions for other platforms is $69.95. OpenOffice is free, but they would not refuse any contribution. StarOffice has an excellent reputation for a quality office suite. Macworld notes the extras in the StarOffice compared to the OpenOffice office suite. All the open source office suites supports the XM. StarOffice for Mac only runs on Intel Macs. More …

OpenOffice 3.0b2 has been release in Aqua, making X11 unnecessary. With NeoOffice, the long time Aqua representative of the open office suites, it will be interest to watch its future. The 3.0 Beta 2 - Release Notes has what is new. OpenOffice comes in Intel and PPC versions

Open XML Converter allows you to convert Open XML files that were created in Office 2008 for Mac or Office 2007 for Windows so that you can open, edit, and save them in earlier versions of Office for Mac. Open XML Converter can convert Word documents, Excel workbooks, and PowerPoint presentations that are in the Open XML Format so that you can open and edit the files in Office 2004 for Mac and Office v. X for Mac. You can choose to convert and open one file, or convert a large number of files.

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Office 2008 12.1.1:
This update contains several changes that improve stability and performance for Office 2008 for Mac programs.

Description of the Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.1.1 Update

Office 2004 11.5.0 update:

The Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.0 Update improves compatibility when you use documents that were created in Office 2008 for Mac and in 2007 Office for Windows. If you have installed the Open XML File Format Converter for Mac, this update enables Office 2004 for Mac to read and to write Office documents that are in Open XML Format. This update also improves stability.

Description of the Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.0 Update

It seems to have been in another lifetime that Computerworld last said the XMl converter was due soon, Well, here we are today still waiting. Computerworld now reports the current expected release date is in June.

Office 2008 for Mac, which uses the XML formate, has been getting a lot of criticism. One of my favorites is a reference to “Vista being dumped for XP and now Office2008 being dumped for Office 2004.”

Office 2004 for Mac 11.4.2 update addresses security issues. More to the point:

This security update resolves several privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Word that could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Word file. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

This description comes from MS Security Bulletin MS08-014 - Critical:

This security update resolves several privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Word that could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Word file. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

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Following the AutoUpdate for Mac 2.1.1, this second update addresses security concerns, reportedly including the permissions bug fix:

This update fixes critical issues in Office 2008, including issues that might cause Office 2008 applications to stop responding or quit unexpectedly, and include fixes vulnerabilities that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of a computer’s memory by using malicious code.

Download either update

ars technica reports there is an update coming for Office 2008 and this is what is delaying the XML converter for Office 2004. in the mean time, Office 2008 can save in Office 2004 format. Both Pages from iWork 08 and Leopard’s TextEdit can open Office 2008 files TextEdit will lose formating. Lastly, MS’ beta converter is successful for some.

Office 2004 11.4.0 Update patches a vulnerability that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer’s memory with malicious code.