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How About an Open XML Converter While You Wait for Office 2008?Microsoft Office Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 0.2.1 (Beta) |
By Marius Oiaga, Technology News Editor
19th of December 2007, 10:32 GMT
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You still have to exercise your patience when it comes down to the final version of Office 2008 for Mac. On December 12th, Geoff Price, Unit Manager for Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit in Redmond, announced that Office 2008 for Mac has been released to manufacturing. At this point in time, Microsoft6 plans to make Office 2008 available in mid January. The official launch of Office 2007's equivalent for Mac OS X is scheduled for January 15th, at Macworld 2008, a date that will also see the productivity suite hit the shelves.
But in the meantime, Microsoft is also hard at work on an Office Open XML file format
converter, designed to permit users of Office 2004 for Mac, as well as older versions of the product, and to manage OMXL items. Open XML is, of course, the native file format of the office 2007 System for the Windows Platform, and one that Microsoft wants as an international standard, just as ODF of Open Office.
"With the Open XML Converter, you can convert Open XML files to a format that is compatible with Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac and Microsoft Office v. X for Mac. You can choose to convert and open one file, or convert a large number of files. This version of the converter can convert the following Open XML file formats: Word Document (.docx); Word Macro-Enabled Document (.docm); PowerPoint Presentation (.pptx); PowerPoint Show (.ppsx); PowerPoint Template (.potx)", revealed Bart Wessels, Microsoft Technology Solution Professional Information Worker, quoting the official description of the converter.
Office Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 0.2.1 (Beta) is compatible with both Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, but does not support Office 2008. As a matter of fact, Office 2008 for Mac supports Open XML as a native file format, just as Office 2007 for Windows, and as such the converter is not necessary. On top of this, Microsoft informed that integrating Office 2008 with the converter might generate functionality problems for the productivity suite. As it is the case with beta releases from Microsoft, the current version of the converter is time-bombed and will expire on December 31, 2008.
"The converter is a Beta release, and might be unable to convert all the data in Open XML files. After you convert a file, you should review the file carefully to make sure that it contains all of the information that you expect", Microsoft added.
Microsoft Office Open XML File Format Converter 0.2.1 Beta is available for download here.
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