Oct 13, 2010 14:45 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft Office for Mac has been updated today to improve the stability and security of the software, according to the makers of the Windows operating system. Both MS Office 2004 and MS Office 2008 editions have received the update, which can be obtained for free.

Over at Mactopia, the Microsoft web site dedicated to Mac releases, Office 2008 for Mac version 12.2.7 is described as follows:

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.2.7 Update

This update improves stability. In addition, it includes fixes for vulnerabilities that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer's memory with malicious code. For more information about this update, please visit the Microsoft Web site.

Applies to: Office 2008, Office 2008 Home and Student Edition, Office 2008 Special Media Edition, Word 2008, Excel 2008, PowerPoint 2008, Entourage 2008, Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition.

Released: Tuesday, October 12, 2010

.dmg file size: 333mb

Download Microsoft Office 2008 Update (Free)

Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac version 11.6.1 also improves security. It includes fixes for the same vulnerabilities that an attacker can leverage to take over your PC.

This release applies to: Office 2004 Standard Edition, Office 2004 Student and Teacher Edition, Office 2004 Professional Edition, Word 2004, Excel 2004, PowerPoint 2004, Entourage 2004.

The dmg file size is 16mb, according to Microsoft.

Download Microsoft Office 2004 Update (Free)

In related news, Amazon.com has pre-order availability for the latest iteration of Microsoft’s Office for Mac suite.

All versions of Office 2011 for Mac include free shipping for the confirmed release date of October 26, 2010.

The new Office 2011 for Mac includes Outlook for Mac, which keeps users connected to e-mail, schedules, calendars, to-do lists, and contacts; Ribbon, which allows users to access favorite commands quickly, and personalize their workspace; and Office Web Apps, which enables users to post, edit, and share files from virtually anywhere.