As a Mac user who loves Microsoft, I have been eagerly awaiting a new release of Office for the platform. The latest version of Office for Mac was back in 2010, and a substantial overhaul of the software suit has since been needed. Microsoft has announced the Office 2016 preview is now available for Mac, with the final version coming later this year.
While there is a lot to see in Office 2016, there isn’t a lot to talk about. The significant change in the most recent edition of Office is simply its UX design. While the old version of Office felt dated even at the time it was released, the latest design for Mac is on par with the Windows variation – if you have seen Office 365 for Windows, then you have seen Office for Mac 2016. The new design is cleaner and features an enhanced ribbon bar; icons reflect the new flat design changes introduced to OS X Yosemite.
Beyond the surface changes, there are fixes under the hood for improved stability and tighter OneDrive support – that being said, remember that this “preview” should be treated as a beta release. Accessing File Save, and File Open menus drop users directly into their OneDrive folder, as many are already used to on the PC. Collections of new templates are also available – bringing welcomed changes to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Users downloading Office 2016 for Mac will notice that Outlook looks familiar; that is because Microsoft has already released Outlook as a standalone application. In addition, OneNote is not included in the bundle and continues to serve as a separate download (for free) directly from the Mac App Store. Note that OS X Snow Leopard (10.6) or higher is required to access the App Store.
Check out the above video to take a quick look at what Microsoft has to offer Mac users with their latest desktop Office Suit. I apologize ahead of time that I am not able to bring you the beautiful accent that Zac is known for in his WinBeta videos – I hope you enjoy nonetheless.
Further reading: App Store, Apple, Mac, Microsoft, Office, Office 365, OneDrive, OneNote, OS X
