This post was sponsored by Nuffnang and Microsoft.
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I actually previously hated the 07 Office Suite for Mac set, I found it to be slow and Word never shut down properly for me. I’ve been using various Microsoft products for Mac for 7 years now and the difference between the programs then and now is pretty extreme! You can imagine when Nuffnang asked me to review Mac Office 2011 I was full of both apprehension that it might be better and dread that it might not be. I was pleasantly surprised so yay!

The main difference I noticed using the ’11 version is that everything is faster, had fancier graphics and is more Mac designed rather than just being Mac compatible which is what the older ones felt like. Windows is really pushing the cloud mentality so there is also the option to connect everything online and get extra templates etc. The templates still look like Word templates though so you need to inject your own creativity. Over all they are definitely an improvement over the last lot, the speed difference alone is reason to upgrade considering how much time I used to waste waiting for Word or Excel to open.

You know the one thing missing from this though? Clippy the office paper clip! Sure he was a little enthusiastic but I feel it was a feature that could have been improved on… Like you know if it had been a mini version of me. That would be a pretty sweet improvement in helping me write blog post I imagine it would be so advanced it would be pretty much like having a personal assistant. In fact let’s view the conversation in the eyes of the new Clippy and me on a typical morning here…

Early morning at Violet’s house:

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It’s amazing what a difference tea can make, sometimes it can completely change your outfit and apply make up…

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Of course saying it and actually doing it are pretty different…

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But see that’s where the Office helper would come in!

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Even computer programs need to occupy themselves so mine took up knitting.

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Are you listening Microsoft development team?!?! So really what this post has made me realize is that I don’t want a new computer program I want a personal assistant. Or a cloning machine… Or a holiday? Yes ok a holiday.

So as a blogger what can you use the new Office suite for ?

Excel
• Excel is great for tracking stats for number junkies like myself.
• I’ve also seen wardrobes catalogued through here like your own at home poupee!
• As much as it sucks budgeting is an important part of my life so keeping track of every penny is important!

Word
• Obviously good for drafting blog posts now that most WYSIWYG editors have an insert Word button which will strip all of the non- HTML friendly formatting out. It’s good to have an offline copy of posts just in case you ever lose things too.
• Drafting fun things like media packs. If you make things with a lot of text in programs like Photoshop then it’s a good idea to draft first in Word so you can spell check. There is nothing worse than sending something really important out to a bunch of really important people and realizing you spelled your own name wrong.

PowerPoint
• I suppose you could put together a super awesome slideshow on how great your blog is…

MSN
•Keeping in touch with blogging friends, though these days I prefer email so I don’t feel guilty if I can’t answer straight away.

Outlook
• Email obviously is good for getting blog notifications and everything else!

You can also drive a Windows PC from your Mac now which I imagine would be useful in some situations.

 

Competition time!

Over on the Nuffnang blog they are giving away Microsoft’s Office for Mac, Arc Touch Mouse’ and Lifecam’s. Click here to enter or get more information.

So out of interest, if you guys had a magical personal assistant how would you use them?

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