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Microsoft Sticks It To Mac Office Users. Again.

Bill - BambiI’m on record as both a user and fan of Microsoft’s Office for Mac, specifically the 2004 version.

My business depends on Entourage; email, projects, tasks, contacts. Compatibility with Windows users is a requirement.

So, why did Microsoft stiff Mac Office users? Again. Human error? Or, a growing trend?

The situation is rather straightforward. Microsoft issued another Mac OS X update to Office 2004, version 11.3.1 to be specfic.

I was out of town when the release hit the streets, came in late at night, checked email, found the update, updated, went to bed.

When I awoke the next day one of the top news items was Microsoft Pulls Mac Security Update. What’s up with that?

Human error, Microsoft says. How, exactly, did Microsoft warn Mac Office users of the faulty update? Via Microsoft employee “Mike” and a Microsoft web log.

OK, things happen. Microsoft explained that the Update hadn’t received final testing, and it was simple human error which made the Update available when it wasn’t ready. Fair enough.

That’s an explanation I can buy. Even Apple has a few Updates that went sour for whatever reason.

I’m willing to cut Microsoft’s Mac Business Unit a little slack. Except for this phrase:

“We recommend that anyone who may have installed these pre-release updates to uninstall them.”

OK, how? Nothing. Not one line on how the pre-release updates should be uninstalled. Listen, I use Office every day. I’m heading to work where I use Office. Is my Entourage corrupted and ready to chew my hard drive intro tiny pieces of Redmondian Powder?

I scoured the Mac web. Same thing. Uninstall seemed to mean the worst—remove Microsoft Office and start over with the updates.

Now I’m visually unhappy. You don’t want to see me when I’m visually unhappy. I registered an account with Microsoft’s TechNet and tried to post a comment. “Sorry”, says Microsoft’s blogger. “New comments to this post are disabled.”

I found a link to post a message to the webmaster and posted the following note in the area where Microsofties should report bugs:

This link warns of the pre-release security update for MS Office for Macs. The instructions say, “We recommend that anyone who may have installed these pre-release updates to uninstall them.” Of course, it does NOT say how to uninstall the update. That sounds buggy to me.”

I’ve always preferred the direct approach. Besides, my email to Bill Gates bounced back. Remarkably, the same afternoon I received a response from Microsoft’s Customer Service Representative.

“Hello. Thank you for contacting Microsoft Customer Service. I understand that the notice does not provide information on how uninstall the update. I apologize for the inconvenience this issue has caused you. I am currently working with my colleagues to review your issue. I will forward the information to you as soon as one of my resources replies. Typically, we hear from them in 24 to 72 business hours, but it all depends on the complexity of the issue.”

Added to that insult is a list of others from Microsoft. Visual Basic won’t be included in the next Mac version of Microsoft Office, breaking compatibility with the Windows version of Office. Windows Vista honcho Jim Allchin once wrote he’d buy a Mac if he didn’t work at Microsoft—then denied the context of his obvious rant.

Microsoft was caught stealing icons from Apple for one of their products. Adding fuel to the flames now burning my formerly good relationship with Microsoft’s Mac products is a video spoofing Apple’s “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” TV commercials—with the Zune.

Microsoft is run by idiots. As soon as I can ditch Microsoft Office, I’m done with them.

update - December 18, 2006 - The Mac Business Unit at Microsoft issues this Note regarding the problem. A new patch is forthcoming.

Click Here to see reader comments on this article in the Mac360 Forums.

Classy Mac360 PhotoBy Bambi Brannan | I work in public relations in San Francisco, California. I truly love Macs, my husband, both of my pet fish, high heels, dinner out, and chocolate. Not always in that order. Follow me on Twitter.

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