suite

In spite of being viewed as the "other guys" in some Mac users' minds, Microsoft has generally put out an excellent productivity suite for the Mac with Microsoft Office. Though the latest package is still not on par with the Windows version (you get only the four main programs--a big difference when you consider the Windows version has 10), Microsoft made a big leap with this latest version for the Mac in several other ways. Not only has it nearly reached feature parity (and cross compatibility) with the Mac counterparts to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, but it has … Read more

Microsoft announced today it will be taking preorders for Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac. Microsoft says this major update will bring the Mac version of its office suite almost on par with the Windows version of the product. With significantly better cross-platform compatibility, several added new features, and some impressive interface elements exclusive to the Mac version, Office 2011 for Mac might be the best in its class.

Over the past couple of weeks, we had the chance to check out the entire suite--including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook--and we think there's plenty to be excited about. New and … Read more

"Most impressive" is one way to describe the latest Norton updates from Symantec. After three years of progressively better versions and significant improvements, Norton Internet Security 2011 and Norton AntiVirus 2011 look incredibly sharp. Gone are the days of crippling system behavior and debatable security efficacy.

Instead, Norton gives people blazing installs and quick scans, useful system-managing tools and security extras like the capability to scan your Facebook wall for malicious links, and most importantly, extremely high ratings in threat detection and prevention. With a 30-day trial that has no other restrictions, anybody who's willing to pay … Read more

Out of the Toyko Game Show and onto the Internet sneak a trio of hands-on videos for three Mobile Suit: Gundam-themed iOS apps. It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of giant Japanese robots, specifically those from the Gundam anime franchise--there are more than 30 Gundam action figures/models littering my desk as I write--so I'm excited to see these apps in action.

Two of the demonstrated applications are games. Gundam Fighting Spirit is a stylized 2D-fighting game where players battle their favorite giant roboto against one another. Gundam G Generation Touch is a slower paced, turn-based strategy RPG populated with supercute versions of the same 'bots. The third app, NDAM Tool Box, presents what appears to be the cockpit of the titular Gundam mech, through which users are presented with shortcuts to other apps such as Safari or Mail.

These apps will be available on iOS devices in Japan in the coming months, but there's no word if we'll ever see a U.S. release. However, if my obsession with Gundam has taught me anything, it's that (for now) this franchise will remain strictly import-only. Check out Gundam Fighting Spirit in action in the embedded video below. The dialogue is in Japanese, but you'll still get an idea of what's going on:

Two more videos of Gundam G Generation Touch and NDAM Tool Box are after the jump.

(Source: TouchArcade. Thanks to Twitter user @jimtay for the tip.)… Read more

Users of Microsoft's hosted versions of Exchange and SharePoint have had to endure a bumpy last couple of weeks, with at least three service interruptions or outages.

Microsoft said in a blog post this week that all of the issues were related to a change in networking infrastructure that the company made last month. The company attempted to fix the issue after a two-hour service interruption on August 23, but the fix didn't solve everything and there were further problems on September 3 and again on Tuesday.

"We aspire to deliver quality services, and in the last … Read more

REDMOND, Wash.--Aiming to show it is still winning customers against Google, Microsoft on Thursday announced deals to provide hosted e-mail and portal software to three big corporate customers.

The software maker said Dow Chemical, Hyatt Hotels, and the University of Georgia are all using the company's hosted e-mail and portal software, known as Microsoft Online. The announcements were timed to come just as Microsoft is set to host its financial analyst meeting here. (I'll be covering the day-long event live, starting around 8 a.m. PT)

In an interview, Hyatt CIO Mike Blake said the company, which … Read more

With Jeff's wedding creeping up sooner than we expected, it's about time that The 404 Podcast discusses exactly what we'll be wearing to the ceremonies. Always the responsible one, Wilson is prepared with his own suit, and Jeff will obviously be wearing the cheapest tux money can rent, but I've somehow made it 26 years without ever buying a suit and I refuse to start now...hopefully Stacie is OK with me wearing this old thing.

And speaking of horrible fashion, this shirt holster for your Apple iPad is proof that tech-fashion is, and will always … Read more

Adobe Systems, which is betting on a strong upgrade cycle for its Creative Suite, delivered solid second-quarter earnings and an upbeat outlook. The company added that sales of its latest Creative Suite should be strong through 2010 and into 2011 as large customers upgrade.

The company reported fiscal second-quarter earnings of $148.6 million, or 28 cents a share, on revenue of $943 million, up 34 percent from $704.7 million a year ago. Non-GAAP earnings were 44 cents a share. Wall Street was expecting earnings of 42 cents a share on revenue of $905 million.

In a statement, Adobe … Read more

Microsoft Office 2010 is now available for purchase. We wrote our review for the Office 2010 Professional RTM version, which is identical to the final public release, when Microsoft released it to businesses on May 18. If you didn't get a chance to check out the beta version or an  earlier release of Office 2010, you can now download a 30-day trial version to see which version best fits your needs.

Microsoft Office 2010 Home and Student ($149.99) includes Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft OneNote.

Microsoft Office 2010 Home and Business ($279.99) includes … Read more