Can I upgrade MSO 2004 Student to 2008?

[radiocam]

Hello,
I'm waiting on a macbook for my 15 year old daughter who is going into high
school. Completely new to macs and looking forward to this - but need some
advice please...

1. I need to get her Office 2004 Student. Can I upgrade this to 2008 when it
comes out or do I have to buy a whole new copy? Cannot find this info
anywhere.

2. Searching Google for "Leopard Office 2004 problems" is pretty scary - any
advice on best practice for max stability? I have no idea how Windows Update
works on a Mac. (And how you get Leopard patches...so to speak..

3. I'm not very secure on the bleeding edge...even though 2004 seems to have
some problems with Leopard, would you recommend staying with it anyway for a
while? or is 2008 likely to be a "bug-fix" release?

Sorry for all the questions - I'd really like my daughter to have a good
stable machine and really want to make the right decisions here.

Thanks in advance

 

[Diane Ross]

1. I need to get her Office 2004 Student. Can I upgrade this to 2008 when it
comes out or do I have to buy a whole new copy? Cannot find this info
anywhere.

Student versions are not upgradable. They are priced low enough that there
is no upgrade path.

This year Microsoft changed the name from Student & Teacher to Home &
Student. This will not include Exchange. It gives Home users a legitimate
way to buy Office for a reasonable price.

Office will be available in three versions: Office 2008 for Mac ($400
retail; $240 for the upgrade), Office 2008 for Mac Home and Student Edition
($150), and Office 2008 for Mac Special Media Edition ($500; $300 for the
upgrade).

2. Searching Google for "Leopard Office 2004 problems" is pretty scary - any
advice on best practice for max stability? I have no idea how Windows Update
works on a Mac. (And how you get Leopard patches...so to speak..

Some users always have problems. You never hear from all of the people that
don't.

Apple has a program Software Updater that will automatically check for Apple
updates. Microsoft has an autoupdater that is installed also. I suggest
using it to notify you about updates, but often downloading the update or
combo results in a better install. See more details here:
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/combo.html>

I have a few tips (Lots of links to other new-to-Mac help sites) posted to
help new users here:

3. I'm not very secure on the bleeding edge...even though 2004 seems to have
some problems with Leopard, would you recommend staying with it anyway for a
while? or is 2008 likely to be a "bug-fix" release?

Definitely go with Office 2008. Leopard is still somewhat troublesome, but
we expect the next update, 10.5.2 to fix most of these issues. None of which
makes Leopard unusable IMO.

Sorry for all the questions - I'd really like my daughter to have a good
stable machine and really want to make the right decisions here.

Now is the time to ask.

 

[Clive Huggan]

Student versions are not upgradable. They are priced low enough that there
is no upgrade path.

This year Microsoft changed the name from Student & Teacher to Home &
Student. This will not include Exchange. It gives Home users a legitimate
way to buy Office for a reasonable price.

Office will be available in three versions: Office 2008 for Mac ($400
retail; $240 for the upgrade), Office 2008 for Mac Home and Student Edition
($150), and Office 2008 for Mac Special Media Edition ($500; $300 for the
upgrade).

Some users always have problems. You never hear from all of the people that
don't.

Apple has a program Software Updater that will automatically check for Apple
updates. Microsoft has an autoupdater that is installed also. I suggest
using it to notify you about updates, but often downloading the update or
combo results in a better install. See more details here:
<http://www.entourage.mvps.org/troubleshoot/combo.html>

I have a few tips (Lots of links to other new-to-Mac help sites) posted to
help new users here:



Definitely go with Office 2008. Leopard is still somewhat troublesome, but
we expect the next update, 10.5.2 to fix most of these issues. None of which
makes Leopard unusable IMO.

Now is the time to ask.

The above assumes you are in the US. ;-)

If you are, consider the deals available at present under which you can buy
Office 2004 now and upgrade to 2008 for under $10: see www.mactopia.com

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
Canberra, Australia
(My time zone is 5-11 hours different from North America and Europe, so my
follow-on responses to those regions can be delayed)
====================================================

 

[CyberTaz]

Just elaborating on one point for clarification -

As others have replied, normally the education version can't be used to
upgrade to the next *education* version. However, if you purchase the
education version it *can* be used to upgrade to one of the _other_ packages
(Standard or Professional).

However, the release of 2008 works a bit differently (to your advantage) -
If you buy *any retail packaged version* of Mac:Office 2004 (including
Student & Teacher) you qualify for the "free" upgrade to Office 2008 for Mac
Special Media Edition *or* Office 2008 for Mac Home & Student Edition
w/Expression Media. See:

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/go/promotions/supersuitedeal/

As usual, read the "fine print" & make sure to fully comply with the
requirements when you submit for the offer

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[radiocam]

Thanks very much for all the helpful answers. With great hindsight ( a
specialty of mine) I realize I should have mentioned that I am in Australia.
One of the reasons this got lost was that I got even more lost when I went
looking through the MS sites. The international sites (like here) have a mean
trick of flipping one back to the US site when they don't have a local "page
equivalent". I know this happens but it still catches me out with special
offers that don't apply here...sigh...

Anyway - I contacted a local supplier and was able to circumvent the whole
upgrade question by pre-ordering 2008 which is out next week (didn't know
that it was so close). So, no special deals but at least I will get the
latest...which is good, right?...umm...right?

Again, many thanks for the info, esp the links for new mac users. (Diane I
will probably be the most frequent vistor to your tips pages over the next
few months

Point certainly taken about seeing only the doomsayer posts. It's just me
wanting my daughter to have an easy time with a new system in the midst of
"starting high school" angst.

Cheers

 

[John McGhie]

Err, Gidday Skippy ‹ So are Clive and I... He's in Canberra (poor thing...)
and I am in Gove or Sydney (depending what time of the month you ask...)

BEFORE paying for that order, ring Microsoft in Sydney and work your way
patiently through the people who don't know the answer.

I would be surprised if there is NOT a deal in Aus, but the website has not
updated yet so I cannot tell you what it is.

Cheers

Thanks very much for all the helpful answers. With great hindsight ( a
specialty of mine) I realize I should have mentioned that I am in Australia.
One of the reasons this got lost was that I got even more lost when I went
looking through the MS sites. The international sites (like here) have a mean
trick of flipping one back to the US site when they don't have a local "page
equivalent". I know this happens but it still catches me out with special
offers that don't apply here...sigh...

Anyway - I contacted a local supplier and was able to circumvent the whole
upgrade question by pre-ordering 2008 which is out next week (didn't know
that it was so close). So, no special deals but at least I will get the
latest...which is good, right?...umm...right?

Again, many thanks for the info, esp the links for new mac users. (Diane I
will probably be the most frequent vistor to your tips pages over the next
few months

Point certainly taken about seeing only the doomsayer posts. It's just me
wanting my daughter to have an easy time with a new system in the midst of
"starting high school" angst.

Cheers

--
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John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory, Australia
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]