Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor:
Intel I am considering buying Office 2008 for Mac. I have heard about
the lack of VBA but I am confused if this means there are no macros at
all in Excel?
In my work I have to access certain spreadsheets created by others on PC
which include many macros. Will I be able to use these or not?
There is no Visual Basic For Applications (VBA) in Office 2008. VBA
based macros can not be made, edited or used in Office 2008. Add-ins can
not be used. There is an old Excel version 4 macro language that is
still supported, but few are old enough to be aware of its existence,
much less take advantage of it.
Spreadsheets that use VBA macros, which is probably what you are getting
from your PC friends, will not work in Excel 2008. You will not be able
to use these.
VBA will return in the next major update to Office for Mac. This should
happen during 2010 (most likely near the end of 2010). The new version
will have a brand new VBA compiler, which should free Office from
Rosetta and might finally make macros run like greased lightning on the
Mac (I'm hoping, anyway). Be patient and I think you will find the next
Mac Office "the one" to get.
-Jim