Future of Microsoft Office 2008 on Macintosh

[gimme_this_gimme_that]

While I've read a few messages and articles by M$ MVPs about how M$ is
planning a transition away from VBA and towards Applescript, I've
noted that nothing on Mac BU confirms that Applescript is even certain
to be supported in Office 2008.

Also, it would be interesting to know whether:

1. Developers will be able to embed Applescript into their Workbooks
and Word documents.
2. GUI Project for editing Applescript will be provided like what's
currently provided for VBA.
3. WorkSheet controls such as dropdowns and buttons will be able to
call AppleScript.
4. Whether there will be an AppleScript recorder
5. Whether one of the PowerShell languages will bundled with Office.
As it is now the only way to build a complex Excel document from
scratch with Applescript is to do it using MacPerl::Applescript.

If any has details let us know. Mac BU doesn't support questions
directed to its bloggers.

Now that Apple computers can run Windows Office via Parallels the
following?

1. What is the point of supporting Entourage? Outlook Express has a
web front end and users generally are either using Web based mail or
Apple Mail?

2. What is the point of providing an Applescript development
environment when it appears that few Apple developers take advantage
of it? (M$ only has itself to blame because all stories MVPs write
about Applescript leave out details about how to communicate to other
Mac languages such as Perl, Python, Java, or JPython.)

Musings...

I have a hunch that Microsoft's plans for Office 2008 will include
mostly Art "eye-candy" and readers for it's Office products using
OpenXML format.

I have a hunch that Microsoft's support for Applescript (inspite of
what MVPs say) are over. Having just discovered of Office/Applescript/
Perl I'd find that to be an incredible loss.

 

[Jim]

While I've read a few messages and articles by M$ MVPs about how M$ is
planning a transition away from VBA and towards Applescript, I've
noted that nothing on Mac BU confirms that Applescript is even certain
to be supported in Office 2008.

Also, it would be interesting to know whether:

1. Developers will be able to embed Applescript into their Workbooks
and Word documents.
2. GUI Project for editing Applescript will be provided like what's
currently provided for VBA.
3. WorkSheet controls such as dropdowns and buttons will be able to
call AppleScript.
4. Whether there will be an AppleScript recorder
5. Whether one of the PowerShell languages will bundled with Office.
As it is now the only way to build a complex Excel document from
scratch with Applescript is to do it using MacPerl::Applescript.

If any has details let us know. Mac BU doesn't support questions
directed to its bloggers.

Now that Apple computers can run Windows Office via Parallels the
following?

1. What is the point of supporting Entourage? Outlook Express has a
web front end and users generally are either using Web based mail or
Apple Mail?

2. What is the point of providing an Applescript development
environment when it appears that few Apple developers take advantage
of it? (M$ only has itself to blame because all stories MVPs write
about Applescript leave out details about how to communicate to other
Mac languages such as Perl, Python, Java, or JPython.)

Musings...

I have a hunch that Microsoft's plans for Office 2008 will include
mostly Art "eye-candy" and readers for it's Office products using
OpenXML format.

I have a hunch that Microsoft's support for Applescript (inspite of
what MVPs say) are over. Having just discovered of Office/Applescript/
Perl I'd find that to be an incredible loss.

profits are a funny thing and they aren't unnoticed at M$. That is to
say the Mac BU is very profitable for M$. I'd bet it's profitable enough
that they won't really want to lose it.

 

[Steve de Mena]

Now that Apple computers can run Windows Office via Parallels the
following?

1. What is the point of supporting Entourage? Outlook Express has a
web front end and users generally are either using Web based mail or
Apple Mail?

1) For users who connect to an Exchange server.
2) For users who want a decent mail client

Steve