Microsoft Office 2004 11.2.1 Update is Out

[Fonnesbeck, Chris]

An interesting concept of responsibility. Apple breaks it, so Microsoft
should - or even CAN - fix it? How do you know/think they can do that?

Because its their application! Strange that its just Entourage that was
broken, isn't it? This is Microsoft's issue, not Apple's. When the OS gets a
security update, you should not expect your PIM/mail client to break. How is
Apple supposed to fix individual applications, including Entourage?

C.

 

[Jim Lange]

You may have misunderstood or been unable to read a previous message in this
thread stating that it¹s not just Entourage that broke when OS X got
Security Updates. Discussions on Apple¹s Web site cite many occurrences in
which certain of their Security Updates caused applications to
break---including Apple¹s.

I¹m all for Microsoft righting its own wrongs, or re-coding an entire
application suite to accommodate a major new OS X release¹s added
functionalities. But if MS issues a buggy update to Windows XP that screws
up applications from multiple third-party publishers, it wouldn¹t be fair to
hold the third party publishers accountable for fixing what the buggy update
broke.

Jim

 

[Paul Berkowitz]

Because its their application! Strange that its just Entourage that was
broken, isn't it? This is Microsoft's issue, not Apple's. When the OS gets a
security update, you should not expect your PIM/mail client to break. How is
Apple supposed to fix individual applications, including Entourage?

No, it WASN'T just Entourage that was broken. Didn't you read this thread?
As Barry Wainwright told you here (and in about 23 other threads as well),
FileMaker Pro and SnapzPro also have similar display problems after Security
Update 2005-008. Is Microsoft supposed to fix those too? Or maybe FileMaker
should fix Entourage?

You're perfectly right that applications should not break when Apple puts
out a security update. It's Apple's doing. If it's an Apple bug, then they
have to fix it. If it's something new Apple exposed by making an update, but
want to keep, then they will tell Microsoft what it involves, so Microsoft
can update Entourage. Either way, only Apple knows. Apple and Microsoft are
in contact about this, and as soon as Apple tells Microsoft what they
(Apple) broke, either Apple will put out a new update fixing it, or they
will tell Microsoft what it is that needs to be changed.

--
Paul Berkowitz
MVP MacOffice
Entourage FAQ Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq/index.html>
AppleScripts for Entourage: <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/>

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PLEASE always state which version of Microsoft Office you are using -
**2004**, X or 2001. It's often impossible to answer your questions
otherwise.

 

[Nathan Herring [MSFT]]

The Calendar List view has the same problem that the Weekly view had with
All Day events on the first day of the following week, but it was reported
after 11.2.1's release was imminent. We know about that issue. If you
submitted a crash log, we could verify that your issue is that issue and not
something else.

-nh

 

[Larry Robinson]

When do you guys think the successor version to Office 2004 for Mac will be
released? Any thoughts, guesses, estimations?

 

[Paul Berkowitz]

Why are you quoting a previous message that has nothing to do with your new
subject? (By the way, OS 10.4.3 fixes the Projects dots issue.)

No one knows, but you can expect it to be a good long time. MS has announced
officially that they will be supporting Apple's move to Intel computers and
building "Universal Binaries" that run on both PPC and Intel Macs. That
means they first have to switch all their code (all million lines) to Xcode,
then do the conversions needed. Then they have also officially announced
that they will be supporting Office Windows 12's new file formats - a huge
effort. Then they will surely be making _some_ changes to the UI, if not the
identical wholesale changes as Win Office 12 -an even bigger issue. And, of
course, fixing bugs and adding features. And before they do that, they've
promised to bring out another upgrade to 2004 that supports Tiger
SyncServices.

Normally a good rule of thumb would be to add a year to the release date of
Win Office 12 - which isn't even in beta yet (soon). This time there could
be an even longer gap. MacBU usually makes really major announcements (first
approximate time-scale of releases, for example) timed to major Mac events
like MacWorld and WWDC. I'd be really surprised if there were any such
announcement at Macworld in January 2006 - far too early. I'd guess the
earliest would be a year later for a release sometime (much) later in 2007,
or even later.

 

[Donald McDaniel]

Why are you quoting a previous message that has nothing to do with your new
subject? (By the way, OS 10.4.3 fixes the Projects dots issue.)

No one knows, but you can expect it to be a good long time. MS has announced
officially that they will be supporting Apple's move to Intel computers and
building "Universal Binaries" that run on both PPC and Intel Macs. That
means they first have to switch all their code (all million lines) to Xcode,
then do the conversions needed. Then they have also officially announced
that they will be supporting Office Windows 12's new file formats - a huge
effort. Then they will surely be making _some_ changes to the UI, if not the
identical wholesale changes as Win Office 12 -an even bigger issue. And, of
course, fixing bugs and adding features. And before they do that, they've
promised to bring out another upgrade to 2004 that supports Tiger
SyncServices.

Normally a good rule of thumb would be to add a year to the release date of
Win Office 12 - which isn't even in beta yet (soon). This time there could
be an even longer gap. MacBU usually makes really major announcements (first
approximate time-scale of releases, for example) timed to major Mac events
like MacWorld and WWDC. I'd be really surprised if there were any such
announcement at Macworld in January 2006 - far too early. I'd guess the
earliest would be a year later for a release sometime (much) later in 2007,
or even later.

A version of Office for OS X will not be released until a version of Office
for Vista is released (sometime in the 3rd or 4th quarter of 2006).

It seems most logical to me that the next version of Office for Mac which is
released should be compiled for OS XI, probably as a Universal Binary, so
that it can also run on a PPC. Of course, when did Microsoft ever consider
the pocketbooks of the users of their software?

It is also possible that the Intel processor used as the platform for the
next generation of OS X will be called something entirely different than
"x86". After all, any Intel "x86" processor which will be able to run both
OS X and Windows Vista natively will have to be a 64-bit-or-better machine.

 

[twelvtrees]

I have a new question about the latest update, probably a minor matter,
but still ...

My Version Tracker Pro update report looks like this:

Your version Current version

Microsoft Component Plugin 11.2.1 11.2.1

Path:​ /Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Office/Microsoft Component
Plugin

√ Microsoft Office 11.2 11.2.1

Path:​ /Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Office/Microsoft Office

.... indicating that the second component should have been updated in
the new update but wasn't. Following the path shows it's true that the
final "Microsoft Office" is version 11.2.0, last modified 8/11/05.

Is that how it's supposed to be? Is Version Tracker incorrect in
indicating that that component gets updated in the general update? If
it is correct, is there a way to update without using the package
installer, rather by placing each new component?

Like I said, picayune, but I hate when discrepancies show up. I always
wonder, Is it me, or them?

Thank you.

Debra

 

[twelvtrees]

I have a new question about the latest update, probably a minor matter,

but still ...

My Version Tracker Pro update report looks like this:

Your version Current version

Microsoft Component Plugin 11.2.1 11.2.1

Path:​ /Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Office/Microsoft Component

Plugin

√ Microsoft Office 11.2 11.2.1

Path:​ /Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Office/Microsoft Office

.... indicating that the second component should have been updated in
the new update but wasn't. Following the path shows it's true that the
final "Microsoft Office" is version 11.2.0, last modified 8/11/05.

Is that how it's supposed to be? Is Version Tracker incorrect in
indicating that that component gets updated in the general update? If
it is correct, is there a way to update without using the package
installer, rather by placing each new component?

Like I said, picayune, but I hate when discrepancies show up. I always
wonder, Is it me, or them?

Thank you.

Debra

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi,

If you are concerned that you missed an update they are all here:
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/downloads.aspx#Office2004

There was an 11.2 update that was quickly followed by 11.2.1, which
contained an important update for people using Microsoft Entourage with
Exchange servers.

-Jim

 

[Paul Berkowitz]

I have a new question about the latest update, probably a minor matter,
but still ...

My Version Tracker Pro update report looks like this:

Your version Current version

Microsoft Component Plugin 11.2.1 11.2.1

Path:​ /Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Office/Microsoft Component
Plugin

√ Microsoft Office 11.2 11.2.1

Path:​ /Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Office/Microsoft Office

... indicating that the second component should have been updated in

the new update but wasn't. Following the path shows it's true that the
final "Microsoft Office" is version 11.2.0, last modified 8/11/05.

Is that how it's supposed to be? Is Version Tracker incorrect in
indicating that that component gets updated in the general update? If
it is correct, is there a way to update without using the package
installer, rather by placing each new component?

Like I said, picayune, but I hate when discrepancies show up. I always
wonder, Is it me, or them?

There's no such file or application as "Microsoft Office", hence the
anomaly. Yes, when you use the updater, your version of Microsoft Office
2004 (the actual name of the _suite_ of applications you bought) is "de
facto" 11.2.1, but there's no actual file or folder with that name. Version
Tracker Pro is just making it up (or extrapolating). The file that tells you
which version you have is in fact the Microsoft Component Plugin, which is ,
as you have discovered, 11.2.1 . That's it. Finito. End of discussion.
Version Tracker Pro is making an error in not stating that the version of
"Microsoft Office" is now 11.2.1, since it's the Microsoft Component Plugin
version which reports the version of Office. It's them.

--
Paul Berkowitz
MVP MacOffice
Entourage FAQ Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq/index.html>
AppleScripts for Entourage: <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/>

Please "Reply To Newsgroup" to reply to this message. Emails will be
ignored.

PLEASE always state which version of Microsoft Office you are using -
**2004**, X or 2001. It's often impossible to answer your questions
otherwise.

 

[CyberTaz]

Just to add to the confusion, If you use the 'About' in either app _except_
Entourage, the version still reads as 11.2, as does the Get Info dialog for
each when you access it directly from the app icon.

The updater log indicates that the only items modified by the 11.2.1 are
Entourage & the MS Component Plugin... A total of 7 lines in the updater log
as opposed to the several thousand lines in the 11.2.0 updater log.

Regards |:>)

 

[scott boettcher]

There are many times when an application doesn't change but the libraries
and other assorted files do.
Nothing out of the ordinary...

SB

 

[Larry Robinson]

Thanks Paul...still using your sync software...very cool. Is v2.6.4 the
latest? larry

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

You can check VersionTracker to see if there is an updated version
available, much faster than asking here.

 

[Paul Berkowitz]

2.6.4 is still the latest. Fortunately, I seem to have come to the end of
the bugs several months ago. (Famous last words - someone just found a bug
in the iCal script that only comes up in very, very unusual circumstances -
which is why no one hit it until now.)

I will be coming out with a new version sometime soon to work with Entourage
11.2 using Exchange accounts. At the moment you can only sync the Entourage
address book (and calendar) associated with your default email account: if
that's Exchange it will be your Exchange address book, if it's POP or IMAP
it will be your local calendar. (So this doesn't affect people who don't
have Exchange accounts.) You can easily work around this by re-setting your
default mail account before synching. But I'll put out a version that lets
you choose which address book to sync - it won't have to be the default.
that's quite a bit of work (and will be sure to have a few bugs...)

--
Paul Berkowitz
MVP MacOffice
Entourage FAQ Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq/index.html>
AppleScripts for Entourage: <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/>

Please "Reply To Newsgroup" to reply to this message. Emails will be
ignored.

PLEASE always state which version of Microsoft Office you are using -
**2004**, X or 2001. It's often impossible to answer your questions
otherwise.