Word 2008 is s-l-o-w

[Ken]

I used Mac Pilot to remove the PPC code from Microsoft Word. The Intel-only version was just as glacial as the Universal binary. [Drat!] Word is so slow that either Microsoft doesn't care about Office 2008 or the Vista team wrote it. Anyway, after having been a avid Word fan since the DOS version 2, I am disappointed. I even smuggled Word into offices when WordPerfect was the standard. Now Word 2007 has cut off its expert users with a whacko interface and Word 2008 is too pokey. I don't think much effort went into it.

Did they write Word 2008 to convince us all to switch to something else? I doubt it. But if that had been their goal, they are close to achieving it.

 

[Ken]

Let me add that Word was a great word processor. I used it for 20 some years. I loved it, I evangelized it, I taught it, I made a living with it. Now I feel like I'm giving a funeral eulogy. This is indeed a tragic end for a truly great word processor. I am very serious about this. Word 2007 and Word 2008 feel like the death of a good and true friend.

it's not too late! Microsoft could still resuscitate it and make it good again, but I think they are too busy with other priorities.

<taps>

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Ken:

OK, let's take them one by one...

1) Yes, it is achingly slow in OS 10.5.2. Apple flat-footed them with a
graphics update that introduced a conflict.

2) It's a documented bug, and they are working very hard on it. They had
hoped to have the fix out last Tuesday, but it wasn't ready. I think they
may be waiting on Apple to do their end so they can test it.

Expect to see that fix just as soon as they get it tested.

3) No: Word 2008 is not a "re-compile". It's practically a re-write, and
it has a completely new and unique collection of bugs. However, the code to
handle .DOCX was handed over the fence from the Windows Office mob, and it
still needs a lot of optimisation to run well under Mac OS

Hang in there

I have a 2GB MacBook (Core Duo) and a 4GB iMac (Core 2 Extreme)

Word 2008 is achingly slow to launch. It's go-get-a-cup-of-coffee slow.

I have also noticed something very interesting. I have an 800-page document
that contains only text and three styles. It was originally DOC but I saved it
as DOCX with Word 2008. The DOC version of the document loads almost
instantly, but the DOCX version loads very, very slowly. I even get to look at
a progress bar.

By way of contrast, both Pages and NeoOffice load the DOCX file much faster
than Word 2008.

Is Word 2008 just a Universal Binary recompile of Word 2004 with a file
converter? DOCX does not seem to be its native file format.

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Sydney, Australia. S33°53'34.20 E151°14'54.50
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Ken:

Well, I think you are being a little harsh

I'm an "expert user" and Word 2007 has not cut me off Yeah, I do a
certain amount of swearing at it when I can't remember where things are, but
at my age, that happens with any bit of software

As for Word 2008: I don't know WHAT they were smoking when they released it
I suspect that Product Marketing told them to hit their dates, ready or
not. That's how these things usually happen...

However, I do know that they are working very, very hard to fix it.

And you're right: part of the blame does belong to the Vista team. They
sucked up all the development resources in the company for YEARS to make
that pile of doo-doo...

Cheers

I used Mac Pilot to remove the PPC code from Microsoft Word. The Intel-only
version was just as glacial as the Universal binary. [Drat!] Word is so slow
that either Microsoft doesn't care about Office 2008 or the Vista team wrote
it. Anyway, after having been a avid Word fan since the DOS version 2, I am
disappointed. I even smuggled Word into offices when WordPerfect was the
standard. Now Word 2007 has cut off its expert users with a whacko interface
and Word 2008 is too pokey. I don't think much effort went into it.

Did they write Word 2008 to convince us all to switch to something else? I
doubt it. But if that had been their goal, they are close to achieving it.

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Sydney, Australia. S33°53'34.20 E151°14'54.50
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Phillip Jones]

Hi Ken:
-------------------------snip-------------------------

And you're right: part of the blame does belong to the Vista team. They
sucked up all the development resources in the company for YEARS to make
that pile of doo-doo...

You'll be glad to know That they have slip the Fed's (according cNet
news) a copy of an alpha of a Vista Replacement.

Cheers

I used Mac Pilot to remove the PPC code from Microsoft Word. The Intel-only
version was just as glacial as the Universal binary. [Drat!] Word is so slow
that either Microsoft doesn't care about Office 2008 or the Vista team wrote
it. Anyway, after having been a avid Word fan since the DOS version 2, I am
disappointed. I even smuggled Word into offices when WordPerfect was the
standard. Now Word 2007 has cut off its expert users with a whacko interface
and Word 2008 is too pokey. I don't think much effort went into it.

Did they write Word 2008 to convince us all to switch to something else? I
doubt it. But if that had been their goal, they are close to achieving it.

--
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616 Liberty Street |Who's Who. PHONE:276-632-5045, FAX:276-632-0868
Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
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[Ken]

On Word 2008, there's nothing wrong with the program other than that bar you can't hide (no big deal), and the slowness in starting up, and the mysterious slowness with DOCX files. The slowness in starting up is probably the same problem Adobe has: reinventing the wheel and having to load all that redundant stuff. The DOCX is a real puzzle, since NeoOffice and Pages did it earlier and better. I like the user interface for 2008. (I won't ever use 2007.)

On Vista, I think Microsoft was trying to make a transition from an undisciplined to a disciplined OS, similar to Apple's transition from OS 9 to OS X. Instead of having a period with two OSs in place, they tried to have a transitional OS that did things both the old way and the new way--but as it turns out, it does neither very well. Microsoft doesn't really make software for users. They make platforms for partners to make solutions for the enterprise, and that explains their UIs that appeal to ten-thumbed executives that want to make sumpin purdy without learning anything first, but leave the rest of us scratching our heads and banging our fists on the desk--the sort of UI we thankfully did not get in Office 2008. Because that target market has so many customized solutions, their legacy problem is monumental. They lost some credibility with Vista, so they have to show very quickly that they have something good in the pipeline.

I have a Dell XPS that I'm terrified to use. Should I restore XP? Should I install software on Vista? It will take a whole day either way, and I've already been accused (and cleared) of stealing Vista by Windows Genuine Disadvantage. I am terrified that I'll have a problem with them if I go either way. Microsoft has a finger in all my software under Windows. So while I'm trying to sort that out, I'm using Macs.