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If anyone is interested, Microsoft just recently released Office 2016 for mac. I've downloaded it and found that the installer is a mental defective that (for a variety of reasons actually) refuses to properly install the volume licensed software. They appear to expect me to walk around to hundreds of computers and install them one at a time. I don't think so.

So half the afternoon spent fixing their broken deployment system and now I can select whole labs at a time and upgrade them from 2011. (and no, my users don't see that auto update warning either) Any other admins looking for this information let me know and I'll put together something easier to follow than my current notes here.
Originally Posted By: Virtual1
If anyone is interested, Microsoft just recently released Office 2016 for mac. I've downloaded it and found that the installer is a mental defective that (for a variety of reasons actually) refuses to properly install the volume licensed software. They appear to expect me to walk around to hundreds of computers and install them one at a time. I don't think so.

So half the afternoon spent fixing their broken deployment system and now I can select whole labs at a time and upgrade them from 2011. (and no, my users don't see that auto update warning either) Any other admins looking for this information let me know and I'll put together something easier to follow than my current notes here.


Is your 2016 Office 2016 only for volume purchasers?

I am looking for the stand-alone version (2 licenses) rather than any subscription variety. Do you have a link for such?
Originally Posted By: Pendragon
I am looking for the stand-alone version (2 licenses) rather than any subscription variety. Do you have a link for such?

It's my impression/understanding that all new Microsoft Office for Mac versions are now available only as a "rental" (ie, by subscription).
If there is indeed a way to acquire versions newer than Office for Mac 2011 (via a self-contained DVD or equivalent), I too would be interested in knowing. (Otherwise it's gonna be nasty when my 2011 version can no longer be updated; I'll have to find another suite of applications to replace it.)
A stand-alone version of Office 2016 will be available sometime this month (September). From Your top 10 questions about Office 2016 for Mac answered:

"Office 2016 for Mac is currently only available for Office 365 subscription customers. It will be available via one-time purchase in late September."
That's what confused me, Jon. When V1 posted (above), I wondered if Office 2016 had indeed been released, albeit early, and 'twas the MS site that had not been updated.

While I like Office 2011 well enough, and favor it when in dialog with PC collegues, I generally prefer using Pages, Numbers, & Keynote. So unless there is a competitively priced 2 license package, I'll likely defer until a deep discount is available. Or, as long as Office 2011 is maintained.
Since I'm using Office 2008, I'll probably be forced to go for Office 2016. MS stopped supporting my version quite awhile ago. I haven't really played with Pages so maybe I'll try it. I prefer Entourage to Mail but I don't know about Outlook. I don't use Powerpoint or Excel, much less Keynote and Numbers.
Since you are accustomed to MS Word you probably should take a look at NeoOffice (available from the App Store) or its open source (donation ware) siblings Apache OpenOffice and LibreOffice. All spring from the same open source kernel and are a credible replacement, for the MS Office Suite but each has a slightly different look and feel. They are compatible with doc and docx document formats as well as xls, ppt and their x variants. I am partial to OpenOffice probably because I have used it for several years now but I believe it has the best integration into OS X of the three.
Originally Posted By: jchuzi
A stand-alone version of Office 2016 will be available sometime this month (September). From Your top 10 questions about Office 2016 for Mac answered:
"Office 2016 for Mac is currently only available for Office 365 subscription customers. It will be available via one-time purchase in late September."

Merci for the info. For once I'm glad to stand corrected. Perhaps life after 2011 won't be too bad.

What I do find fascinating — OK, maybe only moderately interesting — is:
4. Can I use Office 2016 for Mac and Office for Mac 2011 on the same Mac?
Yes, you can use them side-by-side on the same Mac. And by the way, here’s how you add the app icons for Office 2016 to the dock.

(As an aside: I probably would never have come across that blog, since I only visit the update page for Microsoft Office for Mac in order to do the obvious.)
MS Office 2016 is now available as a stand-alone application (no subscription). Microsoft download page
Yikes! $150.00 for just one license. mad

Me thinks 'tis time to hasten my migration to the iWork suite.
And the cheaper(!) version doesn't include Outlook. It's only Word, Excel and Powerpoint.
Originally Posted By: jchuzi
And the cheaper(!) version doesn't include Outlook. It's only Word, Excel and Powerpoint.

The only reason they're selling that is to try to diffuse the hoards that are complaining about subscription-only based software. (MS would much rather you pay them an ongoing yearly tax than a one-time up-front fee)
The only apps in the Office suite that I use are Word and Entourage (aka Outlook). If I have to buy Office 2016, it will be the expensive one because of Outlook. But, I'm only considering it because Office 2008 may not work in OS 10.11. I wouldn't mind switching to Mail, but my wife will freak out if she has to learn a new program. She knows some things about Entourage but refuses to take the time to learn other necessary procedures.

I'm assuming, of course, that Outlook works like Entourage. We'll see...
I suppose (guess), µS precludes using multiple installs by calling home. But with the popularity of LittleSnitch and the like, isn't that a weak method? Or, do they merely preclude µS from launching if the call home can't be completed? And then what would happen were one not to have an Internet connection? What a mess. Feh!

And, as many have great distain for apps that call home, it seems (to me) that a better system could be devised, like, uh, reasonable prices.
Originally Posted By: Pendragon
I suppose (guess), µS precludes using multiple installs by calling home. But with the popularity of LittleSnitch and the like, isn't that a weak method? Or, do they merely preclude µS from launching if the call home can't be completed? And then what would happen were one not to have an Internet connection? What a mess. Feh!

And, as many have great distain for apps that call home, it seems (to me) that a better system could be devised, like, uh, reasonable prices.

it's worth noting that LS is not bulletproof. BBEdit is a good example of an app that waltzes right around LS. (it likely is doing this by using some other network-authorized app as a proxy)
Originally Posted By: Virtual1
Originally Posted By: Pendragon
I suppose (guess), µS precludes using multiple installs by calling home. But with the popularity of LittleSnitch and the like, isn't that a weak method? Or, do they merely preclude µS from launching if the call home can't be completed? And then what would happen were one not to have an Internet connection? What a mess. Feh!

And, as many have great distain for apps that call home, it seems (to me) that a better system could be devised, like, uh, reasonable prices.

it's worth noting that LS is not bulletproof. BBEdit is a good example of an app that waltzes right around LS. (it likely is doing this by using some other network-authorized app as a proxy)


Thanks, V1. I really thought LS was bulletproof. And as for using proxies, I was/am ignorant of that capability as well.

Perhaps I should thank µS for being the proximate cause of my new found wisdom. Still, a pox on their house would distress me not.
Microsoft acknowledges Office 2016-OS X El Capitan crashes but lacks ETA for fix
Originally Posted By: Virtual1
it's worth noting that LS is not bulletproof. BBEdit is a good example of an app that waltzes right around LS. (it likely is doing this by using some other network-authorized app as a proxy)

TextWrangler triggers LS when it tries to connect to either barebones.com or versioncheck.barebones.com; is that what you're talking about?
And Outlook 2011 does not work with El Capitan either if connected through Exchange. IMAP accounts apparently work.
Originally Posted By: artie505
Originally Posted By: Virtual1
it's worth noting that LS is not bulletproof. BBEdit is a good example of an app that waltzes right around LS. (it likely is doing this by using some other network-authorized app as a proxy)

TextWrangler triggers LS when it tries to connect to either barebones.com or versioncheck.barebones.com; is that what you're talking about?

BBEdit does not trigger LS. TextWrangler does.
Originally Posted By: Virtual1
Originally Posted By: artie505
Originally Posted By: Virtual1
it's worth noting that LS is not bulletproof. BBEdit is a good example of an app that waltzes right around LS. (it likely is doing this by using some other network-authorized app as a proxy)

TextWrangler triggers LS when it tries to connect to either barebones.com or versioncheck.barebones.com; is that what you're talking about?

BBEdit does not trigger LS. TextWrangler does.

This is beginning to sound like Abbott & Costello's "Who's on first" routine. tongue
Originally Posted By: macnerd10
And Outlook 2011 does not work with El Capitan either if connected through Exchange. IMAP accounts apparently work.


New Office for Mac 2011 update fixes Outlook sync bug with OS X El Capitan
Thanks a lot, Jon!
It works now.
Interestingly, after the patch, Outlook 2011 is faster on message sending and retrieving than before.
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