At the MacWorld Conference and Expo 2007, Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit (Mac BU) announced a universal Mac version of its Office 2008 suite of applications.

The company said that Office 2008 for Mac will allow Mac users to work smarter and more efficiently with new and enhanced tools that are simple, intuitive, and easily found.

Announcing the product, Roz Ho, General Manager of Mac BU, Microsoft, said, "For more than two decades, Microsoft has been committed to delivering quality and innovation on the Macintosh platform, while retaining unparalleled compatibility with PCs. Office 2008 is, by far, the most comprehensive, Mac-complementary productivity suite we have developed to date. I have witnessed first hand progression of this product, and am excited to think about the possibilities that soon will be available to our customers when Office 2008 launches later this year."

It is learnt that the universal version of Office 2008 for Mac is coded to run natively on both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs, without Mac OS X having to do any translation, thus resulting in faster (and possibly more stable) execution. As also, it is packed with new tools to help Mac users better manage the business of life.

Office 2008 for Mac shares a new graphics engine with Office for Windows, Office Art 2.0, which provides users with the ability to add professionally designed graphics with a click of a button.

And like the 2007 Microsoft Office system and its new user interface (UI) with the Ribbon, Office 2008 has its own new UI that introduces Elements Gallery, a feature that emphasizes discoverability and gives users quick access to tools and Mac- specific features within applications in a visually appealing, simple way. Both features leverage Mac OS capabilities to retain a Mac-like look and feel users are familiar with, while taking advantage of new technologies.

Office 2008 for Mac also has an array of features, including Publishing Layout View that lets users create incredibly layout-rich documents; Ledger Sheets that enables anyone to use Excel to handle common financial management tasks; and My Day applet that allows users to track priorities and stay on top of daily activities no matter what application they are currently working in.

Meanwhile, Office 2008 for Mac is scheduled to be available in the second quarter of 2007.

In addition, Microsoft is also planning for the Spring delivery of public beta versions of converters to allow users of Office 2004 for Mac, to open, edit, and save files in Office 2007 format. And these converters would ship around six to eight weeks after Office 2008 for Mac comes in the market.