Microsoft said Monday that it has wrapped up development work on Office 2004--the latest Macintosh version of Office--with the software slated to hit stores next month.
The company said it will start mass-producing copies of the software next week, intending to have it on retail store shelves by the third week of May. As previously reported, Office 2004 adds a number of new features, including a new note-taking mode within Word and a project center for improved collaboration. Microsoft had promised that the software would debut in the first half of this year. "Things have gone really well," said Jessica Sommer, a project manager in Microsoft"s Macintosh Business Unit. "The bug counts have been very low."
Microsoft is not making any pricing changes with Office 2004. Last year, the company cut the price of Mac Office by $100, to $399, for the standard version. The company also has a $149 student and teacher version and a $499 "professional" version that includes Virtual PC for the Mac. As part of a "technology guarantee" program it announced at the beginning of the year, those who purchased the software since January will get a free upgrade. For others, the upgrade to the standard edition will cost $239--$329 for professional. The student and teacher version is not upgradeable.