I’m just toying with the idea of abandoning MS Office for good. ($130 in the States for cheapest version.) And use the Apple software I already own, instead.

The good: Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 offers good looks that encompass deeper features than other Mac productivity software; business users get full Word mail merge, robust Excel spreadsheets, and better tools in Entourage; amateur desktop publishing features better polish documents; runs on Intel-based Macs.

The bad: Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 is pricey; saves work in new file formats by default; Excel drops Visual Basic support; features don’t match the depth of those in Office 2007 for Windows.

The bottom line: Office for Mac 2008 may be the best pick for business users, but most people can get by with less costly alternatives.

Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 Office suite reviews – Read editors’ review