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Microsoft Office For Macbook Pro
Microsoft did not hold back any punches while comparing the Surface Pro 7 with Apple’s MacBook Pro in the new commercial video posted on YouTube. In the video, the MacBook Pro is criticised for lacking the versatility quotient which Surface Pro 7 offers with the detachable keyboard, touchscreen, and better portability. It is to be noted that the 13-inch MacBook Pro used in the video is not the one powered with the recently released M1 chip but the Intel one.
Microsoft recently announced that it was officially ending support for Office 2016 for Mac on October 13, 2020. Apple Silicon compatibility in Office 2016 is questionable. I purchased Office 365 for 5 products. Then I realized the 2 of the 5 are Apple operating systems rather than Microsoft. I know Offfice 365 is available for Apple operating systems, but I need to know if 1 licenses can be used for 2 different operating systems.
While Surface Pro 7 has a 12.3-inch touchscreen with support for pen whereas the MacBook Pro only has a touch bar. Then, it points out that MacBook Pro’s design is of a simple laptop whereas the Surface Pro 7 can also be used as a tablet. It is followed by the device’s capability of running games. In the video, the company claims that their device is better for gaming compared to Apple’s.
In the end, the price of the two is compared in US dollars. MacBook Pro starts at $1,299 whereas the Surface Pro 7 starts at $890. Comparing it to the prices in India, the 13-inch Intel-powered MacBook Pro with 512GB storage starts at Rs 1,74,900, and the M1-powered starts at Rs 1,22,900. On the other hand, the Surface Pro 7 with 256GB storage is currently available for Rs 99,490. The price difference is quite huge but buyers opt for one or the other depending on their usage.
While the commercial clearly tries to pitch the Surface Pro 7 as a better device compared to the MacBook Pro, it does not make Apple’s notebook less desirable. Sure, the MacBook Pro lacks a touch screen but people don’t buy Apple’s high-performance notebook for a touch screen or playing games. It is a machine used by creatives and designers who want the best laptop for rendering videos or editing really big photos.
The latest Microsoft 365 and Office 2019 updates make the productivity suite fully compatible with macOS Big Sur and Apple Silicon — but it is not native code for the M1 processor.
The latest release of Microsoft's Office suite of apps including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and OneDrive can be installed on devices that are based on the Apple Silicon architecture. For the best experience, install the November 2020 build 16.43, or newer.
Beyond Apple Silicon compatibility, the new release includes the 'latest optimizations for macOS Big Sur' which is expected to be made available on Thursday afternoon.
Microsoft says that the Apple Silicon updates have feature parity with the previous versions. It also says that the first launch of each Office app will take a bit longer, as macOS is generating optimized code for the Apple Silicon processor — confirming that the code isn't native to Apple Silicon, and is relying on Rosetta 2 for operation.
There does not appear to be any discrete download at this time. The new updates are available through the Microsoft Update utility in macOS.
A Microsoft 365 subscription comes in business, personal and family versions. The business version costs from $5 per month per user, and the personal edition is $6.99 per month.
Microsoft Office For Macbook Air
Microsoft recently announced that it was officially ending support for Office 2016 for Mac on October 13, 2020. Apple Silicon compatibility in Office 2016 is questionable.
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