Microsoft launches preview for next version of Office for Mac

March 6, 2015

Microsoft has launched a preview for the next version of Office for Mac. Microsoft's productivity suite is expected to have its official release in the second half of 2015.

The new version of Office retains familiar features while adding new and useful functionality. The Ribbon has been revamped, and the overall look of office is more in line with OS X Yosemite. Improvements have been made to all of the Office apps, including Retina-ready interfaces, and greater integration with Microsoft's cloud services. From Microsoft:

The new Office for Mac user interface is designed from the ground up to take advantage of the latest Mac features, including retina display and full-screen view support.

Improvements include the new Design tab in Word, which gives you quick access to features. Excel brings over many of the functions of Excel 2013 for Windows, and PowerPoint has an improved Animations task pane, better co-authoring, and more.

You can use the preview alongside older versions of Office apps. Each preview build will be available for about 60 days after its posting, with the last build continuing to function for a month after the official launch of the update.

Source: Microsoft