Microsoft and Apple Computer are offering customers in North
America who purchase new Macintosh systems a $300 (£191) reduction
on the price of Microsoft Office.
From today until 7 January 2003, customers in North America who buy
an Apple Macintosh will be eligible to purchase Microsoft Office v.
X for Mac for $199.99. Its regular price is $499.
The companies said they would offer a similar deal to customers in
Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore beginning in
November. Customers in Japan have been offered a price cut since
August. That offer is due to expire at the end of the year.
Office Version X for Mac includes Word X, Excel X, PowerPoint X and
Entourage X, an e-mail and calendaring program available only for
the Mac. Customers will have to purchase Office at the same time
they buy their Mac in order to receive the discount, the companies
said.
New Apple systems ship with Mac OS X version 10.2. They also come
with a basic text-editing program and Mail, an e-mail application
from Apple. It also bundles its AppleWorks office productivity
software with its iMac, eMac and iBook lines.
Microsoft would not comment on how many copies of Office Version X
for Mac have been sold since the product was released late last
year.
"In the short term, things are getting better and we're pleased
where things are going," said Tim McDonough, marketing director for
Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit (MacBU). "We take a really
long-term view on the business."
The MacBU has been releasing software updates for Apple's new
operating system, including the first set of security and feature
updates for Office Version X for Mac, version 3.5 of MSN Messenger
for Mac and software that allows users of Palm OS-powered handhelds
to synchronise information with Entourage.
The group has also announced plans to release a version of
Microsoft's MSN Internet access software for Mac OS X systems in
early 2003. The MacBU has already begun work on future versions of
Office and Internet Explorer for Mac, McDonough said.