Topic: MS Office 2008 (Mac) Pilot Group
Date: March 25, 2008 - May 29 2008
Activity Length: 9 weeks
Method: 3 one-hour meetings and online discussion via Blackboard CE
Results Summary
General Comments
Minimum System Requirements
Resources
Much like the campus-wide implementation of Microsoft Office 2007 for PC users in fall 2007, IR Training Services invited the Mac campus community to particiapte in a 9-week pilot group to discuss Microsoft Office 2008 (Mac). Participants upgraded their software from MS Office 2004 to MS Office 2008, communicated challenges and solutions with pilot group participants through live meetings and online discussions via Bb-CE, and discussed recommendations which will directly shape the technical training programming for Microsoft Office 2008 (Mac).
RESULTS SUMMARY
Pilot group participants were able to successfully transition their primary work computer to Microsoft Office 2008 (Mac) and gain familiarity with the new version over the 9-week period. The pilot group went quite smoothly, with participants reporting no problems and had very few complaints about the upgrade. Most comments where focused on task specific items rather than the upgrade itself. For example, quirky items in Entourage 2004 haven’t been fixed in 2008, problems opening .doc and .xls documents, and working with formulas and equations.
Training recommendations include:
- Conducting demos of Microsoft Office 2008
- Having informational handouts and cheat sheets readily available to Mac users.
- Provide and clearly communicate installation instructions
Questions regarding the overall transition:
- Will CD’s of Microsoft Office 2008 be available for personal purchase?
- When will the rest of the campus be required to make the transition to ease compatibility issues.
Specific challenges pilot group discussed include:
- Getting the campus-community to make the upgrade.
- Communicating the transition to the campus.
- Compatibility issues with other users until they make the transition to Microsoft Office 2008.
Communication recommendations concerning the upgrade to Microsoft Office 2008:
- Write an article and submit to the campus newspaper, The Whit.
- Send out a Rowan General Announcer by email.
- Communicate with the campus on a frequent basis.
To view Bb-CE discussions from pilot group members, please visit: http://webct.rowan.edu/webct/entryPageIns.dowebct
Login using your Rowan Network Username and Password.
GENERAL COMMENTS
Overall, participants found the pilot group to be beneficial and would recommend future pilot groups be established for critical software implementation.
Information Resources Training Services would like to thank those Mac pilot group participants who take time out of their busy schedule to share their experiences upgrading to Microsoft Office 2008 for the benefit of the campus community!
REQUIREMENTS
To run Microsoft® Office 2008 for Mac, your computer must meet the following requirements (click here for more details):
Processor: Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (500 MHz or faster)
Operating system: Mac OS X version 10.4.9 or later
Memory: 512 MB of RAM or more
Disk Space: 1.5 GB of available hard disk space
If you wish to participate in the pilot group, but require an operating system upgrade, please contact the support desk at support@rowan.edu or extension 4400 to schedule an appointment with the computer workshop.
Blackboard CE (formerly WebCT): http://webct.rowan.edu
Login: Rowan network username and password
IR Online Training Center: www.rowan.edu/irtraining
Login: Rowan network username and password
Pilot Group Details: http://www.rowan.edu/toolbox/training/feedbackforum
Login: not applicable
