Dec 15, 2020 Microsoft's main app collection of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook in Microsoft 365 have all been updated to run natively on Apple Silicon M1 Macs, with more related apps coming. IT之家12月16日消息 据微软官方宣布，今天为其多款 Microsoft 365 for Mac 应用程序发布新更新，以引入对苹果 M1 MacBook Pro、MacBook Air 和 Mac mini 的原生支持。 IT之家获悉，微软核心 Office 应用，包括 Office、Word、Excel、PowerPoint 和 OneNote 现在能够在 M1 Mac 上运行得更快。. Microsoft's main app collection of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook in Microsoft 365 have all been updated to run natively on Apple Silicon M1 Macs, with more related apps coming. The new Microsoft 365 for Mac Apps have been designed to run natively on the ARM-based M1 chip, which underpins Apple's latest MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac Mini devices. SEE: Apple Silicon M1.
Although Apple even has its own office suite, made up of Pages, Numbers and Keynote, the truth is that it does not quite fit in with some users either. And it is that, the truth is that the most widespread, compatible and perhaps easiest to use formats are Microsoft Office. Currently, the applications in this group are available for a large number of operating systems and devices, even a somewhat smaller online version being available but which may be ideal for students or companies, among others.
For this same great compatibility, it was expected that from Microsoft to make progress in order to adapt their software available for Mac to the new M1 chip from Apple SiliconThe truth is that in the new equipment of the firm, although the programs can be executed correctly, a correct adaptation is necessary to obtain the best performance, in which they are already working.
Microsoft Office for Mac beta compatible with the M1 chip is now available
As we mentioned, in this case the advances that surround Microsoft in terms of the launch of a new version of Office compatible with the M1 chip go back to a preliminary version in beta, as are other firms such as Adobe with Photoshop . In this way, just as has reported through Twitter Erik Schwiebert (Chief Product Engineer for Office products for Apple computers within Microsoft), a few days ago there was the launch of a beta of Microsoft Office with the corresponding support for Apple Silicon.
And the Universal build is live on the Beta Channel!
– Erik Schwiebert (@Schwieb) November 12, 2020
Thus, If you wish, you will be able to try this new version compatible with the M1 chip if you already have one of the new Macs with the same. To do this, you must sign up for the Microsoft beta program and have the corresponding Office subscription for macOS in its latest version, with which you will receive the corresponding updates and you will be able to try this and other future news directly on your own computer.
However, you should bear in mind that this implies a certain risk, as it can expose you to other types of problems that can end up in more complicated matters, so it is not entirely recommended that you install the beta versions of Microsoft Office on your Mac unless you are a developer or need it for some specific reason. You must bear in mind that, although it is not in the most optimal way possible at present, your version of Office for Mac should work without problems on your team.
Apple took the wraps off its own in-house built M1 processor earlier this week, and the first devices powered by it are supposed to go on sale on November 17.
Needless to say, the apps out there need to be optimized to run on Apple Silicon, and as the world’s number one software company, Microsoft wants to be one of the first to bring its products on Apple’s new devices.
Only a day after first announcing the beta builds of Office for Apple Silicon, Microsoft returns with a big announcement: Microsoft 365 and Office 2019 support is ready for M1-powered devices.
In other words, those getting Apple’s new generation of devices will be able to install Microsoft Office on day one thanks to this new update.
Office 365 M1 Processor
What’s important to know is that Mac users need to install the November 2020 Update, or version 16.43, to benefit from the support for M1-powered devices.
“The latest release 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 release (build 16.43), or later. This release of Office includes the latest optimizations for macOS Big Sur, which is the first operating system to support Apple Silicon,” Microsoft explains.
“Apple Silicon processors can run apps that are compiled for the Intel chipset through a software technology known as Rosetta 2. This translation layer is automatically enabled in macOS Big Sur and provides users with access to all features in Microsoft's apps including support for third-party add-ins. End-users and business customers can use existing methods to install and deploy Office.”
Microsoft explains that the first time users launch the new Office on Apple Silicon, they should notice a longer loading time, though this would no longer happen at a later time. In other words, after you install Microsoft Office on a device powered by the new M1 chip, the productivity suite would need up to 20 seconds to load more time to load (Microsoft originally estimated the whole thing would take up to 20 seconds, but this reference has since been removed), but things would come back to normal after that.
“The first launch of each Office app will take longer as the operating system has to generate optimized code for the Apple Silicon processor. Users will notice that the apps 'bounce' in the dock for approximately 20 seconds while this process completes. Subsequent app launches will be fast,” Microsoft explains.
Office 365 M1 Mac
There are no feature differences between the new build of Microsoft Office and the other versions available on macOS, as feature parity has been critical for the software giant.
In the meantime, the company says it continues the work on a universal installer that would be available on the Mac.
“As demonstrated at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June 2020, we've already started the process of moving Mac apps to universal binaries. In the future we will natively support both Apple Silicon and Intel chipsets within the same executable,” Microsoft explained.
Microsoft 365 has become one of Microsoft’s main cash cows, and it’s pretty clear that support Apple Silicon on day one is a priority. And it’s all because more and more people are working from home these days due to obvious reasons, and embracing productivity suites like Office 365 is the only way to remain productive just like they would’ve been working from the office. Microsoft itself acknowledged that its products recorded massive growth in the last 8 months or so, revealing recently the adoption of Microsoft Teams skyrocketed due to the global health issue as more employees started working remotely.