Friends don’t let friends use Microsoft Office
In doing some research (gasp! Say it ain’t so –ed) to substantiate what was apparently one of my more blasphemous remarks below, I did a quick search of the Kaspersky virus database and uncovered the following:
- Macro.Word97.Mdma
- Virus.MSExcel.Extras.a
- Virus.MSWord.Plain
- Virus.Multi.Esperanto.4733
- Virus.MSWord.Archfiend
- Virus.MSWord.Mdma
As I count them there are apparently 6 viruses in the Wild for OS X, and FIVE OF THEM use exploits found in Microsoft Office code (mostly macro-based). It is also interesting that the one NON-MS Office virus in the database was a cross platform virus that has uncertain attack vectors for the Macintosh. In full disclosure, it should be noted that these viruses seem to have been written for the previous version of Office, and I don’t know if they will affect Office 2008 or not. But since they are macro-based, they provide a great reminder to always, always, always disable macros in MS Office documents.
This seems to me to be the best advertisement for iWork you can get.
Note to “Enterprise” users: I know we’ve been suckered into using MS Office because of a need to remain “Compatible”. I’ve found that I actually prefer working in iWork. I use it more when I’m the creator of a document, and often even if I’m editing someone else’s work. On compatibility I also have yet to come across a document that iWork wouldn’t open, or that MS Office couldn’t use after being exported from iWork.
So I’m going to try an experiment, 30 Days without Office, and see how it shakes out. I’ll report back in a month.
Now if someone could just figure out a credible alternative to Entourage for exchange mail and scheduling, I’d be home free.
Leigh McMullen leads the Advisory Services & Strategy practices for the professional services arm of one of the Big-Five firms. He has written several books that would cure any insomnia you might have, and is an avid Mac junkie.
