As a result, I can only perform the most basic of tasks. I can upload and approve documents, but I can’t edit a document directly on the server as I can if I’m accessing the library on Internet Explorer and a Microsoft SharePoint-compatible application. It’s kind of a pain downloading and re-uploading documents when the changes are relatively minor. Later this year, Microsoft is planning on adding the ability for Office 2008 to interact directly with SharePoint, so that might help.

That functionality was part of the recently-released Service Pack 2 for Office 2008. Specifically, you can now check out, edit, and check in documents directly on a SharePoint site. I had a few moments today to test it out and here’s my report from an hour or so of testing.

Before I get too far into the SharePoint tools, I wanted to talk about the speed increases. I have a 2006 MacBook with 2GB of RAM. Even running the latest version of Office 2008, my load times were fairly long. I’ve noticed a significant improvement with SP2. I didn’t do any time tests, but they feel about half what they were. They certainly patched in more snappy.

Without getting into the PC/Mac debate too much, I’ll just say how Microsoft has integrated SharePoint within Office 2007 for the PC is amazing — I can even launch workflows on documents. The Document Connection Tool, however, earns an enthusiastic “Eh, well, it’s not bad.” Granted, I can finally edit a document on the site without jumping through a lot of hoops, I still can’t manage workflows and approve documents for publication. It’s not a big omission; I can do those just fine from the browser.

While the Document Connection Tool is a standalone program, you can access it from the File menu in Word and PowerPoint (oddly, I did not see the option in Excel).

The Open From Document Connection Screen

The first time you launch the program, you’ll be greated with a blank window. Choose “Connect to a SharePoint Site…”

A blank Document Connection Screen

Enter in your SharePoint info.

Entering in your SharePoint information

You can also connect to an Office Live Workspace (an online collaboration tool similar to, but not exactly like, Google Docs). Regardless of which you connect to, you’ll manage your documents in this screen (for Corporate Security reasons, I’m showing the connection to my personal Office Live Workspace, not my company’s SharePoint site).

Managing Documents

You manage documents in either location similarly. The biggest difference is in SharePoint you click “Check Out” to edit a document; in Office Live you click “Edit.” In terms of working with existing workspaces in Office Live, the Document Connection Tool is adequate. When it comes to managing those workspaces, it’s not that great. While I can upload a new document to an Office Live workspace (its version of folders), it doesn’t appear I can create new workspaces or delete documents (the “discard” button is grayed out).

Also, these tools seem to assume you have an Internet connection. There doesn’t appear to be any sort of offline syncing similar to Google Gears — while the press release claims offline document caching, I haven’t seen where the cache files are kept, and the only way I’ve been able to open a cached file is from the Recents menu. However, that’s from testing with Office Live, I didn’t test with my production documents on my SharePoint site.

While the Document Connection Tool is a good first step, there are a few things I’d like to see added: the ability to approve documents and manage workflows on a SharePoint site, and the ability to check out a document from both SharePoint and Office Live for offline editing — or make it clearer where I can find them.

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The first is for the Open XML File Format Converter, which bumps the version to 1.0.1 and fixes a remote code execution (rated by Microsoft as “important”) associated with security bulleting MS08-057. The Open XML Converter allows you to convert Open XML files that were created in Office 2008 for Mac or Office 2007 for Windows so that you can open, edit, and save them in earlier versions of Office for Mac. The download is 44MB and should be installed by anyone running Office 2004 or Office v. X on OS X 10.4.9 or higher.

Next up is Office 2004 with a 13MB patch to version 11.5.2 which addresses vulnerabilities which could allow attackers to run code on your system.

Similarly, Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac kicks it up to version 12.1.3 which addresses similar vulnerabilities as the Office 2004 update in this 154MB download.

You can avoid all this work by letting Microsoft do the work for you with their auto-update.

In Good Company

Apple also posted Security Update 2008-007 on October 9th, which addressed nineteen (19) groups of vulnerabilities across a wide spectrum of OS X 10.4 and OS X 10.5 built-in software. Of particular interest are:

• fixes to QuickLook crashes for users of Microsoft Excel
• a patch to a local privilege escalation issue with the network stack
• a fairly gnarly problem with launchd (specific to OS X 10.5.5) that can result in improper sandoxing of some scheduled applications
• correction to a buffer overflow situation with ColorSync that can be taken advantage of with maliciously crafted images (those evil images again)

Apple also updated trusted root certificates (which are an important component of ensuring secure network communications).

You can check out the other vulnerabilities that were corrected and grab them via Software Update or Apple Downloads (between 31MB & 200MB depending on your system).

Firmware Updates Join The Frey

Apple also posted MacBook/MacBook Pro Software Update 1.2 which — true to form — nebulously “improves compatibility with external displays and includes a variety of software fixes” (would anyone let Microsoft get away with this?). The 45MB update is available now.

The updates caused no issues for me, but I’d be interested to hear if anyone else experienced any problems or post-install issues.

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Back in 2007, MacTech Magazine produced a comprehensive guide to scripting Office 2008 that has become somewhat of a de-facto reference guide for scripting Office 2008. The Microsoft Mac Business Unit realized how valuable this guide is for Mac power users & IT staff and has sponsored both free downloads of the publication (in PDF form) and a free subscription to MacTech Magazine. They have also worked with MacTech Magazine to offer the ability to order hard copies of the 150-page book that also includes a complementary subscription to the magazine.

The guide is available online and the sponsored free PDF is available here. You can order the hardcopy version via this link.

“Free” is somewhat subjective in that you’ll need to pay $9.99USD shipping and handling, but that is well-below the magazine subscription price and a the equivalent of 2-3 Starbucks beverages. But, you may access the online version completely without charge (you’ll just need to pay price of time and mouse-click wear-and-tear) and no strings attached.

Here’s what you can look forward to:

• Introduction: Converting VBA Macros to AppleScript in Microsoft Office
  VBA is going away in Office 2008 for Mac. Learn about the challenges and the benefits.

• Chapter 1: AppleScript Basics
  Tools, Resources and First Steps in AppleScript Syntax

• Chapter 2: AppleScript in Microsoft Office (General)
  Issues in converting VBA to AppleScript in Word, Excel and PowerPoint

• Chapter 3: Word
  Word VBA Macros to AppleScript

• Chapter 4: Excel
  Excel VBA Macros to AppleScript

• Chapter 5: PowerPoint
  PowerPoint VBA Macros to AppleScript

• Chapter 6: Entourage
  An Introduction to Entourage Scripting (No VBA Anywhere in Sight)

• Chapter 7: Resources
  Books, References, and Tools discussed in Moving from MS Office VBA to AppleScript

If you are a hardcore Office scripter and have some great tips and/or scripts to share, drop a note in the comments.

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Erik Schwiebert posted instructions for a temporary fix over at Mac Mojo and Microsoft will be issuing an official patch/update to address the issue as well. Erik’s instuctions require some Terminal-fu, so I wrapped them into an executable – Fix Office 2008 Permissions.

Just download/extract the archive and run the executable. You will be prompted for your password since the fix requires elevated privileges.

If you have any issues with the executable or following Erik’s instructions, post them in the comments and I’ll see if your particular install requires any tweaking.

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• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era
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• Content Farms: The Players, The Benefits, The Risks