Creating a suite that's instantly familiar to both subsets (while still looking good) is no easy feat, but Microsoft has managed it. Similarly, Microsoft has to balance the experience of Mac users coming from Office 2011 with Windows users moving over to Mac Office. Just transposing the UI over would be extremely jarring for Mac users currently working with Office 2011, or pretty much any OS X productivity application. Yosemite may be flatter and simpler than previous versions of OS X, but it's not Windows 10. The new apps change that, bringing a user interface that sits somewhere between Windows' ultra-modern look and the traditional layout of Office 2011.Īlthough some may look on in envy at the clean, uncluttered look of the upcoming Windows' Office 2016 suite, the compromise here makes a lot of sense. Although Microsoft has done a good job updating the suite over the years, the overall look and feel of the apps just don't gel with the dramatic changes OS X has seen since 2010. Using Office 2011 on the Mac is like stepping back in time.
