Compatibility PPT Mac 2008 and PC 2003

[maximillion]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I work in a corporate environment with mainly PC-Desktops (MS Win) and a few departments with OS X computers. I run OS X and Office for Mac 2008. I work in project teams with several people that use PPT for Windows (2003) - so we have to exchange the files quite often. We encounter A LOT of problems, like

- Fonts look different (using the same font and size) and need more space on PC. Sometimes this leads to linebreaks on the PC - no line break on Mac
- Fonts that are black, turn white on PC (or vice versa)
- The alignment of bulleted lists "gets lost" between Mac and PC
- Graphs (Diagrams, Pie Charts) "get lost" completely

Its basically impossible to work together and so we have to do all changes on the PC. I really think about getting Parallels and running Office for Windows on my Mac.
BTW: It did not really improve with the Service Packs.
BTW2: Even if I "distill" the PPT files to PDF - some of the problems persist on PC. The only way to get my PPT's to PC without problems is exporting them as JPGS and compliling a PDF from the JPGS. Not very practical.

Any ideas? Do others encounter the same problems?

Thanks,

Max (please excuse my bad English)

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I work in a corporate environment with mainly PC-Desktops (MS Win) and a few departments with OS X
computers. I run OS X and Office for Mac 2008. I work in project teams with several people that use PPT
for Windows (2003) - so we have to exchange the files quite often. We encounter A LOT of problems, like

- Fonts look different (using the same font and size) and need more space on PC. Sometimes this leads

to linebreaks on the PC - no line break on Mac

- Fonts that are black, turn white on PC (or vice versa)
- The alignment of bulleted lists "gets lost" between Mac and PC
- Graphs (Diagrams, Pie Charts) "get lost" completely

Its basically impossible to work together and so we have to do all changes on the PC. I really think

about getting Parallels and running Office for Windows on my Mac.

BTW: It did not really improve with the Service Packs.
BTW2: Even if I "distill" the PPT files to PDF - some of the problems persist on PC. The only way to

get my PPT's to PC without problems is exporting them as JPGS and compliling a PDF from the JPGS. Not
very practical.

Any ideas? Do others encounter the same problems?

Some of the problems are due to platform (Mac vs Windows) differences. Others are due to PPT
version/file format differences. Mac 2008 and PC 2007 are the closest equivalents. Even between PCs,
moving files back and forth between PPT 2007 and earlier versions (2003 and previous) *will* cause
problems.

If the majority of your "clients" use Windows/2003 then running that on your Mac under Parallels or
Fusion probably IS the best solution.

Thanks,

Max (please excuse my bad English)

I can't do that; there's nothing to excuse. I thought you were a native speaker until I saw your
signature.