Microsoft releases Office 2019 with Apple M1-soc support – Computer – News

Microsoft 365 and Office 2019 have both with the December 2020 version native support for Apple’s M1-soc. The macOS operating system now chooses whether the M1 version or the Intel version of Office 2019 should be started.

Included with the update are Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote according to Microsoft Universal apps, where the programs support both Intel processors and Apple’s own M1 socs. Microsoft recommends that users let macOS choose which version to boot, although the company says there are two situations in which the user can work better via the Rosetta 2 emulation. For example, Excel’s Get & Transform feature, also known as Power Query, doesn’t work in the M1 version yet. In a support message gives Microsoft however, that this support will come later. The second situation is when the user is using plugins that have not yet had an M1 support update.

Of updated Office programs are faster according to Microsoft on Apple computers with M1-soc, although they don’t give details about the speed gain. The apps have also received external changes that should better match macOS Big Sur. The Outlook for Mac app will also get support for iCloud accounts in the coming weeks. Microsoft also announced that Teams will get a Universal app.

Microsoft made over a month ago known to be working on the Universal builds of the Office apps and then released a test version. At the time, developer Erik Schwiebert indicated that the executable files would be 50 percent larger than before. The apps themselves were 12 percent larger, as was the installer. It is unclear whether the files will be larger again in the final version.

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