MS Office vs MS for MAC for learning advanced Excel, Access, etc. if I have a MAC

[goldhelmet25]

I have an urgent need to upgrade my Excel skills, Access, and to a much lesser extent, Word, power point, etc....

The one computer I have is a 21.5" IMAC desktop, Mid 2011, Processor 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5, Memory 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3,Graphics AMD Radeon HD 6750M 512 M, Software Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5 (11G63).
Hardware Overview:


Model Name: iMac
Model Identifier: iMac12,1
Processor Name: Intel Core i5
Processor Speed: 2.5 GHz
Number of Processors: 1
Total Number of Cores: 4
L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB
L3 Cache: 6 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Boot ROM Version: IM121.0047.B1E
SMC Version (system): 1.71f22


Hardware UUID:

So, bottom line, if I am serious about learning all aspects of EXCEL & Access, at a very high level, do I need to get a non-MAC PC? Some have mentioned that there are limitations with MS for MAC compared to MS Office, which is used by virtually everyone I know in my field - mainstream business world..

Please, enlighten me. I would hate to have to buy another computer, but, if I really need to, I will. As I said, I seriously need to upgrade my skills, especially in advanced level Excel, Pivot tables, Macros, and everything else, forwards, backwards, sideways, until it I know it like the back of my hand.

 

[mole999]

The interface must be different but I can't see the product does different things on different machines (Happy to be proved wrong). As for having access to a PC with a full office suite, it doesn't need to be game specified, so a low cost second hand / manaufacturer refurb on ebay, with a decent monitor and office suite should be affordable (my two penneth)

 

[mikerickson]

There are things available on PC's that aren't on Mac. ActiveX controls and the Dictionary object to name just two.

But .... does that mean that you having a Mac will be a bad thing. A spreadsheet that runs on a Mac will always run on a PC. A spreadsheet that runs on a PC, might fail on a Mac. If you want to create iron clad spreadsheets that won't fail any user, Mac might be a better choice.

 

[goldhelmet25]

There are things available on PC's that aren't on Mac. ActiveX controls and the Dictionary object to name just two.

But .... does that mean that you having a Mac will be a bad thing. A spreadsheet that runs on a Mac will always run on a PC. A spreadsheet that runs on a PC, might fail on a Mac. If you want to create iron clad spreadsheets that won't fail any user, Mac might be a better choice.

Here's my concern. EXCEL is all anyone uses in business, and in my field, that is all they want to know - do you know Excel, not the spreadsheet that is used for the MAC (I forget the name). I hear what you're saying, a spreadsheet is a spreadsheet, but if there are things that would run on a PC, that would fail, or run into complications on a MAC, well, that could be a big problem.

 

[mikerickson]

I'm not saying anything about Numbers (the spreadsheet that comes with a Mac).

I'm saying that an Excel spreadsheet, written on a Mac, will run on any machine, but there are tools (like the ActiveX controls) that it won't have.
An Excel spreadsheet, written on a PC, might have features that will prevent it from running on a Mac.

("run on any machine" up to the point where file storage differences between Mac and PC interfere.)

As a developer, you will find that a spreadsheet written on a Mac is more universal than one written on a PC.
As a user, if you have a Mac, you might not be able to use (or modify or fix) a workbook written on a PC.

If any of your prospective clients have a Mac, you should have one.
If you are going to get real serious about creating Excel spreadsheets, you probably should own both a Mac and a PC.

 

[goldhelmet25]

If any of your prospective clients have a Mac, you should have one.
If you are going to get real serious about creating Excel spreadsheets, you probably should own both a Mac and a PC.[/QUOTE]

Thanks - this is an extremely helpful point. I would not get rid of my IMAC. I will keep it until it doesn't run anymore, which I hope is for many years. I don't have clients, as I am not in business for myself, but need to be fluid in advanced Excel, and also Access, for internal or external job interviews in the business world. I am 52, and now competing with 20-30 somethings where technology/computers were much more emphasized and a given for them growing up in different eras.

 

[goldhelmet25]

bump.