'Crazy Eddie' deals boost Mac Office sales nearly 250% in U.S.
Microsoft now competing with new iWork, own upcoming version
December 15, 2007 (Computerworld) -- Deep-discount 'Crazy Eddie' deals from Microsoft Corp. are helping lift U.S. retail sales of the aging Mac Office applications suite this Christmas season, according to a market research group. That strategy is overcoming potential customer procrastination due to the delayed arrival of the upgraded Office 2008 for the Mac. It's also a challenge to Apple Inc.'s revitalized desktop-suite package, iWork.
The number of copies of Office for the Mac sold during the week of Nov. 18-24 -- which includes the day after Thanksgiving, aka 'Black Friday' -- was up 235% from 2006, according to data from the NPD Group Inc.
That's despite the advanced age of Office 2004 for the Mac, which was released in May of that year.
Office 2008 for the Mac, which was originally set to be released in time for Christmas, is expected to be released by the MacWorld show in mid-January.
Moreover, the competing iWork '08 Apple released in August is the first version of that program to include a spreadsheet application, complementing the word processor and presentation maker.
To overcome those obstacles, Microsoft offered a $100 mail-in rebate to people who bought Office 2004 by Black Friday.
For buyers of the cheapest Student and Teacher edition of Office 2004 who redeem their rebate, the effective price goes from $149.99 to $49.99.
While that deal has expired, another one remains until January 14 next year: the ability for buyers of any edition of Office 2004 to get Office 2008 Special Media Edition free (adding $7 in the United States for shipping and handling).