Software giant Microsoft will release a new, faster, better version of Microsoft Office on October 26 – not for its own Windows operating system; but for rival Apple’s Macintosh computers.

The new Office for Mac 2011 will bring a robust, full-featured Outlook for those Mac users who work in companies where Outlook is the standard. Thus far, such users have largely been using the Windows version of Outlook on their computers, with the help of special software that allows the Mac to run Windows.

In addition, to giving the Mac users the native Outlook advantage, the Office for Mac 2011 will also mark the arrival of the popular e-mail, calendar and contacts program on the Macs.

Some of the features of Office Mac 2011 include a Full Screen View; Visual Basic support; an expanded Template Gallery; Presentation Broadcast; some built-in photo editing features; and ‘Sparklines’ which will help users create small charts from single cells in Excel.

According to the details shared by Microsoft, the Office Mac 2011, whose code has been given a complete rewrite, will be available in two versions: the Home & Student version with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Messenger 8; and the Home & Business edition.

While the one-pack one-user Home and Student version of the Office Mac 2011 has been priced as NZ$219, and the Family Pack - three users/three Macs – costs $259; the cost of Home and Business version for one user is $379; and for two users is $499.