Owners of Mac computers will get their first chance to upload Microsoft's newest Office suite this October. It's expected the Mac edition's price will also see a significant price cut, by as much as 50 per cent in fact, in order to keep up with similar price drops for Windows PCs.

Microsoft announced its plans for Office for Mac 2011 this past Monday, adding that it expected to release two versions of the software -- one targeted at academics, and the other at business users.

Business Users Get Outlook Email Client

So, what's the difference? Microsoft Office for Mac Home and Student 2011 -- the academic version -- will boast Office favorites Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft's unique instant messaging app for Mac OS X. Business users would receive all of the above in addition to their own version of the Outlook email client, which would supplant Entourage, Mac's default email program. (Source: pcworld.com)

Other new features in Office for Mac 2011 include a template gallery and Office ribbon, both offering customized navigation of the suite.

The last version of Office to hit the Mac was Office 2008. A single license for the student edition ran $149, but that's been cut to just $119 for Office 2011. For users interested in the business version of Office 2011, they'll be pleased to note the cost of a single license has been cut in half, from $399 to just $199.

Microsoft announced that upgrading options are available for users interested in moving from a student to business package at a later date.

Super-Cheap Office 2011 for Students

Students entering or currently studying at a post-secondary institution will get access to their own, very cheap version of Office 2011 for Mac. For $99 students who can prove they're in higher education with employment or enrolment documents will get the discount.

Both versions of Mac Office 2011 will be available in 13 different languages. (Source: eweek.com)