Financial Spreadsheeting and Excel for Windows
0. Background
Financial Spreadsheeting is taught and assessed with Microsoft Excel on the Windows PC platform.
The FNCE90045 subject description states:
Additional delivery details
Each student is to provide their own laptop or notebook computer, with Windows 10 and MS Excel, (Office 365 version) at every class. Windows 10 and Microsoft Office 365 is provided for current students, see details at:
https://studentit.unimelb.edu.au/study/software-locations#downloadable-software
Recommendation 1: Office 365 with Windows 10 operating system (OS)
1. Student software
UniMelb student software for personal devices is detailed in figure 1. Remember that Office 365 for Windows OS is the recommended application for 90045.
1.1 Microsoft Office 365
Office 365 is a subscription plan application.
- The 64-bit version of Office is installed by default
- Version: 1910; Build: 12130.20410 was released on 22 November, 2019
- Updates for Office 365 ProPlus are provided on a regular basis depending on the subscription channel, Monthly Channel, or Semi-Annual channel
Office 365 ProPlus includes:- Microsoft Power Map for Excel
- Microsoft Power Pivot for Excel
- Microsoft Power View for Excel
- Microsoft Data Streamer for Excel
- The non-subscription version is named Office 2019. Office 2019 suites are a one-time purchase . Referred to as the CD version in 90045
You can download Office by following the link.
The UniMelb venue for 90045 has 10 tables, each with 2 Windows PC. In semester 2, 2019 the Excel application was Office 2016 (CD version). These PCs are available for use on a first in, first served basis.
1.2 Students with Mac devices
Mac device users have two options. Install Windows OS then Office 365, or retain the Mac OS and use Office 365 Mac.
1.2.1 Install Windows OS on your Mac device
- using Boot Camp Assistant
- Use Mac Boot Camp Assistant to install Windows OS on your Mac. This configuration allows you to choose Mac or Windows at boot time
- Windows 10 download is available at link. See figure 1.
- Install Office 365 for Windows in your Windows partition
- using Parallels Desktop
- Download and install Parallels on your Mac then install Windows OS. Parallels allow you to switch between operating systems without having to reboot (figure 2)
- Install Office 365 for Windows in your Windows partition
Recommendation 2: Install Windows 10 OS on your Mac device, then install Office 365 for Windows. Use Boot Camp Assistant or Parallels Desktop 15 for Mac.
1.2.2 Use macOS and Office (Excel) 365 Mac
- macOS current version is Mac OS Catalina 10.15.1, released 8 October 2019
- Office 365 for Mac is Version: 16.31.0 (19111002), released 12 November 2019
- Office for Mac is only available as a 64bit version
- Excel for Mac reinstated the Visual Basic Editor (VBE) in version 16.13.1 (build 18052304), released 24 May 2018. Before then Excel Mac VBA was sandboxed
- Since the return of a functional Visual Basic Editor (VBE) in version 16.13.1, several students have persevered with the Excel for Mac
- The main differences are:
- xlWindows has a fluent ribbon interface, whilst xlMac has a combined Menu and Ribbon. The xlMac menu is reminiscent of the Excel 2003 interface
- xlWindows has a Home tab, different to the xlMac File tab
- xlMac has no Name Manager feature
- xlMac does not allow or recognize worksheet scope names
- xlMac does not recognize ActiveX (Windows) objects
- xlMac does not recognize UserForm objects
Recommendation 3: Use macOS with Office 365 for Mac
2. Device hardware
- Windows keyboards have conventional PC [Control], [Alt], and [Enter] keys
- Mac keyboards have [Control] ⌃, [Option] ⌥ , [Command] ⌘;, and [Return] keys
- This means that keyboard shortcuts differ. Examples:
- Edit Mode: xlWin [F2]; xlMac [ctrl][U]
- Reference style [Edit Mode]: xlWin [F4]; xlMac [Command ⌘][T]
- Missing from Mac keyboards are [Page Up], [Page Down], [Home], [End] and [Backspace]
- Published: 1 December 2019
- Revised: Friday 24th of February 2023 - 03:12 PM, Pacific Time (PT)