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Sales of Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac for example are triple the volume of the previous 2004 version and are the highest in the product's history, according to Microsoft, although the company declined to provide exact figures.

However, a Microsoft spokesman was quoted as saying "The response has been amazing -- since we launched in January, the velocity of sales for Office 2008 is nearly three times what we saw after the launch of Office 2004".

In response to the booming Apple sales, Microsoft said it intends to expand its Mac-products staff to "ensure that Office for Mac remains the most powerful and compatible productivity suite for Mac customers".