We found quite a lot to like in OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, but upgrading your computer's operating system always carries with it the potential to harm the stability of essential apps. Users of Microsoft Office are in the clear, however, with Redmond stating today that both Office for Mac 2011 and Office for Mac 2008 work just fine with Apple's new operating system. There is one wrinkle, however: according to Microsoft, standalone software updates for Office won't launch due to Mountain Lion's Gatekeeper security feature. The solution is to enable Office's AutoUpdate component; updates initiated through that software will work correctly.

Of course, it's important to note that Redmond is simply talking about compatibility — Office won't suddenly allow you to save documents to your iCloud account, for example — but for Office users anxious to take the Mountain Lion plunge the news will no doubt be quite welcome.