Talk about tone deaf to customer concerns. After releasing a hobbled version of Office 2011 Outlook which works only with Exchange 2007 and above, many users are holding off buying the upgrade until it’s fixed.

“It’s mind boggling”, Ted Branson of IT Support Basics said. “Knowing that Mac users rely on sync for iCal and iPhone and Mobile Me, it’s incredible that Microsoft would basically say “Deal with it” and release a version that doesn’t support it.”

Today Microsoft issued updates for Office 2011 as well as the windows version, Office 2010, but no fix for the lack of sync. According to Branson sales have been flat, and returns up. “Once they get it home and find the lack of sync they bring it back.” “Normally we don’t allow returns of software, but in this case it appears a case of false advertising, so we’re allowing it.”

So far Microsoft is saying that a fix is coming but refuse to give a estimated time. Of course you can use Entourage along with Word, Excel and Powerpoint 2011, but as I brought out before why pay for substandard performance? Moreover, why pay for a software program from a company that is so deaf to key customer concerns?