I know it’s a bit old, but as somebody who is suffering from this problem as well!
I thought i needed to chime in and say this is incorrect. back in the previous version prior to 2008, there is a version called officeX ( I’m not selling my copy or my iBook(s) ). which unfortunately is only PowerPC and it will not work on Intel Macs. but to come back to the point, it operated just like the Windows equivalent. the only downside is there was no “task bar” to switch between running “app” Windows, however there is third-party software to switch between the running “app” Windows. and the OS X dock is an applications switcher and is not a “app” window switcher.
somewhere along the lines they came out with a Intel version that had a checkbox in the preferences?
however it is nonexistent as to what version it was.
as soon as they hit their fun with the ribbon there was a brief version of fun that had a really nice and functional ribbon ( 2007 on win, Mac ??? ), and then came another plunder and pillage and it was gone and replaced with a unorganized ribbon of mass!!!!!!!!!!!!