“The latest version of the software suite, called Office 2007, due out Jan. 30, is a radical revision, the most dramatic overhaul in a decade or more,” Walt Mossberg reports for The Wall Street Journal.
Mossberg reports, “I don’t use the word ‘radical’ lightly. The entire user interface, the way you do things in these familiar old programs, has been thrown out and replaced with something new. In Word, Excel and PowerPoint, all of the menus are gone — every one. None of the familiar toolbars have survived, either. In their place is a wide, tabbed band of icons at the top of the screen called the Ribbon. And there is no option to go back to the classic interface.”
“As if this weren’t enough, Microsoft has also changed the standard file format for Office files. Older versions of Office, on both Windows and Macintosh computers, won’t be able to read these new file types without special conversion software. The new version can, however, read files created in the older versions, on both Windows and Mac, without any conversion software,” Mossberg reports.
Mossberg reports, “These changes in Office, while much less publicized, are far bolder and more important than the mostly cosmetic user interface changes in the highly hyped new version of Windows, called Vista, which comes out on the same day.”
“Microsoft deserves credit for being bold and creative in designing Office 2007. It has taken a good product and made it better and fresher,” Mossberg reports. “But there is a big downside to this gutsy redesign: It requires a steep learning curve that many people might rather avoid. In my own tests, I was cursing the program for weeks because I couldn’t find familiar functions and commands, even though Microsoft provides lots of help and guidance.”
Mossberg reports, “Basic composition and editing are aided by the new design either very little or not at all. If you mostly compose plain Word documents, simple presentations and plain spreadsheets, the new design may not be worth the effort to master it, and you might want to stick with an older version of Office.”
Mossberg reports, “Mac Office users will have to wait until later in the year for Microsoft to release converters that will allow their version of Office to read the new file formats. But a third-party conversion program, for Word files only, has already been released. It’s called docXConverter, and can be downloaded at http://www.panergy-software.com for $20.”
Full review here.
Related articles:
‘docXConverter’ converts Microsoft Office 2007 ‘docx’ files – December 21, 2006
Beginning of the end for Office for Mac? Microsoft drops Visual Basic support in Mac version – December 09, 2006
Microsoft says Office 2007 XML support coming to Macs eventually – December 06, 2006
Microsoft’s Office 2007 for Windows saves documents in Mac-incompatible format – December 05, 2006
Microsoft Office 2007 for Mac won’t be available until latter half of 2007 – October 06, 2006
All-new user interface coming for Office 2007 for Mac – September 18, 2006
first post?
Well, I do like MS Office, but idk, if pages had more features it’d be much better. Pages shows what a great UI can be like for a word processor IMO.
Me thinks the new interface SUX!!!
Why does everyone consider this “ribbon” design to be so amazing? I am not saying that it isn’t an improvement but it’s not like MS is the first company to have this approach to toolbars. Macromedia introduced tool bars very similar to this years ago in its products (in the MX version of its products I believe). So, it’s been around for years and now MS is getting credit for being so innovative (at least 4 years later). Now that I think about it this story sounds all to familiar. MS copies another’s ideas and somehow they are innovative. Where have I heard that one before?
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Why hasn`t apple come up with its own office product? at least microsoft has come to the party with this program for apple. l think its fine.
Been using Office 2007 for a couple of months and it’s actually very good, the ribbon is much better than the options hidden on sub-menus and buttons. It took a while to get used to it, but now completely happy with it.
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However, I am very much looking forward to the Mac version though (albeit missing VBA support which renders Excel useless) to see what further enhancement brings.
Only annoying thing in Mossberg’s comments is “It requires a steep learning curve”. It does not, it requires a long learning curve.
A learning curve is a plot of ‘amount needed to learn’ (y axis) versus ‘time’ (x axis). Therefore a steep learning curve means something is easy to learn, whereas long learning curve means something is difficult to learn.
Actually, a ‘steep learning curve’ means it’s one can achieve full proficiency in a short period of time. A steep learning curve is a good thing. A long learning curve is what you don’t want and means it takes a long time to achieve proficiency.
So of course, he’s wrong again. Maybe writing well also represents a long learning curve for Mr. Mossback?
“Basic composition and editing are aided by the new design either very little or not at all …you might want to stick with an older version of Office.”
Doesn’t that refer to 98% of Office users? Why, then, upgrade?
A great reason not to is compatability, the very reason so many are using Office in the first place.
This will be a dog like Zune.
After next week…why not just go iWork?
This is nothing new. Every time Microsoft updates Office, the company screws around with the user interface. By the time you figure out where the old commands have moved to, it’s time to update to the next new ediition (and interface).
As important and mature as Office is, you’d think Microsoft would have figured out the basic interface years ago, and STOPPED MESSING WITH the fundamental commands. This is why people don’t updgrade when each new version comes out…we only upgrade every other version, and try to get four or five years out of each interface…Who has time for so many changes when we also have to learn other apps — and the OS too!
Geez.
Doh!
United States of Generica… you beat me to it!
Good call!
I despise the so-called ribbon. It should be called the noose. The ribbon changes based on what MS Thinks you want to do. Well, guess what, I like to do alot of stuff that MS hasn’t even dreamed of.
I am a MS Office Expert (Master level), and this ribbon is going to turn my work life into purgatory -if my company ever switches.
But to be frank, I think of Office 2007 as Office Lite. I won’t be able to do the complex stuff I do – where can I put my custom macros (the ones that create 100 page unique documents by clicking a few buttons and filling out some fields on a form).
I have enough problems with those stupid “smart tags” changing stuff on me without having to deal with all of Word doing it. And dont’ get me started on Excel and Access.
BTW-If it takes a certified-expert 10 minutes to find the “save as” then what hope do normal people have?
Take a look at Pages/Keynote’s palettes. Talk to me about revolutionary.
Happy New Year to all!
Learning curve….one of the most misused terms extant. Simply put, it’s the rate at which efficiency due to learning increases.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experience_curve_effects
Knowledge acquired per unit time.
Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sales of MS Office 07 will be very slow. Corporations won’t buy it because that steep learning curve is going to really slow down productivity. Add the lack of file compatibility and it does not look good for sales.
DUMB move MS.
Idiots, if you put time on the Y axis not the X axis it is a steep learning curve.
You must have missed the memo that said “Time can be on the x, y or z axis. It’s your graph, do it your way to make the point you wish to make.”
What? No use of the word “innovation” in the article?
OK, time on the y-axis. Sure. :\
It continues to look like Microsoft is riding for a fall. Messing around with MS Office and changing the format of Word docs no less! These developments will give many long-time Office users more incentive to look for an Office replacement rather than pop for an Office upgrade.
STOP THE PRESSES!!!
MDN just posted an article saying GOOD THINGS about a Microsoft design!
Big Al-
From the Wiki-“In fact, a “steep” learning curve implies that something gets easier quickly.”
It’s not like riding a bicycle where going up a steep hill is more difficult, as most people, and Old Mossy adumbrate when invoking “learning curve”.
“Mac Office users will have to wait until later in the year for Microsoft to release converters that will allow their version of Office to read the new file formats.”
There is no point anymore, now that Lasso is coming out…Apple has the office suite’s number.
Sweet.
Apple should update iWork, add a spreadsheet and a Filemaker lite database, and then offer it free with a new Mac purchase. Many people will buy Macs just because of this. Yet another reason…all the myths just keep vaporizing.
> Why hasn`t apple come up with its own office product?
It had AppleWorks (still has it I suppose since it’s being sold) and iWork 07 should finally have the three key components for an “office suite.” But they are not meant to be “direct” competition for MS Office. Apple still wants Microsoft to maintain its “MacBU” (the largest collection of Mac developers outside of Apple itself) to continue releasing Microsoft Office for Mac, for at least one Intel-native release. However, Apple is not as dependent on having MS Office around as it was 5-6 years ago, so expect Apple to keep beefing up iWork each year. This may be the year I actually buy the package.
Interesting that Microsoft would make the new version of Office so different. It appears that the Office “clones” (such as Open Office and Neo Office) are now more compatible with the defacto “Office standard” than Microsoft Office itself. This may be the catalyst for people leaving MS Office (or just not upgrading). It has been pointed out that people stick with Windows because it is what they know new and they don’t want to bother with learning anything new. Well, if they don’t want to even learn a new OS interface, they certainly won’t want to learn to use a whole new Office.
evidently you can polish a turd
I think there is at least one company with a free converter out there – not $20.