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    "terrified" by the prospect of Office 12 new UI

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by Dissatisfied, Jan 12, 2006.

  1. Dissatisfied

    Dissatisfied Notebook Consultant

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    I just read that the new Office 12 will have a radically redisgned UI in which there will be no menus or buttons, but ribbons that dynamically adapt to show you the commands that MS thinks you will want to use in any instant on the basis of what Office thinks you are doing.
    See here

    I am skeptical, and already imagine that the command that I will want to use will be hidden and those that I won't care less about will be prominetly displayed.
    After all, I think that the "smart tags" and the "auto-hiding menues" were a terrible idea


    EDIT: I actually saw the pictures and the situation is much less scary than I thought, the menues are there although it looks like most stuff is hidden and these ribbons are only glorified smart tags
     
  2. xAMDvsIntelx

    xAMDvsIntelx Notebook Deity

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    Ah gosh - Office was just getting good too. I don't like all of its new "thinking" features which predict what you'll do next - I mean, what if you can't find the option you're looking for because the program doesn't "think" you'll need to use it.
     
  3. SpacemanSpiff

    SpacemanSpiff Everything in Moderation

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    Afficionados and people who are truly constrained by the limits of existing software look forward to the newer versions.

    But most of us don't really desperately need a new version of Word. Its word processing software, for heaven's sake--a done deal 10 or 15 years ago.

    And Microsoft wonders why people still use Office 97.
     
  4. xAMDvsIntelx

    xAMDvsIntelx Notebook Deity

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    True - I was just think about it for others. I'm sticking to MSO 2003 as long as I can.
     
  5. Dissatisfied

    Dissatisfied Notebook Consultant

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    I stick with OfficeXP, but my workplace is sure to upgrade quite rapidly.

    It is true that most of Word or Excel did not improve substantially, but I don't think that there is no room for improvement. I can think of several things that could be improved.
     
  6. xAMDvsIntelx

    xAMDvsIntelx Notebook Deity

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    Well, you personally will be able to keep the older (and better IMO) MSO. You could still actually work from 2003 MSO, but you'd only be able to transfer docs. one way.
     
  7. SpacemanSpiff

    SpacemanSpiff Everything in Moderation

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    Which of course is true.

    But there are also penalties--the time it takes to learn the new software. And the expense of purchasing it. And new hardware (if needed) to run it.

    I believe the real penalty for a failure of the marketplace to adopt Microsoft's new products is that Microsoft will move entirely over to a "subscription" method of charging you for the use of software. Gotta make money somehow--even if people refuse to "upgrade".

    Fortunately, there is freeware. :)
     
  8. Charles P. Jefferies

    Charles P. Jefferies Lead Moderator Super Moderator

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    I've seen some of the screenshots . . I think that I will have to see a real-time demo before I develope a proper opinion on it. Looks interesting in the least though, and for some reason, I think that, once learned, Office 12 will be an intriguing piece of software.

    I am currently using Office 2000 Premium - I get it for free from work. On my desktop, I have Office 2003 Small Business Edition, which I paid $249 for. Worth the upgrade from 2k? Not at all.
     
  9. ceiph

    ceiph Notebook Evangelist

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    i use office xp at home, the my college uses 2003, all i know is that microsoft is making it easyer and easyer to write a perfect paper, if i write a paper on my comp and than put it on the 2003 to edit it fixes so many lil gramaticl rules, english has never been easyer lol
     
  10. Hucsman

    Hucsman Notebook Consultant

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    As long as they have KILLED the paper clip assistant thingie, I'll call it an upgrade.
     
  11. Dissatisfied

    Dissatisfied Notebook Consultant

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    I think that will be there, but you can disable it even now
     
  12. Shampoo

    Shampoo Notebook Deity

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    Agreed, all you need is a simple word processor that was done many years ago.

    I'm sticking with officexp for as long as I can.

    I don't like too many auto complete functions, I'm too lazy to figure out how to turn them all off, but I don't think it can be done anyways.

    Cheers,
    Mike
     
  13. Smashy

    Smashy Notebook Consultant

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    Oh man.. it's getting unnecessarily complicated. It it ain't broke, don't fix it!