Microsoft Office 2007

Finally there is a new version of Microsoft Office about which to write and/or complain. The last new version was MS Office 2003 and it was getting a little long in the tooth.  The interface, except for some icon changes, had remained basically the same since MS Office 97.  This new version will take some getting used to for those of us who have used MS Office products for years.  I think it will be easier to navigate than the older versions for new users though.  I like the new ribbon interface at the top, as shown in the picture below. 

No more “File” menu and all the other menus that served their purpose well enough.  My gripe with the old menu system was that sometimes I needed a drop down menu to stay on the screen while I was editing a document.  The new menu ribbon stays on the screen while working on a document.  As a Microsoft defector, it has been almost totally abandoned for Linux; I have to say that I like MS Office 2007.  Will I abandon my Linux and OpenOffice.org ways altogether?  Absolutely not.  But I will from time to time enjoy working in the new MS Office 2007 interface.  It is a very nice, attractive and functional office suite.  I am using Word 2007 to write this review and so far everything is going as planned.  For me office suites have always been what Microsoft does best and Office 2007 appears to be a program that will be worth the upgrade, especially for enterprises because of the collaboration tools that are found in this office suite.   On to other parts of the suite since this office suite is much more than just a text editor although Word will probably be used by more people than the other parts of the suite.

The mail program, Outlook, is where I want to focus my attention next.  I had read in a review that Outlook 2007 was not compatible with the PST files from previous versions of Office.  The reviewer even suggested that previous PST files would need to be converted to another mailbox file structure and then converted to Outlook 2007 PST format.  The first thing I did after the installation of Office 2007 was to try out my PST files.  I have two of these which house my important email messages and my contacts.  Outlook 2007 is the only part of MS Office 2007 that did not receive the ribbon at the top.  To add PST files, as in the past, click file, open, Outlook Data File, and point Outlook to the PST file(s) as shown below.

Outlook 2007 did accept my two PST files that I have been used for a few years now.  I am not disputing what another reviewer has written; it is my intention to write my experience.  There could be other variables involved between my experience and his.  It is my intention to point out that this has been an issue, so be prepared to look through some KBs on Microsoft’s web page if a problem arises.  Needles to say I was happy that the PST files worked.  One last word on the PST files.  The PST format appears to not have changed, so unless a PST is damaged in some way, everything should work fine. 

Word and Outlook are the main two programs that I use in everyday life.  I am currently looking for gainful employment so I do not use the rest of the programs that much.  Excel is used mostly for the amortization sheet that it provides.  Excel also has the ribbon at the top which is used much as the one found in Word.  I do use Power Point and Publisher from time to time and have found the usability in these two programs to be very good also.  Not much more can be said about these programs because the main change is the ribbon at the top.  I have included pictures of the ribbon as it appears in Word.  The ribbon has tabs that when clicked, change the ribbon view to that of the clicked tab.  Enjoy this version of MS Office, I think it is worth the upgrade especially in an enterprise or home office setting.

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