2003 classic menues instead of 2007/2010 Ribbon Interface?

[Yurym]

Is there a way to use classic Office 2003 menues in Office 2007/2010 instead
of the Ribbon Interface?

 

[Yves Dhondt]

No and yes.

No, as in you can't turn off the ribbon.

Yes, as in you can change the ribbon so it looks similar to the Office 2003
menus. There are a couple of free add-ins out there. One of them can be
found at http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Ribbon_Menu_Controls.htm (link is just
below the last image)

Personally, I would learn to get used to the ribbon if I were you. It is
here to stay and it is becoming more and more present in other applications
as well. Menus will die out mostly eventually.

Yves

 

[twistedinferno]

Personally I think the ribbon is terrible and all efforts should be made to
remove it.

The way the eye moves over the jumbled up list of icons and icons is not as
intuitive and easy as the old style menus. Also reading a list horizontally
is more difficult than vertically (simple screen design principles). If
there was a way to have a text only horizontal side bar style ribbon with as
more options that would be bettter.

The ribbon has been here since 2007 and people still prefer the old style
menus, there is a reason to this and it is down to the bad gimicky design
that thought it up.

Right, there are my thoughts out of my head and my rant over!!!

 

[Yurym]

Hi Yves,

Instead of learning this Ribbon Interface I have an option of switching to
OpenOffice.

 

[Graham Mayor]

You are free to change to whatever you want - but Word's future is with the
ribbon.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Yves Dhondt]

Yes, you most certainly have the option to switch to OpenOffice, BUT it is
only a matter of time before OpenOffice has a ribbon as well. The ribbonized
prototypes are already out there.

If you have Java 6 installed on your system, you can test-drive the ribbon
prototype yourself at
http://tools.services.openoffice.org/impressprototype/impressprototype.jnlp

If you don't want to test it (or don't have Java), just take a look at the
example screenshot at
http://blogs.sun.com/GullFOSS/entry/prototyping_a_new_ui_july

So what will you do once OpenOffice starts using ribbons only? Will you look
for yet another office suite?

Good or bad, I'm afraid that eventually you will have to learn to get used
to the ribbon as more and more applications are switching to a ribbon-style
interface. And then the question becomes, why not start learning to use the
ribbon now?

But what I really don't understand is: you were a 'happy' Office 2003 user.
Why change? Why upgrade to Office 2007? Or why move to OpenOffice. What has
suddenly changed in Office 2003 that you no longer like it?

Yves