Another great example of how Word 2007 "brings commands closer to the surface"

[Stan Brown]

Commands on the QAT have automatic accelerators. Alt+1 accesses the first
command, Alt+2 accesses the next, and so on.

I gotta ask, how do you access the tenth and eleventh?

 

[Larry]

Beth, since you were involved in feedback during the development process,
can you tell us why they also eliminated the Blue background option? Many
people liked that. I don't use it all the time, but I do like to use it
occasonally. What do they gain by eliminating it? Why not just leave it
there for the minority of people who like it and prefer it, who in many
cases need it because it's easier on the eyes?

 

[Terry Farrell]

I know the answer to that one: far too few users used it and it was actually
removed as a result of major coding issues. In other words, another feature
enhancement was in jeopardy because of the white text on blue background
legacy. So after extensive consultation, the decision was made to kill it
off.

Of course, you can sort of work around it with W2007 by creating a custom
Style Set based on your usual Style Set but with a blue background and fonts
set to white.

Terry

 

[Terry Farrell]

Stan

When the number of commands has reached 9, the next number is 09, 08...
until 01 where the next number becomes 0A, 0B... and so on.

 

[Beth Melton]

You don't necessarily need to go that far, you can use the Page Color and
the font will automatically change to a white text, provided you are using
theme colors, that is.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Co-author of Word 2007 Inside Out:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/9801.aspx#AboutTheBook

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

 

[Albert Einstein]

Beth,

You've opened my eyes. Now I understand the logic behind Microsoft's
destruction of Word. By the same logic by which the menus were eliminated,
since the "majority" of users don't create custom toolbars and custom menus,
MS just did away with them as well. Or at least made it much harder to
create and install them--I haven't figured this all out yet. In any case,
the former beautiful feature by which you opened the Customize dialog box
and could effortllessly create a new toolbar and give it a name put on it
what you wanted seems to be gone.

Hey, folks, the "majority" of users also never create a macro, never edit a
macro, and never assign a custom keystroke to a macro or to a built-in
command. So, by MS's logic of only keeping features that "most" users use,
how come MS didn't eliminate VBA, eliminate macro recording, eliminate
macros, eliminate the Macro dialog box, eliminate the VBA editing interface,
and eliminate the Customize Keyboard dialog box???

The great thing about Word was that it had thousands of capabilities, and
each user, depending on his interests, might only deal with a small part of
them. So each person could in effect have his own "Word." But now we've
moved away from such diversity toward a single uniformity. A single
"majority rule" determines what will be in Word. Only what the 90 percent
of users who are mediocre users will determine what is in Word. Everything
that a more skilled and creative or just idiosyncratic user of Word might
want to access is to be eliminated. That appears to be the logic.

The only thing that saves the situation from total disaster is that MS has
not yet been completely consistent in its program of destruction, so it has
still left some "non-popular" features in place.

Now that Microsoft has abandoned you, WordPerfect welcomes you with open
arms.

You can customize WordPerfect to the point that not even Corel itself
would recognize it!

 

[Albert Einstein]

Beth, since you were involved in feedback during the development process,
can you tell us why they also eliminated the Blue background option? Many
people liked that. I don't use it all the time, but I do like to use it
occasonally. What do they gain by eliminating it? Why not just leave it
there for the minority of people who like it and prefer it, who in many
cases need it because it's easier on the eyes?

WordPerfect versions 12 and X3 offer a nice blue background by selecting
"Classic Mode."

 

[Beth Melton]

I didn't say it took months, I was saying that I've spent over 18 months
using Office 2007 and feel as though I have an "educated" opinion of things.
I was very opinionated about a few things, just as most who have only
scratched the surface, but then I realized I was viewing things as I viewed
my switch from WP 5.0 to Word, or WordBasic to Visual Basic. It was then I
decided to hold off forming an opinion on various matters until I gained
more insight. There are still things I don't like but there were things I
didn't like in the older versions as well.

To be perfectly honest, I think I could type until my fingers are blue, as
opposed to talking until I'm blue in the face (<g>), and it won't make a bit
of difference. Those who want to view the change with an open mind will,
those who don't, won't. It's like trying to tell convince a hard-core WP
user
of the benefits of Word. ;-)

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Co-author of Word 2007 Inside Out:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/9801.aspx#AboutTheBook

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

 

[Beth Melton]

If you remember the old UI navigation those commands are still available if
you want to use them. For example Alt+T+O opens Word Options.

Oh, and the change to the User Templates location, the removal of the view
of the path, was back in Word 2002 - that's not new.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Co-author of Word 2007 Inside Out:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/9801.aspx#AboutTheBook

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

 

[Beth Melton]

Also, you'll see the accelerators if you press the Alt key in the KeyTips.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Co-author of Word 2007 Inside Out:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/9801.aspx#AboutTheBook

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

Stan

When the number of commands has reached 9, the next number is 09, 08...
until 01 where the next number becomes 0A, 0B... and so on.

 

[Terry Farrell]

Of course, Automatic Font Colour: I'd forgotten that! It makes it much
simpler. I'll remember that (not that I use that combination).

Terry

 

[Beth Melton]

You could even create a Theme for editing/creating your documents and then
switch it to a more vanilla/generic Theme and remove the Page Color prior to
distributing a document for other users. (And of course to make it simple
you could use a macro to do the switching and Page Color change.)

It's actually a little more flexible than before color-wise. Some thought
the blue was to dark and the white too bright since those can be just as
harsh for some folks. For example some would prefer a lighter blue and
yellow font.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Co-author of Word 2007 Inside Out:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/9801.aspx#AboutTheBook

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

 

[Larry]

There are two separate issues here. You say that 2007 has improved
features. I don't question that. My question is, was it necessary to
remake the entire Word user interface to produce these new features? Let's
say that Styles works better in 2007. Fine. Was it necessary to eliminate
the toolbars and replace the file menu by the Microsoft Office button in
order to improve the Styles feature? If you can't answer yes to that
question and similar questions, then you have not justified the total remake
of Word in 2007.

This is not a matter of whether I and others are "closed-minded" to Word
2007's good features. It's a matter of whether the destruction of the total
user interface of Word was needed to arrive at those good features.

 

[Beth Melton]

Styles were merely an example that came to mind at the time.

You know, Larry, just based on previous discussions I've had with you on
topics of an even more simiplic nature I know there nothing I can say to you
that will change your mind...

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton

 

[Larry]

Ok, Beth, I understand that you feel it's impossible to persuade me that
trashing and replacing Word's total interface and method of operation was
for the Greater Good.

 

[Larry]

You don't necessarily need to go that far, you can use the Page Color and
the font will automatically change to a white text, provided you are using
theme colors, that is.

When you say theme colors do you mean Windows theme or are there Word themes
as well?

 

[Beth Melton]

I think it's impossible to persuade you in general, Larry. ;-)

If you want the truth, when I saw the new UI you were one of the first
people that came to mind. I thought, oh my, when Larry sees this he'll have
a heart attack. I'm thankful to see you've taken a look at it and are still
around. <grin>

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton

 

[Larry]

LOL.

I'm laughing, but I'm miserable.

.... And still in a state of amazement and fury at what MS has done.

 

[Larry]

Also, if memory serves correctly, years ago Beth helped me with macros to
prevent the vertical and horizonal scroll bars from ever appearing unless I
wanted them (and helped me with a lot of other things as well). It was a
bit of a trick. Word just wanted those ugly scroll bars to keep popping up.
Only serious customization could get around that. But once we had it, it
was never an issue again. I have simple keystrokes to toggle the scrollbars
when I want them, not when Microsoft wants them. My aim in that case and
generally has been to keep all unnecessary clutter out of the Word window.
So I got rid of all toolbar buttons that I don't use, and replaced the
Standard and Formatting toolbars with one simplified toolbar. I never
display the Ruler except when I need it. Also, the blue background screen
is "cooler," easier on the eyes. So the whole look is simple and pleasing
to the eye. To me, the way Word looks when it opens in its default state is
an incredible eyesore.

The other thing for me is to have an integrated environment, where I do
things with the minimum of keystrokes or mouseclicks. For example, I
developed a single key command (Num1) to toggle the Blue background off and
on. I have a single key command (Num2) which not only toggles the
capitalization of a word, but if there's a selection going up to the start
of a word, it cuts the selection and toggles the capitalization of the first
letter of the word immediately following the selection. I have three custom
menus with many macros I use constantly, every one of those macros takes
just two keystrokes, Alt+Letter, Letter. I'm still not sure if it's posible
to replicate something like that in 2007.

Things that take two steps in the older versions (even without my
customizations), take three or more steps in 2007, things that take one step
in the older versions (like opening the Window menu via keystroke) take two
steps in 2007. This is totally unacceptable. The whole point is that
things that you do often be done with the minimum of keystrokes.

So my approach is to make Word's look as simple as possible, and Word's
operation as simple as possible.

Word 2007 is not only the opposite of that, it basically makes it impossible
to customize around it. It imposes so much more on you (that incredibly
complicated, hyperactive Ribbon) and makes it impossible to escape it.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

But can you accept that the majority of users do NOT use Word the way you
do? The vast majority of them would never think of going to the trouble to
customize Word this way even if they were told how, and most have no desire
to use Word this way. I find that most users are not interested in keyboard
shortcuts at all.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

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