Word 2007 is unacceptable and must be changed

[Larry]

With Word 2007, Microsoft has jumped the shark.

I think the Word community, led by the MVPs--and I've seen several MVPs
openly express their unhappiness about 2007—needs to communicate with
Microsoft and tell them that Word 2007 is UNACCEPTABLE. Acting as a group
we need to ask MS, among other things, to restore basic features that have
been removed such as the Menu bar, the Toolbars, and custom menus and
toolbars; to give users the ability to opt out of the Ribbon (not just to
minimize it temporarily, but get rid of it); and to restore the ease of
accessibility of various important dialog boxes that have now been hidden
away in the most senseless locations.

 

[Terry Farrell]

Been there. Done that. Been slapped down.

 

[Stan Brown]

With Word 2007, Microsoft has jumped the shark.
Yawn.

I think the Word community, led by the MVPs--and I've seen several MVPs
openly express their unhappiness about 2007?needs to communicate with
Microsoft and tell them that Word 2007 is UNACCEPTABLE.

Yeah, like *that's* gonna have any effect.

 

[Albert Einstein]

With Word 2007, Microsoft has jumped the shark.

I think the Word community, led by the MVPs--and I've seen several MVPs
openly express their unhappiness about 2007—needs to communicate with
Microsoft and tell them that Word 2007 is UNACCEPTABLE. Acting as a group
we need to ask MS, among other things, to restore basic features that have
been removed such as the Menu bar, the Toolbars, and custom menus and
toolbars; to give users the ability to opt out of the Ribbon (not just to
minimize it temporarily, but get rid of it); and to restore the ease of
accessibility of various important dialog boxes that have now been hidden
away in the most senseless locations.

Try WordPerfect X3. You can customize the menus and toolbars to your
heart's content.

 

[Geoff]

Stay with an earlier version ??

 

[Graham Mayor]

The only thing that will convince Microsoft of their folly is if the take-up
of Word 2007 is poor, and/or the corporates move to WordPerfect or Open
Office in significant numbers. There's a huge potential retraining bill
here, and business does not like spending unnecessarily.

Whether this failure to take up is going to happen is anyone's guess. I
suppose that eventually if we wish to stay with the Word product we will
have to adapt. I for one am in no rush.

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

My web site www.gmayor.com

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

 

[Guest]

We spent a fortune training our users in Office 97 (switched from WordPerfect
and Lotus 1-2-3), and then the new features in Office 2002. We are staying
in 2002 until it is no longer viable for us and will then consider going back
to WordPerfect or to Open Office, unless MS wises up - and considering the
arrogance of that organization, wiseing up is highly unlikely.

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Complete speculation--based on the experience with Word 2002/2003, where
2002 also introduced some significant UI changes and 2003 came out real
fast--I'm thinking that there will be a Word 2009 fine-tuning the 2007
changes--and it's only if take-up doesn't bounce back for Word 2009 that
MS will begin to reconsider. They've got the cash reserves to sit out
one cycle, and 2009 might be long enough for college graduates to be
familiar with the 2007 paradigm by the time they enter corporations,
decreasing the training cost and thus the resistance. I can't imagine
they failed to plan for a poor take-up of Word 2007.

Except, of course, the issue is not Word but Office overall.

 

[Beth Melton]

I suspect more will upgrade to Office 2007 than everyone thinks. Not
complete speculation on my end, the majority of our state agencies are
making the switch, many of them from Office 2000 to Office 2007. Until now
there weren't enough persuading factors to make a version switch. With
Office 2007 there are many benefits for those who use SharePoint and the
developer aspect for XML is pretty exciting.

Personally, I plan on sitting back and watching the naysayers come around
and realize how advantageous the change really is and how it's supplied
answers to a number of requests. I'm a former naysayer, it happened to me
and I've witnessed it happen to others: Those adamantly against the switch
will one day actually learn more about the application they are forming
opinions on and much like the change from WordBasic to VBA, will realize the
power of XML and will wish they made the change sooner.

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/

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Make it possible to put the QAT vertically and add another one and I will be
happy. With 16:9 monitors, that would make far better use of the available
real estate than having it across the top of the screen.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Beth Melton]

Agreed. This wouldn't be difficult with say, a customizable task pane. They
can be docked, floated, resized, etc. Floating toolbars are the biggest
thing I miss the most and have not found a suitable alternative.

I believe MS has "heard" this request loud and clear and I would be very
disappointed if this capability were not included in the next version.

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/

 

[Aalaan]

Yes, but on present showing, no sooner has this been done than MS will
introduce another completely different and non-compatible version and cease
support of Word 2007, so that everyone will have to relearn and buy the new
product again! Oh, and BTW a new operating system that will not allow any of
the old versions to work...

 

[Stan Brown]

I suspect more will upgrade to Office 2007 than everyone thinks.

I think you're right.

In large organizations, software is typically deployed by IT
departments, and the decisions are typically made by people who don't
actually use the software in question. For some reason the decision-
makers seem to believe that "newer is better", even if they have to
pay to upgrade.

I'm not saying Office 2007 is a bad thing; I think it's too early to
say (aside from obvious flaws like slow graphics and slow
calculations in Excel 2007). But I'm saying that the quality of
Office 2007 will have only a minor impact on the level of adoption.

 

[Beth Melton]

Umm... you can't just throw out some speculation out and expect everyone to
take it at face value. Where's your supporting evidence of this? Here's
Microsoft's Support Lifecycle Index, you can see for yourself the plan
Microsoft has for supporting previous versions of Office and how long they
will continue to support them. (I don't think Office 2007 is in there yet):
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifeselectindex

As for support of older versions on a new OS, I know for a fact there is
careful consideration of older versions of applications on new operating
systems. I haven't tested this for Windows Vista but on Windows XP I had
Word 2.0 - Word 2003 installed and they all ran fine with the exception of
minor conflicts with shared files since they were all installed
side-by-side. I would expect similar results on Windows Vista. Like Windows
XP, it has Compatibility Mode for older applications. Here's a non-MS
reference for you:
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-windows-vista-compatibility-mode/

As for Office document compatibility, I'm very impressed with how documents
created in the Word 97-2003 file format are handled in Word 2007.
Compatibility was a primary focus of the Word dev team and I think they did
a great job - at least from what I could ascertain from my rigorous
testing - they promised full compatibility and I was determined to hold them
to their word. ;-) They actually went beyond what I expected. The
Compatibility Checker can be ran any time and it will tell you exactly what
will happen to features that aren't supported in earlier versions. And it
can be set to run automatically when saving in an older file type so you
don't accidentally overlook running it.

Many of the documents I work with are those that were created using previous
versions of Word, some from Word 6, which are shared with others using older
versions of Word. They don't encounter any problems and I don't encounter
any problems.

Not to mention the old interface has been around since 1989, that's 18 years
of the same UI. There are very valid reasons behind the change to the UI -
they didn't do it to just to "mix things up". Take these numbers for
starters:

Word 1.0: Around 49 menu commands, 2 toolbars
Word 2.0: Around 80 menu commands, 2 toolbars
Word 6.0: Around 120 menu commands, 8 toolbars
Word 95: Around 125 menu commands, 9 toolbars
Word 97: Around 210 menu commands, 18 toolbars
Word 2000: Around 249 menu commands, 23 toolbars
Word 2002: Around 260 menu commands, 30 toolbars, 8 task panes
Word 2003: Around 275 menu commands, 31 toolbars, 19 task panes

In a short time the number of commands and toolbars doubled. Added
functionality means more menus and toolbars. Where were they going to put
all of it? More menus? More toolbars? More task panes? More clutter?
Something had to change. The original UI was created for the days of 1989 -
a LOT has changed since then. Plus Microsoft has invested numerous years on
Office 2007.

If you're interested in seeing more, here's a good PowerPoint presentation
that Jensen Harris put together, and where I obtained the numbers. They may
be a little off since I just now jotted them down for this post so if you
want more accuracy you can take a look for yourself:
"OFF201 ''Office 12'': Introduction to the Programmable Customization Model
for the "Office 12" User Experience (Part 1)"
http://blogs.msdn.com/erikaehrli/archive/2005/09/19/officesharepointpdcslides.aspx

It's too bad you don't get the dialog with the presentation - a bit of the
rationale is lost without it. But in the various screen shots of the Word
window, you'll see some of Microsoft's failed attempts to make the numerous
commands more compact and later how many user's Word screens end up looking
after using it for awhile. (I've witnessed similar examples in various
office environments.) Also note the screen shots aren't from the RTM version
so some things, such as the appearance and terminology, have changed
slightly.

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/

 

[Jay Freedman]

Yes, but on present showing, no sooner has this been done than MS will
introduce another completely different and non-compatible version and cease
support of Word 2007, so that everyone will have to relearn and buy the new
product again! Oh, and BTW a new operating system that will not allow any of
the old versions to work...

Just because you're paranoid doesn't meant they aren't really after
you...

Beware of black helicopters, and always wear your tinfoil hat.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.

 

[Beth Melton]

In the scenario I'm encountering it's not so much "newer is better", like I
noted, some are still using Office 2000! The descision was based on what
Office 2007/SharePoint 2007 has to offer.

Also, if you are encountering slow graphic and recalculations, I suspect it
might be your computer. If you only meet the minimum requirements then
you'll experience what you've described. Here's an article that provides the
system requirements:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/ha101668651033.aspx

If that's not it then if you have Adobe's PDF Add-in its known to cause
sluggishness.

(Heh, now I've done it - I've just provided more material for the "debate"
on Office 2007. <GRIN>)

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/

 

[Aalaan]

Ok and thanks for reasoned reply Beth. But I am basing this general feeling
on other MS products too. In particular Visual Basic 6 which was a brilliant
product attracting millions of developers, now abandoned by MS (leaving them
all high and dry). Nearly all compatibility links have been broken. Might I
respectfully suggest that as co-author of that book, at the same time as you
are knowledgeable you are not entirely without a natural affinity for the
new product and the MS philosophy!

 

[Larry]

What Stan has just said cancels out volumes of electrons justifying each new
MS innovation on the basis that "This is what people want," "MS tested
thousands of Word users and found that they don't use Feature X or Feature
Y," "MS is seeking to maintain and expand its market for Word, and it can
only do so by appealing to the broadest possible user base," etc. etc.

No. The reality is that MS comes out with a new version of Office, and the
corporations either buy it outright or get it automatically the next time
they buy new computers, and so everyone ends up with the new version of
Word. Period. Individual desires of users, collective desires of masses of
users, have nothing to do with it. MS puts forth what MS wants to put
forth, and the world buys it. MS got rid of toolbars and the menu bar, MS
replaced the File menu with the "Microsoft Office button," because MS got
onto a kick and decided that these were neat ideas and that everyone had to
conform to them, not because there was some demand or need for the
"Microsoft Office Button" in the real world.




, so MS eliminated it in the interests of

 

[Beth Melton]

Yep, you can suggest it - everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Too bad you don't have access to the now defunct beta newsgroups (and access
to a few choice emails I sent) you might have a different option after
hearing me sing a different tune many moons ago...if you think Larry is
harsh... ;-)

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/

 

[Graham Mayor]

I suppose you would class me as a 'naysayer' - but Office 2007 is simply an
answer to a question I haven't asked, so I have not been in any hurry to
embrace it - particularly as the interface is so radically different that it
will for some time seriously inhibit (my) productivity. I do, however, have
a copy on my laptop which I dip into from time to time. It's a trial copy,
but I suppose I will upgrade to a full version in due course.

The trial installation was not without issue. I live in some far flung
backwater and trying to persuade the web site to give me a product number
for the trial took a whole morning. It insisted that I live in America and
was steadfast in refusing to accept my true location - until I accessed the
site from a magazine cover disc copy of the trial, which was configured for
the UK, but which allowed me to change the country.

I am probably more skilled than Word's 'average' user, but I am finding it
heavy going - even though the problems are merely those of finding where
Microsoft's programmers have hidden things. Had I been coming to it as a new
product without years of history, then it might be a different story - but
I, and thousands of others like me, are not. You can learn any new piece of
software if you have the time and inclination, but I don't really see why we
should have to.

Given Microsoft's profitability, one might assume that it knows what it is
doing, in radically changing the world's most popular word processing
software, so that all its body of users will require retraining. Presumably
they have crunched the numbers and found it to be viable? I just hope that
this step does not prove to be a step too far.

Interesting that the 'State Agencies' are adopting 2007 with some relish.
They of course have the bottomless tax pit to dip into to fund the exercise.
Real business on the other hand may not be so enthusiastic, when it has to
dip into its profits. It should be an interesting twelve months.


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

My web site www.gmayor.com

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