Office 2007 Beta feedback

Have been using Office 2007 Beta for about 2 weeks now (mainly Word & Excel).

Don't like the new layout (Excel)-

Toolbar is very cluttered now that every option is on permanent display.
Can't find an option to Customise the Toolbars, other than the Quick Access
Toolbar, which is lost amongst all the other on-screen clutter.
Also don't like the fact that the Menu bar commands have been changed -
bring back 'File, Edit, View, Tools', etc.
Help menu has been replaced by an almost invisible 'question mark' icon
squeezed into the top right corner of the window
As an occasional user, it will take me months, if not years, to get familiar
with where everything is, just in time for the next version to be released!!!

Not worth upgrading, but this is not an option as Support, updates & even
functionality for previous versions of MS Office products evaporates every
few years!!!

UKdeejay

Every so often thing have to change, Excel 4 had two toolbars and Xl2003 has
something like 32!

You are not talking to a lover of the ribbon, but not everything is on it.
Tabs are added as you add features, (Charts, Tables, Pivot Tables, etc).

You just have to change your mind-set and it becomes easier. Most of us who
have been helping with this since last year believe the ability for a
'classic view' is a big miss for MS

But....

It has very much to commend it that have been wanted for years (not all in
this list personally by me, but by the 'community')

More columns and rows
Improved range name handling
Improved charting (This is still very raw in B2)
Improved sorting
Improved conditional formatting
Improved connection string handling
Intellisense on functions
Improved functions


Bear in mind the ribbon can be hidden by double-clicking on any tab or
pressing Ctrl+F1

I am sure that Office 13 (Probably won't be that number) will be a further
great improvement, as 2000 was over 97, but there is also much to commend
the efforts in this version, which is still at B2 and will have a couple
more iterations before RTM

Stick with it, I hope it grows on you

--
HTH
Nick Hodge
Microsoft MVP - Excel
Southampton, England
www.nickhodge.co.uk
nick_hodgeTAKETHISOUT@zen.co.uk.ANDTHIS


"UKdeejay" <deejay_blake[remove_this]@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4220D9EA-00A9-4879-8D8F-C4BE975A4F0A@microsoft.com...
> Have been using Office 2007 Beta for about 2 weeks now (mainly Word &
> Excel).
>
> Don't like the new layout (Excel)-
>
> Toolbar is very cluttered now that every option is on permanent display.
> Can't find an option to Customise the Toolbars, other than the Quick
> Access
> Toolbar, which is lost amongst all the other on-screen clutter.
> Also don't like the fact that the Menu bar commands have been changed -
> bring back 'File, Edit, View, Tools', etc.
> Help menu has been replaced by an almost invisible 'question mark' icon
> squeezed into the top right corner of the window
> As an occasional user, it will take me months, if not years, to get
> familiar
> with where everything is, just in time for the next version to be
> released!!!
>
> Not worth upgrading, but this is not an option as Support, updates & even
> functionality for previous versions of MS Office products evaporates every
> few years!!!
>

Of course, forgot the new zipped xml file formats, which for 'joe soap' user
should result in smaller file sizes and for developers should allow them to
interogate the files easily without having to break out the binary

--
HTH
Nick Hodge
Microsoft MVP - Excel
Southampton, England
www.nickhodge.co.uk
nick_hodgeTAKETHISOUT@zen.co.uk.ANDTHIS


"UKdeejay" <deejay_blake[remove_this]@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4220D9EA-00A9-4879-8D8F-C4BE975A4F0A@microsoft.com...
> Have been using Office 2007 Beta for about 2 weeks now (mainly Word &
> Excel).
>
> Don't like the new layout (Excel)-
>
> Toolbar is very cluttered now that every option is on permanent display.
> Can't find an option to Customise the Toolbars, other than the Quick
> Access
> Toolbar, which is lost amongst all the other on-screen clutter.
> Also don't like the fact that the Menu bar commands have been changed -
> bring back 'File, Edit, View, Tools', etc.
> Help menu has been replaced by an almost invisible 'question mark' icon
> squeezed into the top right corner of the window
> As an occasional user, it will take me months, if not years, to get
> familiar
> with where everything is, just in time for the next version to be
> released!!!
>
> Not worth upgrading, but this is not an option as Support, updates & even
> functionality for previous versions of MS Office products evaporates every
> few years!!!
>

Just noticed the signature at end of your message, Nick - I'm in Southampton
too, what a coincidence!!!

UKdeejay

"Nick Hodge" wrote:

> Of course, forgot the new zipped xml file formats, which for 'joe soap' user
> should result in smaller file sizes and for developers should allow them to
> interogate the files easily without having to break out the binary
>
> --
> HTH
> Nick Hodge
> Microsoft MVP - Excel
> Southampton, England
> www.nickhodge.co.uk
> nick_hodgeTAKETHISOUT@zen.co.uk.ANDTHIS
>
>
> "UKdeejay" <deejay_blake[remove_this]@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:4220D9EA-00A9-4879-8D8F-C4BE975A4F0A@microsoft.com...
> > Have been using Office 2007 Beta for about 2 weeks now (mainly Word &
> > Excel).
> >
> > Don't like the new layout (Excel)-
> >
> > Toolbar is very cluttered now that every option is on permanent display.
> > Can't find an option to Customise the Toolbars, other than the Quick
> > Access
> > Toolbar, which is lost amongst all the other on-screen clutter.
> > Also don't like the fact that the Menu bar commands have been changed -
> > bring back 'File, Edit, View, Tools', etc.
> > Help menu has been replaced by an almost invisible 'question mark' icon
> > squeezed into the top right corner of the window
> > As an occasional user, it will take me months, if not years, to get
> > familiar
> > with where everything is, just in time for the next version to be
> > released!!!
> >
> > Not worth upgrading, but this is not an option as Support, updates & even
> > functionality for previous versions of MS Office products evaporates every
> > few years!!!
> >
>
>
>