How Word 2007 makes Word commands more accessible

[Larry]

The philosophy of Word 2007 according to Microsoft is that users had great
difficulty accessing Word's various commands. So the idea was to bring the
commands closer to the user-interface surface.

But what is the actual result? Here is one small example. In older
versions, if you want to see a list of the documents that are currently open
and maybe activate one of them, you open the Window menu (Alt+W), and a menu
is displayed showing all the open documents which can be clicked on, or
their menu number typed, and they are activated.

How do you do the same in Word 2007? There is no Window menu, because there
is no menu bar any more. Instead you have to go to the View tab of the
Ribbon, which you can select by pressing Alt+W. The Ribbon which displays
contains a vast number of commands and graphics each with a big ugly letter
next to it—an incredible visual mess. You look around and see the "Switch
Windows" feature, which has a white tag with a "W" next to it. You type the
letter W, and this opens up the equivalent of the old Window menu listing
the names of the open documents.

So, in the older versions of Word, you are one simple step away from seeing
the list of open documents. In the NEW, ADVANCED, AND MORE ACCESSIBLE
version of Word, you are two steps away from seeing that list. Moveover, in
order to get to that list, you've got to display the entire comlicated
Ribbon with all its many features and icons and graphics, all of which are a
useless distraction from what you actually want to do, which is simply to
open the Window menu, whereas in the older version there is no distraction.
In the older version the simple Window menu opens, and there are just a
couple of commands on it with the open documents list below that.

Now is anyone going to tell me that requiring users to perform two steps via
the Ribbon to see a simple open documents list makes Word more user friendly
than opening the list via one simple step?

Now watch while someone comes along and tells me that I shouldn't complain,
that I should shut up and get with the program.

Larry

 

[CyberTaz]

<snip>

Now watch while someone comes along and tells me that I shouldn't complain,
that I should shut up and get with the program.

<snip>

I would not presume to tell you any such thing... There's plenty in '07 to
carp about just as there was in each of its predecessors as well as any
other piece of software. And the more it deviates from what one is
accustomed to, the more awkward it "feels"

The point I would raise is that since you seem to prefer a "simpler" & more
direct approach why bother with the Window menu even in 2003? The open docs
are represented by buttons on the Windows Task bar (making the Window menu
list redundant) and ALT+Tab cycles you through them as well as any others -
you're not limited to Word docs. Either of the two I find to be more
efficient than using the Window menu.

Just another perspective, but what you prefer as a simpler way seems
cumbersome to me ... But that's what makes a Horse Race.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[CyberTaz]

P.S. - There's also a Switch Windows Combo Box in 2007 which can be added to
the QAT if you prefer the Window-type list.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Larry]

Thanks, but I would never use that single document interface. I normally
have about five IE windows open, plus six or seven Word documents--and
having that many buttons on the task bar would just be confusing. Instead
of immediately going to the Word document I want, I'd have to Alt+Tab
through all the open windows, including all the non-Word windows. Maybe
that approach works for some people, it doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[Terry Farrell]

Larry

Well I am not disagreeing with much of what you say, but you need to 'stick
with it'. In the example that you mention, it is a little better than that
because if you say have 4 documents open, if you want the third one on the
list, you simply press Alt, W, W, 3.

This is because when you press the ALT key, not only do the Ribbon shortcut
letters popup, but the common commands in the groups also have popup
shortcuts displayed. Similarly, the commands you selected for the QAT are
numbered too.

With the new Windows Menu, Alt, W, W opens the Documents list and the
documents are numbered, so entering the appropriate number switches to that
document. All without the mouse.

It is all different and the learning curve finding all the new methods is
demanding but it all comes in the end.

I'm finding exactly the same with Vista: there are a whole load of
undocumented features in that too.

Terry Farrell

 

[Stan Brown]

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 20:17:09 -0400 from CyberTaz <onlygeneraltaz1
@com.cast.net>:

The open docs
are represented by buttons on the Windows Task bar

Not necessarily. It depends on an option setting.

 

[BoniM]

If you prefer the old way, you can reassign Alt+W or some other keyboard
shortcut to that option from, Word Options, Customize, Keyboard shortcuts:
Customize. Choose View Tab and Window list. If u assign Alt+W here, it will
open the list directly instead of taking you to the view tab. Alt and then W
will still open the view gallery.