No Classic View in Office 2007?

[babyblue]

Why isn't it an option to use Classic View in Office 07? Or is it and I just
haven't figured it out yet (like so many other formerly simple features)?

I just can't handle not knowing where things are in Word anymore. I'm about
to uninstall it in reinstall XP because I'm just so frustrated with it.
Things that have been simple for YEARS are now entirely too complicated.
Hell, even printing takes three clicks rather than one for me now. WTF? I
just don't get it AT ALL. It looks like they tried to pretty it up and make
it user-friendly for folks who need pictures...but, if we're using Word, odds
are we know how to read a menu...if only there still were menus....

Also, anyone know how to set it so I don't have to hit shift+enter rather
than just enter to prevent double spacing? This is really getting on my
nerves big time. My paragraph setting says single spaced and so if I'm typing
a standard letter I'm ok...but there are many, many, many other uses for Word
and now enter = two lines....so annoying.

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi babyblue,

There is not a readily available old view in Office 2007. Microsoft made a business decision not to provide it. Since the release
of Office 2007,
120 million new Office licenses have been sold (not all were 2007 <g>).

The how/why of the ribbon development and the business decisions are available through the entries on
http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh

While there are plenty of us who have used Office for several versions there are also a lot of folks for who the 2007 version will
be there first experience with it. For many who have used prior versions in corporate environments where IT folks locked the thing
down, the new interface and new features is often seen as being more freeing to get work done.

There are 3rd party add-ins available such as those reviewed on
http://word.mvps.org . Some are free, some are not. Some of the add-ins provide tools to customize the ribbon, but it can also
(with some learning <g>) be customized without a lot of tools
Word: http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Customize_Ribbon.htm
Excel: http://www.rondebruin.nl/ribbon.htm
although it's a bit complicated at first

As time passes I expect there will be more examples, reusable parts available.
http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Proofreader_Marks_AddIn.htm
http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Table_Cell_Data_Word2007.htm
(wouldn't a ribbon building block set be nice <g> that works like Autotext <g>)

Of course, you may then have folks asking 'why is "his" ribbon different from "my" ribbon' <g>.

If you still have access to your prior version you can create your own classic set as well
http://www.gmayor.com/Toolbars_in_word_2007.htm

For those who want to 'dive in' to the customization there are also a couple of books out on 'RibbonX' (the customization text for
the Ribbon)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0470191112/

http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesTitle/RibbonX-For-Dummies.productCd-047016994X.html

There are also a number of helpful free files and tools to help you find your way around the ribbon such as these
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx
http://officelabs.com/projects/searchcommands/Pages/default.aspx

Also, you may find that many of the old version keyboard shortcuts still work. For example, even though the Word option settings
moved from

Tools=>Options
to
Office[File] Button=>Word Options

both the older (Alt, T, O) keyboard shortcut and the new (Alt, F, I) keyboard shortcut will get you to the options list.

The line spacing is set to 1.15 lines for increased readability. In part, because more and more, items are read onscreen rather
than in print but from studies showing that the increased spacing is better for reading.
http://blogs.msdn.com/fontblog/archive/2006/05/17/600507.aspx


You can change that setting from
Home=>Styles=>Change Styles=>Style Set
and choose 'Word 2003'.

To then make that your default setting
Home=>Styles=>Change Styles=>Set as Default

For printing, when you go to
Office Button=>Print=>Print, right click on the print choice there and choose 'Add to Quick Access toolbar' and you'll have the
one click choice again.

Of course as with many things in life, 'better' doesn't always mean we'll like it more. I'd guess that chocolate usually wins out
as a 'choice' over liver and onions, and knowing that the Dvorak keyboard layout would make many of us more proficient and faster
typists (eventually) didn't help it catch on over the QWERTY keyboard layouts <g>.

MS does offer both a 60 day free trial of Office 2007 and a 45 day money back guarantee after that, so there are opportunities for
tossing it back

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Why isn't it an option to use Classic View in Office 07? Or is it and I just
haven't figured it out yet (like so many other formerly simple features)?

I just can't handle not knowing where things are in Word anymore. I'm about
to uninstall it in reinstall XP because I'm just so frustrated with it.
Things that have been simple for YEARS are now entirely too complicated.
Hell, even printing takes three clicks rather than one for me now. WTF? I
just don't get it AT ALL. It looks like they tried to pretty it up and make
it user-friendly for folks who need pictures...but, if we're using Word, odds
are we know how to read a menu...if only there still were menus....

Also, anyone know how to set it so I don't have to hit shift+enter rather
than just enter to prevent double spacing? This is really getting on my
nerves big time. My paragraph setting says single spaced and so if I'm typing
a standard letter I'm ok...but there are many, many, many other uses for Word
and now enter = two lines....so annoying.<<
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[babyblue]

Thanks for the help with the line spacing and print issues. Sad to hear that
there is not really an easy option for going back to the old menus without
just uninstalling and going back to the old version (which is most likely
what I'll be doing).

I don't know who all these people are who have "increased productivity" with
Office 07 because I haven't actually met a single one of them. All of my
friends and co-workers absolutely loathe Office 07. Luckily, we've been able
to warn some of our friends away from it when they were considering
"upgrading" and, after they used a computer with Office 07, they have thanked
us for saving them from a huge mistake.

I love Microsoft. Always have...but this redesign was just a mistake. A huge
mistake. If the next version of Word doesn't have a built in option to go
back to the classic style, I will have to seriously reevaluate my options.

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Well, not everyone would agree with you, but that's why you get to choose to use what you want <g>

While you may not have met any of them, there are folks (for one example) in a client that have a reallly big number of licenses and
the way that the previous version was setup and locked down made the Office 2007 apps really welcomed with new features, less
relying on 'remembering' where things were, and more uniformity and sharing of parts that could be used by more than one person.
The 'learning' came largely from sharing knowledge, not from formal training.

=============
Thanks for the help with the line spacing and print issues. Sad to hear that
there is not really an easy option for going back to the old menus without
just uninstalling and going back to the old version (which is most likely
what I'll be doing).

I don't know who all these people are who have "increased productivity" with
Office 07 because I haven't actually met a single one of them. All of my
friends and co-workers absolutely loathe Office 07. Luckily, we've been able
to warn some of our friends away from it when they were considering
"upgrading" and, after they used a computer with Office 07, they have thanked
us for saving them from a huge mistake.

I love Microsoft. Always have...but this redesign was just a mistake. A huge
mistake. If the next version of Word doesn't have a built in option to go
back to the classic style, I will have to seriously reevaluate my options. >>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*