Office 2007 classic menus

[Steve Rindsberg]

Wrong attitude. If the PAYING CUSTOMER does not want the ribbon interface,
only a company with EXTREME ARROGANCE would have the attitude of "Tough, that
is what WE want, you insignificant customers will just have to shut up and
like it".

I'm not especially fond of the new interface either, but that's neither here nor
there.

You have to understand one thing: you're not talking to Microsoft here. You're
talking to other users like (and unlike) yourself.

Like you, some think that the ribbon is a huge mistake.
Unlike you, some don't.

Other than making our opinions known to MS or installing add-ins, or learning
how to customize the ribbon ourselves, there's not a lot we can do that'll
change things immediately.

As far as making our opinions known:

To send feedback about Office 2007, follow the link you'll find here:
http://www.pptfaq.com/FAQ00962.htm

Staying with 2003 is a pretty big stick, too, if enough people do it.

 

[TorstenT]

After having worked with Office 2007 for 8 months I think I am able t
provide some input to this discussion.

Long ago, I have started my Office career with MS Word 1.1 and and hav
seen the Word version grow and become stable. The more I am disappointe
over Word 2007.

(1) How on earth can MS confront an army of Office users with such
radical change?! Ever heard about backward compatibility?! This include
the GUI as well, not just the file format.

(2) Even though I use shortcuts, classic menus, and custom toolbars fo
efficient working, I try not be biased. I can see the advantage whic
the ribbon provides for beginners and non-professional users.

But why does MS ignore the many experienced users? For those, th
ribbon interface means a clear loss of productivity. It is ridicolou
that MS claims that the ribbon is efficient if the typical shortcu
consist of 4 letters (compared to 2..3 letters in Word 2003).

The old menus and toolbars had the great advantage that every menu ha
its fixed place on the screen, and an experienced user could almos
blindly navigate. The new ribbon is packed with icons and constantl
changes appearance so that the user is forced to spend time
concentration of finding the right button. Again, this might be grea
for newcomers, but for more advanced users this is a pain in the neck.

(3) The Quick Access Toolbar is OK, but compared to the lost custo
toolbars it is rather an alibi:
- there is only one toolbar now
- it cannot be positioned freely
- it does not permit custom icons
Again, again, MS seems to favour newcomers over professional users.

(4) Apart from all GUI complaints, Word 2007 has also cut / change
functions which help the advanced (again!) user to work more efficient
Most prominent example: Styles. A brilliant thing to achiev
consistently formatted documents, it is now so complicated that I hav
almost given up. Hundreds of colourful styles clutter the style lists
but who in his right mind and with the slightest idea of typograph
would use these nightmare styles in a technical document?!
Another example: The "outline" view and toolbar. Where is the good ol
outline toolbar which had buttons "1", "2",..."All" ? Instead, there i
a list box and no buttons which I could place in the Quick Accces
Toolbar.

(5) Last but not least, Word 2007 is simply buggy:
- When cutting/pasting or dragging table rows within a table, Word cut
the table int two or more tables
- I use a table style to shade the header row. About five times a day
one of the tables in my document, the shade is gone. Or, all table row
get shaded.
- When working in "Draft" view (i.e. 99% of the time when no
printing), Word 2007 does not show images. Only workaround: Save th
document in Word97/2003 format.
- even simple things like document property fields can becom
inconsistent

To sum it all up: Word 2007 is really a huge stepback. Only new user
can benefit from its ribbon, while experienced users are appalled
Useful features have been removed, the stability has decreased.

I hope someone in the MS Office product management will read this
There is always the chance to make a better version.

Regards,
Torste

 

[Tom Willett]

:
: I hope someone in the MS Office product management will read this.
: There is always the chance to make a better version.
:
: Regards,
: Torsten
:
Since this is a peer-to-peer newsgroup, it's doubtful.

Companies don't stay in business by listening to their customers. If they
did, there would never be any change, and they couldn't release new products
to make more money.

 

[Gordon]

But why does MS ignore the many experienced users?

As a recently-retired Systems Accountant I can tell you that the numbers of
"experienced" users are far exceeded by "ordinary" users. I'll repeat this
again: 75% of Office users ONLY use 25% of the functionality available....

 

[Tom Willett]

And 65% of statistics can be made up.

:
: : >
: > But why does MS ignore the many experienced users?
:
: As a recently-retired Systems Accountant I can tell you that the numbers
of
: "experienced" users are far exceeded by "ordinary" users. I'll repeat this
: again: 75% of Office users ONLY use 25% of the functionality available....
:

 

[Gordon]

And 65% of statistics can be made up.

True - but I speak from quite a number of years as a Systems Accountant.....

 

[Tom Willett]

So, we take your word for it, or, can you post a link to cite your figures,
or is this something just pulled out of the air because of your number of
years as a system accountant. The numbers have to come from somewhere..;-)

I can spew numbers left and right on many things based upon quite a number
of years in marketing.

:
: : > And 65% of statistics can be made up.
: >
:
: True - but I speak from quite a number of years as a Systems
Accountant.....
:
:

 

[Gordon]

So, we take your word for it, or, can you post a link to cite your
figures,
or is this something just pulled out of the air because of your number of
years as a system accountant. The numbers have to come from somewhere..;-)

I can spew numbers left and right on many things based upon quite a number
of years in marketing.

And I would generally bow to your expertise in Marketing.

 

[Mr Creosote]

Gordon from MS, I work in the fabrication industry where a PC is a tool
to get a job done and it is not a career. Your arguments are akin to us
making new cars with the steering wheel in the trunk, the gas pedals in
the rear and the speedometer reading backwards/upside down and not
explaining why this is more effiicient. The fact is, I can get in any
car, start the engine, put it in gear and drive away (LHD and RHD, stick
and automatic). Now I have a nice new PC where I need to read and
respond to e-mail and edit Word documents quickly and efficiently but
after scratching my head all day, I am recommending that we turn back to
Office 2003 due to the lost productivity that is inevitable. The fact is
MS don't seem to even have given any perceived benefits of using Office
2007 over 2003 and if there are any, they are outweighed by the steep
learning curve. Are there actually any rear benefits in using 2007?

MS shot themselves in the foot with Vista and are replacing it with 7 -
we for one won't t use 7 until at least SP1 has been released. Are there
any plans for Office 2009/2010 which (please) addresses the menu issues
that too many people are having problems with?

BTW - making it easier for MS techies to deal with customers is not
exactly customer focused. Also, if you are ever lucky enough to get
technical help from MS or any software vendor these days without
committing to spend $100's - well you are lucky

PPS has Bill ever used Office 2007? I hear he was ever so frustrated
when he tried to use Vista!

 

[Gordon]

BTW - making it easier for MS techies to deal with customers is not
exactly customer focused.

Nothing to do with MS techies at all - as I have had some experience with IT
support within large organisations it's those people that have an enormous
job trying to support USERS (not customers) who are at liberty to
"customise" prior versions of Office to the nth degree. It's a support
nightmare.

 

[Mr Creosote]

Nothing to do with MS techies at all - as I have had some experienc
with I
support within large organisations it's those people that have a
enormou
job trying to support USERS (not customers) who are at liberty t
"customise" prior versions of Office to the nth degree. It's a suppor
nightmare

Are you saying USERS are not CUSTOMERS? I think they are both the same
I understand the frustration when people customize software but that ca
be a limitation of support. BUT to change the whole user interface i
punishing everyone

I will be going back to 2003 as I have a job to do and do not have th
time to relearn how to use the complete Office Suite. I can live with
few mods and added features but 2007 is beyond a joke - actually its
nightmare for me knowing the limitations of my team who are in line fo
new PC's and not wanting to lose valuable production time as they wast
time learning a new philosophy to get the same old job don

 

[Gordon]

Are you saying USERS are not CUSTOMERS? I think they are both the same.
I understand the frustration when people customize software but that can
be a limitation of support. BUT to change the whole user interface is
punishing everyone.

I will be going back to 2003 as I have a job to do and do not have the
time to relearn how to use the complete Office Suite. I can live with a
few mods and added features but 2007 is beyond a joke - actually its a
nightmare for me knowing the limitations of my team who are in line for
new PC's and not wanting to lose valuable production time as they waste
time learning a new philosophy to get the same old job done

75% of Office users only use 25% of it's functionality. If it takes them
THAT long to work out how to do the normal everyday recurring tasks, then
there is something wrong.
Yes there may be an initial temporary slow-down, but if your staff are of
reasonable calibre with reasonable application skills they will be back to
full speed in a very SHORT time.

 

[JoAnn Paules]

BTW - Gordon is not a Microsoft employee, unless he's hiding that fact from
us.

 

[Gordon]

BTW - Gordon is not a Microsoft employee,

Correct - I'm just an ordinary Office user who has used Office since Office
95, also Wordperfect, Lotus and Open Office. (Admittedly at fairly advanced
level, especially with Excel)
In all my years as a Systems and Management Accountant I have never ever
needed to customise anything....

 

[Mr Creosote]

75% of Office users only use 25% of it's functionality. If it take
them
THAT long to work out how to do the normal everyday recurring tasks
then
there is something wrong.
Yes there may be an initial temporary slow-down, but if your staff ar
of
reasonable calibre with reasonable application skills they will be bac
to
full speed in a very SHORT time.

Many I work with are still challenged by 2003 so changing their worl
and comfort zone for no perceivable advantage is a bizarre choice.

There seems to still be no explanation as to why the user interfac
changed -i.e. what are the benefits of learning this at the end of th
day? Will productivity go up? Are there new features that will make m
life easier?

I have read way too much in the past 24hrs to see that many absolutle
hate the new interface and want a classic style interface. MS wil
either listen and revise the software or will force their new idea on u
all. Remember new Coke?

I see the market for 3rd party ad-ons that provide menus has grown
that indiacates there is a problem - wouldn't MS want to be providing
complete solution that covers all user needs

 

[JoAnn Paules]

I rarely ever do any customizing either. I adapt to the standard menus. The
nice thing is that by doing so, I can work on almost anyone's computers.

 

[Gordon]

Many I work with are still challenged by 2003 so changing their world
and comfort zone for no perceivable advantage is a bizarre choice.

I think you might be surprised. If they are "challenged" by Office 2003,
then I suggest that the introduction of the ribbon in 2007 might actually
HELP them rather than hinder.
One of the main reasons for the introduction of the ribbon was to get away
from the sub-menus of sub-menus of sub-menus of sub-menus that had been
built up by a sort of "mission creep" in Office 2003, thus making functions
deeply hidden within all those nesting menus....

Have a look at this:
http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archive/2008/03/12/the-story-of-the-ribbon.aspx