Why i do not buy Office 2007

[Arend]

I am not buying Office 2007 for the reasons below. It may well be that I have
been unable to find the workaround of these problems, therefore anybody who
could enlighten me is welcomed:

a) I cannot customize the ribbon. To use a keyboard shortcut I need to hit 5
keys in order to get there, while in 2003 office I could fix my own shortcuts
with &X on the toolbar.
b) I cannot use word for email editor in outlook. All autocorrect & autotext
entries in normal.dotm are not available in NormalEmail.dotm & vice versa.
Settings that exist in word do not exist in outlook editor. The function to
record a macro doesn’t exist in the editor of outlook and the macros of word
do not work in outlook.
c) the way that the flags function in the new version is worthless. They all
have almost the same color and if thhey had done it possible to customize the
flags (to have a possibility of 25 customized flag colors), a user would use
5 flags to assign the same functions that exist now.
d) dozens of more reasons which would make a book of this message.

If you think I am wrong just ignore this message. If you think that I am
reasonable you can forward this message to those who might be able to review
what the potential customers have to say.

Thanks
Arend

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Install a good, comprehensive, security program,
such as Windows OneCare, and you'll not have to
worry about those issues. You can try it FREE
for ninety (90) days.
http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/default.htm


--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------

I am not buying Office 2007 for the reasons below. It may well be that I have
been unable to find the workaround of these problems, therefore anybody who
could enlighten me is welcomed:

a) I cannot customize the ribbon. To use a keyboard shortcut I need to hit 5
keys in order to get there, while in 2003 office I could fix my own shortcuts
with &X on the toolbar.
b) I cannot use word for email editor in outlook. All autocorrect & autotext
entries in normal.dotm are not available in NormalEmail.dotm & vice versa.
Settings that exist in word do not exist in outlook editor. The function to
record a macro doesn’t exist in the editor of outlook and the macros of word
do not work in outlook.
c) the way that the flags function in the new version is worthless. They all
have almost the same color and if thhey had done it possible to customize the
flags (to have a possibility of 25 customized flag colors), a user would use
5 flags to assign the same functions that exist now.
d) dozens of more reasons which would make a book of this message.

If you think I am wrong just ignore this message. If you think that I am
reasonable you can forward this message to those who might be able to review
what the potential customers have to say.

Thanks
Arend

 

[Tom [Pepper] Willett]

Huh?

: Install a good, comprehensive, security program,
: such as Windows OneCare, and you'll not have to
: worry about those issues. You can try it FREE
: for ninety (90) days.
: http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/default.htm
:
:
: --
: Carey Frisch
: Microsoft MVP
: Windows Desktop Experience -
: Windows Vista Enthusiast
:
: ---------------------------------------------------------------
:
: I am not buying Office 2007 for the reasons below. It may well be that I
have
: been unable to find the workaround of these problems, therefore anybody
who
: could enlighten me is welcomed:
:
: a) I cannot customize the ribbon. To use a keyboard shortcut I need to hit
5
: keys in order to get there, while in 2003 office I could fix my own
shortcuts
: with &X on the toolbar.
: b) I cannot use word for email editor in outlook. All autocorrect &
autotext
: entries in normal.dotm are not available in NormalEmail.dotm & vice versa.
: Settings that exist in word do not exist in outlook editor. The function
to
: record a macro doesn't exist in the editor of outlook and the macros of
word
: do not work in outlook.
: c) the way that the flags function in the new version is worthless. They
all
: have almost the same color and if thhey had done it possible to customize
the
: flags (to have a possibility of 25 customized flag colors), a user would
use
: 5 flags to assign the same functions that exist now.
: d) dozens of more reasons which would make a book of this message.
:
: If you think I am wrong just ignore this message. If you think that I am
: reasonable you can forward this message to those who might be able to
review
: what the potential customers have to say.
:
: Thanks
: Arend
:

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Please ignore my earlier response. I was multi-tasking
and sent the wrong post.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------

Huh?

: Install a good, comprehensive, security program,
: such as Windows OneCare, and you'll not have to
: worry about those issues. You can try it FREE
: for ninety (90) days.
: http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/default.htm
:
:
: --
: Carey Frisch
: Microsoft MVP
: Windows Desktop Experience -
: Windows Vista Enthusiast
:
: ---------------------------------------------------------------
:
: I am not buying Office 2007 for the reasons below. It may well be that I
have
: been unable to find the workaround of these problems, therefore anybody
who
: could enlighten me is welcomed:
:
: a) I cannot customize the ribbon. To use a keyboard shortcut I need to hit
5
: keys in order to get there, while in 2003 office I could fix my own
shortcuts
: with &X on the toolbar.
: b) I cannot use word for email editor in outlook. All autocorrect &
autotext
: entries in normal.dotm are not available in NormalEmail.dotm & vice versa.
: Settings that exist in word do not exist in outlook editor. The function
to
: record a macro doesn't exist in the editor of outlook and the macros of
word
: do not work in outlook.
: c) the way that the flags function in the new version is worthless. They
all
: have almost the same color and if thhey had done it possible to customize
the
: flags (to have a possibility of 25 customized flag colors), a user would
use
: 5 flags to assign the same functions that exist now.
: d) dozens of more reasons which would make a book of this message.
:
: If you think I am wrong just ignore this message. If you think that I am
: reasonable you can forward this message to those who might be able to
review
: what the potential customers have to say.
:
: Thanks
: Arend
:

 

[Gordon]

I am not buying Office 2007 for the reasons below. It may well be that I
have
been unable to find the workaround of these problems, therefore anybody
who
could enlighten me is welcomed:

a) I cannot customize the ribbon. To use a keyboard shortcut I need to hit
5
keys in order to get there, while in 2003 office I could fix my own
shortcuts
with &X on the toolbar.

That's what the QAT (Quick Access Toolbar is for)

b) I cannot use word for email editor in outlook. All autocorrect &
autotext
entries in normal.dotm are not available in NormalEmail.dotm & vice versa.
Settings that exist in word do not exist in outlook editor. The function
to
record a macro doesn’t exist in the editor of outlook and the macros of
word
do not work in outlook.

So what does Tools-Macros do then?

 

[Arend]

--> That's what the QAT (Quick Access Toolbar is for)

The QAT is limited to Alt+number. To get it done with hitting only key you
are limited to even less shortcuts because when you hold the mouse with your
right hand, hitting Alt+9 with your left you need to be Shaquille O'Neal.
Instead in 2003 and with the possibility of &letter you have a minimum 20
shortcuts with one hand only. Moreover I believe that it should be me the one
to decide which commands I need on each ribbon and not Microsoft.

--> So what does Tools-Macros do then?

As I have already mentioned it does everything except recording a macro,
which is crucial for the majority of the users who do not know VB. Unless you
think that every computer user is a skilled programmer…

Regards,
Arend

 

[Gordon]

--> That's what the QAT (Quick Access Toolbar is for)

The QAT is limited to Alt+number. To get it done with hitting only key you
are limited to even less shortcuts because when you hold the mouse with
your
right hand, hitting Alt+9 with your left you need to be Shaquille O'Neal.
Instead in 2003 and with the possibility of &letter you have a minimum 20
shortcuts with one hand only. Moreover I believe that it should be me the
one
to decide which commands I need on each ribbon and not Microsoft.

I don't understand you. What's this about "Alt+number" got to do with
putting shortcuts on the QAT? Word at least has ONE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED
shortcuts you can add to the QAT....

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Arend,

The Record Macro choice is available in several places in Word 2007.

On the Ribbon, click on View=>Macros=>Record Macro

If you right click on the status bar on the bottom of the Word screen you can turn on the macro recording choice there.

It's also available on the Developer tab. The tab isn't displayed by default but can be turned on from Office Button=>Word
Options=>Popular

You can also add it to the Quick Access Toolbar.

In Word, but not the other Office apps, you can assign keyboard shortcuts from
Office Button=>Word Options=>Customize=>[Keyboard]

=========

As I have already mentioned it does everything except recording a macro,
which is crucial for the majority of the users who do not know VB. Unless you
think that every computer user is a skilled programmer.

Regards,
Arend>>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[Arend]

In order to make use of a shortcut in QAT (from your keyboard) you need to
press Alt+number from 1 to 9 and if you have more shortcuts a combination of
numbers & letters. You can’t edit the keyboard shortcuts of the ribbon. You
have to learn how Microsoft decided to organize the keyboard shortcuts and
forget how you did it yourself for years with Office 2003.
However, in word there is a workaround by Word options--> customize -->
keyboard shortcuts.

The huge problem is with the outlook editor. This function (to assign
keyboard shortcuts) doesn’t exist (at least I didn’t find it).
You will have to hit a series of keys if you have more than 9 shortcuts in
QAT.
Moreover in outlook editor you work with a different dotm, which means that
everything you have put in normal.dotm of word is no more available when you
write an email and vice versa. You need to every day update the
emailnormal.dotm with the normal.dotm, which is out of the question.
On the top of that you can’t record a macro in your outlook editor nor can
you use those of word. You need to be a skillful VB programmer in order to
write a macro and I am not, like most of the users.

These are the top reasons (among many others) that I do not buy Office 2007.
If you believe that I am wrong I am all ears.

Regards,
Arend
PS. Not to mention that I do not have the time to learn all over again where
Microsoft has decided to hide the commands I was familiar with in Office
2003. And I wouldn’t mind try to learn if I had the option to customize the
ribbon and put them there.

 

[Gordon]

In order to make use of a shortcut in QAT (from your keyboard) you need to
press Alt+number from 1 to 9

Sorry, what shortcuts are we talking about here?

 

[Arend]

Hello Bob,

I am NOT talking about the command to record a macro in word. I am talking
about the lack of this command in outlook editor. Office 2007 doesn’t have
the option to use word for writing email messages and the email editor of
outlook doesn’t give you the option to record a macro. NOR gives you the
option to create keyboard shortcuts.
I have already written this in my previous posts. Why don’t you read a post
before replying?

Regards
Arend

 

[Gordon]

Hello Bob,

I am NOT talking about the command to record a macro in word. I am talking
about the lack of this command in outlook editor. Office 2007 doesn’t have
the option to use word for writing email messages and the email editor of
outlook doesn’t give you the option to record a macro. NOR gives you the
option to create keyboard shortcuts.
I have already written this in my previous posts. Why don’t you read a
post
before replying?

Just out of interest, why would you want to record a macro in Outlook?

 

[Arend]

For the same reason that one uses macros in word: to execute several tasks
with one key hit when composing a document, which in outlook is the reply or
forward of an incoming message.

But don’t you think that the reason that there are 2 different dotm, one for
word and one for email, is already enough to never buy Office 2007? Not to
mention the fact that you can’t customize the ribbon neither you can assign
keyboard shortcuts to the outlook editor.

Regards,
Christos

 

[Gordon]

For the same reason that one uses macros in word: to execute several tasks
with one key hit when composing a document, which in outlook is the reply
or
forward of an incoming message.

Sorry, I don't buy that. Email is not a medium that requires macros or
"composing" - just like newsgroup posts do not require "composing" or
macros...a waste of time and energy IMHO....

 

[Gemini]

Arend, for several reasons, I've also chosen not to move to Office 2007 and
shell out the $$$s MS wants, the Ribbon being one of the major reasons. I've
reverted to Office 2003. Since Bill Gates has publicly stated that in the
future, MS plans to use the Fluent UI (i.e. the Ribbon thing) more
extensively in MS products, I've also started looking into transitioning
completely to OpenOffice or Zoho.

If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much about Gordon and his responses.
He's a big Office 2007 fan. Based on prior experience, he is apparently
unable to comprehend the fact that quite a few users aren't exactly overawed
by the infamous Ribbon.

hth!

-- Gemini

 

[Arend]

Picture this: 2 years after its release Microsoft still allows 60 days trial
for Office 2007. And now this trial can be downloaded from the US website of
Microsoft, for more than once, and also from any other location on earth.
(this was not the case months ago and I know it because I couldn’t download
it from Greece, where I am located.) And when you download it you get a
message, which says thank you for trying Office 2007 for THE SECOND TIME and
asks whether you know anybody else who would like to try Office 2007.

Do you know what this means? It means that sales aren’t going their way… it
looks like that there are more persons out there who do not like the ribbon
and SEVERAL OTHER THINGS in office 2007. And above all they don’t like the
arrogance of Microsoft!!!!

Office 2003 was a very good program and the developers of Office 2007 in
Microsoft decided to cut off many of the functions that users used for years.
It is not only the ribbon, the lack of customizing it and the different dotm
for word and outlook.
It is that Office 2007 is a new program and everything that I have learnt in
years by using previous versions of Office, it is now gone with the wind… I
have to learn again everything from the beginning. This means to invest
time…, which in its turn means why not to invest this time to learn
OpenOffice which is also for free? This is exactly what I have done a couple
of weeks ago. I have downloaded OpenOffice and I learn how to use it…

Judging of the answers of Gordon, who says that email is not for composing a
document but to simple “post some text back†I realize that even the users of
Microsoft became arrogant… Or Gordon has never sent any email in his life.

I would like to meet the guy in Microsoft who destroyed the colored flags in
the new version of outlook. I wonder what did he have in his mind and who on
earth will ever find the new function useful? Email to do tomorrow? Or next
week? Or the week after??? When you use email for business there is no
tomorrow. It is only today wise guys… It is importance and priority the
factor which decides which email should be answered first. And even if I am
wrong and this new function is useful ALL FLAGS HAVE ALMOST THE SAME COLOR.
Obviously this developer genius has never seen the rainbow…

Regards,
Arend

 

[Bob I]

No macro recording in Outlook 2003 either, so that's an invalid
objection too.

 

[Ben M. Schorr - MVP (OneNote)]

The new follow-up flags are, in my opinion, MORE useful than the old
ones. I like being able to schedule e-mail to be handled at future
dates - I daresay that anybody who thinks there is "only today" has
never done any project management.

If you want multi-colored flags the categories offer you far more colors
than the old follow-up flags ever did and the importance settings are
unchanged. You can even create custom importance settings (using
categories) if you really want to.

Best wishes and aloha,

--
-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr, MVP
Roland Schorr & Tower
http://www.rolandschorr.com
http://www.officeforlawyers.com
Author - The Lawyer's Guide to Microsoft Outlook 2007:
http://tinyurl.com/5m3f5q

 

[jcash1969]

My reason for not wasting $329 to upgrade from Office 2000 is much less
involved. I bought a new laptop with a trial version of Office 07 installed
on it. I opened one of my Excel spreadsheets with it and could not find,
either on the ribbon or in the menus, the first command I wanted to use. I
can do anything I need to do using Office 2000, and I know exactly how to do
it, so why should I waste the money to have to completely re-learn how to use
a new product?

 

[Bob I]

The same thing goes for all software and any other product you can buy.
If the added features aren't of value to you, it would be stupid to buy it.