Why the ribbon? How much productivity has been lost?

[aches_n_pains]

Is the financial motivation for Microsoft still too great to overcome the
tremendous user desire for an old-style menu in Office 2007? After more than
a year of user complaints will Microsoft finally give in? For crying out
loud, Microsoft has created a market for third party companies to implement
old menu structures within the ribbon framework and they are surely making a
handsome profit for it (there's at least three of them). I've read all the
excuses why Microsoft insists the ribbon is better but the fact of the matter
is that all menu operations take longer to access graphically with the ribbon
vs. the former menu scheme. Not only are the categories of where the
functions are located un-intuitive, the amount of lateral mouse travel has
increases several times over. Correct me if I'm wrong here but isn't that
detrimental to the ergonomic health of millions of users? And don't tell me
I should learn the keyboard shortcuts, I have enough of those to remember
with my design software alone.

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

And I and many millions more disagree. You are entitled to your opinion, the rest of us have moved on.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

After furious head scratching, aches_n_pains asked:

| Is the financial motivation for Microsoft still too great to overcome
| the tremendous user desire for an old-style menu in Office 2007?
| After more than a year of user complaints will Microsoft finally give
| in? For crying out loud, Microsoft has created a market for third
| party companies to implement old menu structures within the ribbon
| framework and they are surely making a handsome profit for it
| (there's at least three of them). I've read all the excuses why
| Microsoft insists the ribbon is better but the fact of the matter is
| that all menu operations take longer to access graphically with the
| ribbon vs. the former menu scheme. Not only are the categories of
| where the functions are located un-intuitive, the amount of lateral
| mouse travel has increases several times over. Correct me if I'm
| wrong here but isn't that detrimental to the ergonomic health of
| millions of users? And don't tell me I should learn the keyboard
| shortcuts, I have enough of those to remember with my design software
| alone.

 

[darkrats]

I know that the "ribbon" is a done deal with Microsoft, but what about color
schemes for the Office products? I've always hoped that MS would get around
to adding some new ones to the standard three that come with their products.
I'd really like to see some more choices, and it seems like such a small
application tweak for MS to make. Any possibility that this might happen
anytime?



And I and many millions more disagree. You are entitled to your opinion,
the rest of us have moved on.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

After furious head scratching, aches_n_pains asked:

| Is the financial motivation for Microsoft still too great to overcome
| the tremendous user desire for an old-style menu in Office 2007?
| After more than a year of user complaints will Microsoft finally give
| in? For crying out loud, Microsoft has created a market for third
| party companies to implement old menu structures within the ribbon
| framework and they are surely making a handsome profit for it
| (there's at least three of them). I've read all the excuses why
| Microsoft insists the ribbon is better but the fact of the matter is
| that all menu operations take longer to access graphically with the
| ribbon vs. the former menu scheme. Not only are the categories of
| where the functions are located un-intuitive, the amount of lateral
| mouse travel has increases several times over. Correct me if I'm
| wrong here but isn't that detrimental to the ergonomic health of
| millions of users? And don't tell me I should learn the keyboard
| shortcuts, I have enough of those to remember with my design software
| alone.

 

[JoAnn Paules]

I'd like to seem more options too and I can only assume that someone
(whether it;s Microsoft or a third-party) will develop something eventually.
Until then, we have to make do.