Upgrade MicroSoft Office?

[RWebb]

I've been using MS Office 2000 for... well, a decade. I've never felt a need to upgrade it.

I am now moving on to a new computer -- so, should I upgrade (and I use the term "upgrade" advisedly) to the newest version of MS Office with the new computer?

I have 2 offices and the old desktop will be in the "other" downtown office + there is a laptop that I use when traveling, so I'd probably want to upgrade them too.

We get software for next to nothing, so $$ cost is not an issue. Hassle cost, and bug costs might be issues.

What say ye?

[porsche4life]

Office '07 is nice, lots of flash though.


Have you tried OpenOffice? Works as good, if not better and is free.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Office '07 is nice, lots of flash though.


Have you tried OpenOffice? Works as good, if not better and is free.

It doesn't have anything equal to Outlook.

I think MS over did it with 2007. I have my entire office on 2003.

[jyl]

When my office switched to the latest Office, all us heavy Excel users lost 1-2 weeks for productivity.

The new version doesn't do anything more (well, more rows/columns possible if you care) but they have moved the controls all around, into "ribbons", and you can't find any of the stuff you use. When you find it, it is multiple clicks instead of Alt-letter and then letter to get it from the menu bar. Total PITA. You end up laboriously creating a custom toolbar with all the stuff you use, two weeks later.

Less complaints on the newest Word, I don't use Word much anyway.

I wouldn't change if it were my choice. My desktop PC escaped the IT sweep and is still Office 2003, I won't call IT for any help on it because I don't want to lose that. My laptop got "upgraded" and I use it less as a result.

[Joeaksa]

Have office 2003 on the desktop and 2007 on the laptop. The newer version is a PITA for me.

[porsche4life]

Office '07 isn't too bad for me, but I don't use it heavily, and I had a class on the whole suite right after it came out. Not sure why they make us take that, the software will be outdated by the time we get out of school 6yrs later....

[imcarthur]

I jumped from 2003 to 2010 missing 2007. As jyl pointed out, there IS a learning curve involved but overall, I am liking it. Word, Excel, Outlook . . . are my usual tools.

Ian

[LSA]

07 is what is on all school machines and 03 is what we run where I work and my personal preference is 03, it is just so much easier to use. They scrapped the design of office 03 and all the previous versions and went with the new layout of 07 which is a complete pita it puts form and style over functionality especially from an It standpoint it's a pain trying to find anything compared to before.

In terms of functionality there's not much 07 offers you over 2k to be honest.

[RWebb]

can you turn off the ribbon thing PITA in the new version? make it act like the old, familiar GUI?

[rick-l]

They started to switch at work and of course started with the conference rooms. I was in a meeting and someone needed XL. No one knew how to use it.

[chuckr]

Had Office 10...dumped it and went back to 2000
10 is a hog with memory and disk space
10 is a bit more involved to use, like to print off excel it take two clicks on 10 , one click on 2000
if you are a heavy Office user, go with 10, otherwise 2000 does everything you'd need to do
just fine.

[juan ruiz]

Can anyone download Outlook for free??

[azasadny]

Use OpenOffice instead, it's free and it will open those documents you have and docs can easily be saved in Office format...

[rcecale]

Try these links to ramp up to 2007 from 2003 much faster...

These are interactive sites that load up a page that looks like the Office 2003 version of the respective application. If you know how to perform a particular task in the 2003 version, simply do those steps. The page automatically switches to the new 2007 interface and demonstrates how to do that same task in the new environment.

Word

Excel

Powerpoint

Access

Outlook

Randy

[masraum]

I've very comfy with 2003. I upgraded to 2007 a while back because my wife got a cheap deal through school. I still prefer the menus to the "Ribbon" on 07. I just upgraded to 2010 through work, because it was practically free. 2010 allows you to completely customize the ribbon that was in '07.

None of them are bad enough to avoid. If you are comfortable with 2000 and/or 2003, then there will be a bit of a learning curve to go to 2007 or 2010.

[jhynesrockmtn]

Due to various upgrades at work I've been on 03 and 07 both a few times, currently on 07. I don't like the changes in the interface. I can't find the stuff I'm so used to using. *&^%$(*&$^

[imcarthur]

Here are a couple of quick scene shots of Word & Excell 2010. This is what a right click opens in both.





Once you get used to the top tab routine, most usual functions are either visible at the top (which can be customized I assume) or are available with a right click. I like them both.

Ian

[rcecale]

Originally Posted by jhynesrockmtn

Due to various upgrades at work I've been on 03 and 07 both a few times, currently on 07. I don't like the changes in the interface. I can't find the stuff I'm so used to using. *&^%$(*&$^

Check out the links in post 14, above.

Randy

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by chuckr

Had Office 10...dumped it and went back to 2000
10 is a hog with memory and disk space
10 is a bit more involved to use, like to print off excel it take two clicks on 10 , one click on 2000
if you are a heavy Office user, go with 10, otherwise 2000 does everything you'd need to do
just fine.

huh!

I think that answers my question, right there

thx everybody

[Por_sha911]

My old MS Office `97 wouldn't work with Vista Home Premium. I wanted Outlook so I bought a brand new unregistered copy of Outlook 2003 on Amazon for less than $40. It works great. It has a limitation that I didn't have in `97 but 99% is better than 0%.