Office 12 - New User Interface

[Chris]

Microsoft Showcases New User Interface for Office “12” Core Applications

Thousands of software developers at the sold-out Microsoft Professional Developers Conference 2005 today got a preview of a new, redesigned user interface (UI) that will debut in several core applications of the next version of Microsoft Office, code-named Office “12.”

While the Office applications have increased tremendously in power and added functionality in response to customer needs, the core UI has remained substantially unchanged for nearly 20 years. The command bar in Microsoft Office Word 2003, for example, looks much the same as the command bar in Word 2.0 did in 1998. In fact, the new UI is the biggest, most visible change to the way the core Office applications work since the introduction of the toolbar in 1997.

To learn more about the new UI, how it will make it easier for information workers to do great work, and why Microsoft decided to implement the transformation, PressPass spoke with Julie Larson-Green, group program manager for the Office User Experience at Microsoft.

More | Here

[andsome]

OK for well off professionals, but Office 2000 does all that most people at home need.

[expertec]

I quite like the look of that... prices won't look so nice though. ;)

[-pops-]

Very, very few people need, or are even aware of, the vast majority of functions of MS Office. Making it even more complex and tarting it up to look pretty - with a matching astronomical price tag will not encourage much more of a usership.

I can see an ever increasingly positive future for the freeware/shareware/open source (MS compatible) office suites not only for s.o.h.o. users but the bigger users as well.

I'm using Open Office on a regular basis now - it fills my needs and much more besides

[andsome]

In Office 2000, I regularly use Outlook, Publisher and Word. That's about all. I have Excel installed in case I need to open something someone has sent to me in that format, and also Microsoft Access for a data base that I made for all my Cd's.

[expertec]

I can see an ever increasingly positive future for the freeware/shareware/open source (MS compatible) office suites not only for s.o.h.o. users but the bigger users as well.

Yes, and Microsoft's decision to base the new office version around xml rather their own file formats is good - the compatability of the free/open source office suites will improve, and I can see their use increasing a lot because of it. :)

[-pops-]

In Office 2000, I regularly use Outlook, Publisher and Word.  That's about all.  I have Excel installed in case I need to open something someone has sent to me in that format, and also Microsoft Access for a data base that I made for  all my Cd's.

You may use these, andsome but, I'll wager that you use only a very tiny fraction of what each is capable of.

[Scarecrow Man]

I use Office 2003, and I use it to it's full potential, but only because I am in school to study Office products, such as Word, Access, Excel, Visio, Power Point, and Project.

Most users would NEVER use this suite to 10% of it's potential, not to mention the vast resources on Microsoft Online.

But, that is why there are many differen't versions, such as Office Professional (which I use), Student, SOHO, Teacher etc.

I'll admit the prices are a bit much, which makes OpenOffice.org that much more desirable for personal use, but it is not widely known, and people end up paying for something they will never use, only to have it be outdated in a year or two and have to upgrade again.