teacher Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Hold your horses. Don't accuse me of blasphemy. You must understand first that I teach Microsoft Office each semester. It is one of the core classes I teach every year. It is strictly tied to MS Office through a state mandated curriculum. As such I jumped on the bandwagon to download Microsoft Office Professinal Plus 2007. I have not even passed exploring in Word yet. The features I have found so far make it a dream for some of the curriculum that has been a nightmare for some students in the past. Bullets and numbering. Now when you want to do old fasioned outlines, you can click on a button for the specific level and not have to fight Word trying to change the level on you. What a wonderful change. References and footnotes. You tell it if you are using the APA style or the MLA style. Then you put in your sources into a basic database type template. It then adds them as sources in the document, as end notes, foot notes, or bibliographies -- in the format you have selected! What a dream. Since I am going back to school to work on yet another degree, I know I will love this feature. Pictures. Just click on a button to change the angle to some basic layouts. It even resizes the pictures to fit on the page in the proper perspective. Smart art. Need a graphic with a combination of words and pics? Want it to look very professional with a fun layout. Play with smart art. Styles. The role of style sheets has taken on a new dimension with a variety of predetermined styles to get folks used to using styles. You can click from style to style and instantly see how the changes will look. No clicking, closing, opening, clicking closing to see your work. Fonts. Just as with styles you see instant results. If you highlight text and then go up to the font menu, as you roll over the fonts it changes the style of your text so you can really see how it will work without changing a thing. Absolutely wonderful. Inking. It allows you to switch back and forth between handwriting (with a pen or mouse) and keying text. Great for that electronic signature. I think that is enough for now. Anyone else found favorite new features? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James M. Fisher Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Downloading it now from MSDN, Julia. It's also publicly available here:http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/beta/getthebeta.mspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted May 25, 2006 Author Share Posted May 25, 2006 Enjoy! It sure is a step in the right direction. A lot of major improvements. :)You can see a good screenshot with this link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsden11 Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 My favorite feature has to be how the "ribbon" automatically changes context to help you design. Like when you insert a image. Right after you insert the image the ribbon changes to show tools for manipulating that image. You don't have to go looking for it. Add a table and the next thing you see is how do you want it formatted. Run your mouse over the formatting styles and watch the table change from style to style.Insert a chart and Excel fires up automatically and populates a spread sheet and builds the chart in 3D. Change the data in the spreadsheet and the chart automatically updates.Outlook is using the new page rendering engine form IE7 which puts clear type text where it should be. Much easier on the eyes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muckshifter Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Windows Liveâ„¢ ID To access this page you are required to sign in with a Windows Liveâ„¢ ID. This will help secure your information and protect your privacy.Hmmm, talk about stuffing things down your throat ... I don't want an ID I'll just keep using Pagemaker 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted May 25, 2006 Author Share Posted May 25, 2006 MucksI used to use PageMaker 6 and even taught that one too. It's a great desktop publishing program. On the other hand, for the price of creating a throw-away email account, you get a free copy of a great program. I have been registered with Microsoft for a few months. I have obtained a web site (still undeveloped), and all sorts of beta software to play with. I think it is a fair trade. Then again, since I teach this stuff, I must stay current on what is out there or I am dead in the water. Many teachers require new programs to be shoved down their throats but I feel I am a better teacher if I stay on the leading side of the learning curve and work to know what is available. My students would know in a heartbeat if I was bluffing my way through anything. Great about the tables Marsden. I'm taking my tablet to school today to continue exploring. It's that time of year when the actual teaching is a bit slow as students gear up to finish all their assignments until review begins for state exams. That means today I should be able to explore a bit more and play show and tell with my students. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muckshifter Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Yep, I was being a little, err, me. Actually I would like to "have a look" as PM hasn't been updated in a very long time and OO just can't spellcheck as good as Word ... so I typed in my usual only to find I do have an ID. Damed if I know what the password is though. Anybody remember what my first car was ... anybody remember where I left the back-ups of discarded Brain matter. Better go get a new one ... no!, not brain, a new ID ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted May 25, 2006 Author Share Posted May 25, 2006 Good luck with the password. They tend to keep your ID for many different uses so you don't have to register again. I kind of figured you were just being you! Just like I'm just me! As far as Pagemaker is concerned, it was replaced with InDesign a couple of years ago The link is to the upgrade page. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 how long will this beta last?i guess there is a timebomb in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted May 25, 2006 Author Share Posted May 25, 2006 February 1, 2007. Then it will continue to work with reduced functionality. That gives you 8 months of free use. That's why I opted to install it along side my Office 2003 rather than replace it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muckshifter Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 February 1, 2007. Then it will continue to work with reduced functionality. That gives you 8 months of free use. That's why I opted to install it along side my Office 2003 rather than replace it. yeah, thought I would do the same ... I was not tempted to 'replace' my Office 2003 either ... even if I only use it as a dictionary. Pretty init? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specmon Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 (edited) Hey Muck,If you have broadband, your gonna luv this: Answers.comSuper spell check, put the cursor on your suspect word, hit ALT and left click. Checks the spelling and defines the word in the context of the sentence. Lives in the tray by the clock, also has what they call an "Answer Bar" but I find it too intrusive and turn it off.Even does pronunciations Edited May 25, 2006 by Specmon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted May 25, 2006 Author Share Posted May 25, 2006 Anyone else playing wth this one? It has taken over my defaults for opening docs but that is ok because they will revert back if I delete but I will probably buy it as soon as it comes out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James M. Fisher Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 I'm just about to install it in Vista B2, but others I know are quite impressed by it as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted May 25, 2006 Author Share Posted May 25, 2006 Lucky. I would love to play with that one too. Some day soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil P Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 I downloaded this the other day after seeing this thread. Actually, I had almost run out of HD space, so I had to clear a bunch of stuff out, but then I got to try it It's actually not that bad. I am still not at all used to where everything has moved to, and the interface is a bit daunting at first, but once I get used to it I don't think it will be a problem. I had pretty low expectations (I don't like when the UI changes so drastically, usually) but so far I'm impressed. I have only briefly used Excel (and I don't know a whole lot about Excel to begin with ) but it all seems pretty nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 I can't get it to run in Vista. It takes forever to install and when finished all of the programs are there but none of them will open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted May 30, 2006 Author Share Posted May 30, 2006 That's too bad Gary. Wonder if you got a good download? It works great. The only program that has not really been overhauled that I have found so far is Publisher and it has some updates to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 That's too bad Gary. Wonder if you got a good download? It works great. The only program that has not really been overhauled that I have found so far is Publisher and it has some updates to it.The same Download installed perfectly fine on Xp and runs as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsden11 Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 What build of Vista? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 What build of Vista?5308. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsden11 Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 That build is pretty ancient now... maybe wait for build 5384 (public beta 2). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 That build is pretty ancient now... maybe wait for build 5384 (public beta 2).Thanks, I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 I instaled in on my Xp Pro partition and it is working great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b2cm Posted June 2, 2006 Share Posted June 2, 2006 The one thing I want Office to have (PDF-saving option) won't be there:http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6079519.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted June 2, 2006 Author Share Posted June 2, 2006 The one thing I want Office to have (PDF-saving option) won't be there:http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6079519.html But all is not lost: (from the site above)On the Office side, Microsoft plans to take out of Office 2007 a feature that allows documents to be saved in either XPS or PDF formats. However, consumers will be able to go to Microsoft's Web site and download a patch that will add those capabilities back in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelo Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 (edited) Office 2007, had it and the GUI is wonderfull.But its a bummer Microsoft go's all gfx now a days.Look at Windows Vista, resource eating OS. Office 2007, another resource eater with all those neat looking buttons (which also movie when you use them).For people with older pc's, or company's with still a lill older pc's it will be hard to run this stuff smooth and I am sure they would like to have Vista and Office 2007 as much as other people do who have a great computer capable of running it easy. Anyways, I liked Office 2007, to bad I encountered a lot of bugs in the BETA version but I hope Microsoft will release it soon for a 'fair' price cause I sure want my hands on a dutch Office 2007 :thumbsup:About the save options, I think they are doing great!I have Adobe Professional so I can change any format to .PDF already, but I have to aggreethat it would be much easyer to just be able to save ass... PDF from within MS Word 2007. Edited July 26, 2006 by Angelo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James M. Fisher Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 For people with older pc's, or company's with still a lill older pc's it will be hard to run this stuff smooth and I am sure they would like to have Vista and Office 2007 as much as other people do who have a great computer capable of running it easy. OTOH, look at it from the manufacturer's perspective: an OS and an application like O2007 requiring more RAM, etc. is a boon to them since it causes (but does not force) folks to consider upgrading threir hardware, if not a completely new PC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelo Posted July 27, 2006 Share Posted July 27, 2006 (edited) It does force some company's though, they need to be up-to-date with there system.There current system can probably not handle it and the employees will complain about hanging systems or slow systems. Then they have to buy more RAM or just a better system.Anyways, I am a reseller myself and I have some customers who want (both private and company) Office 2007 when it is released, and will upgrade there system(s) especially for it No clue why they want/need to be up-to-date always cause in my eye's Windows XP will be enough for another couple of years, and office 2003 is still working perfect for me.If they want O2007 which they want 100% sure, they will need a upgrade, thats what I ment with 'force'. Its either no O2007 or O2007 after a upgrade (incase you have a 'older' system). Edited July 27, 2006 by Angelo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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