Show Office 2007 Who's the Boss!
(&$@&$( ribbon!
Monday, April 30, 2007 by Zoomba | Discussion: WinCustomize News
Microsoft Office 2007 decided it had enough of that old menu system that users had come to know, and if not love, at least become acclimated to, over the past decade or more. In place of such classics as "File", "Edit", "View, and the always popular "Help", it organized features in something called the "ribbon". The idea was to organize features in an easy to access way, with everything grouped with common tasks. Of course, Microsoft being Microsoft didn't just add a new UI method for users to explore, it completely replaced the old menu system we all knew. No soft transition here folks, you'll take that ribbon and you'll like it.
The result? Many hours spent searching around for a feature you used to know how to find, now moved somewhere else, grouped in with tasks that seem completely irrelevant. In the struggle to figure out how the heck to get regular work done, third party software developers have again come to the rescue with tools that will allow you to customize the Office user interface. Even bring back the old menu system!
ComputerWorld has an article detailing just a few of these UI enhancements you can download and install to make your Office 2007 experience more bearable.
Kudos to ZubaZ for showing me the story.
Reply #3 Monday, April 30, 2007 11:54 AM
Reply #4 Monday, April 30, 2007 12:32 PM
I love the ribbon! I think moving away from the old file edit help button system is definatley a positive.
Reply #5 Monday, April 30, 2007 3:53 PM
Reply #6 Monday, April 30, 2007 4:03 PM
Yay, Microsoft!
Reply #7 Monday, April 30, 2007 5:52 PM
Reply #8 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 4:17 AM
Until it took me about 2 seconds to make a good looking document.
But you're right, change is a scary thing. Now, where are my DOS disks?
Reply #9 Tuesday, May 1, 2007 10:57 AM
Reply #10 Wednesday, May 2, 2007 7:13 PM
Reply #11 Wednesday, May 2, 2007 8:08 PM
I am also a huge fan of the new Office 2007 design.
I really think Microsoft built an outstanding suite of programs in this one. 
Reply #12 Wednesday, May 2, 2007 10:34 PM
Please login to comment and/or vote for this skin.
Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:
- Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums and downloading skins.
- Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
- Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
- It's simple, and FREE!
Reply #1 Monday, April 30, 2007 11:11 AM
People go on that menu's has been around for a long time and works great. But I find the Ribbon to work better for a feature rich app like Office. I find sub menu after sub menu more of an hassle really.