Upgrading to Office 2007 (2007)

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I am considering upgrading from Office 2003 to Office 2007. However, I am finding that the differences are significant. So many of my shortcut keys have changed and I no longer know how to quickly navegate around the menu bar since so much has been moved.

I am considering abandoning the idea but was looking for feedback. Can anyone who migrated to 2007 share any comments/feedback? How long did it take to learn the new system?

Is upgrading to 2007 an inevitable change that is going to hit us all sooner or later, when we willingly accept it now or unwillingly in the future when version 2003 is no longer supported by MS or when it is incompatible with the new versions of Windows? Or is there any hope in sticking with version 2003 in the hopes that it will always be around or that a future version of Office will come out that looks and functions very similarly to version 2003?

My free trial period comes to a close soon so I will have to make a decision …

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I don’t have Office 2007 so I can’t comment on your first question.

About your later questions: it is very unlikely that Microsoft will continue support for Office 2003 indefinitely, and also that they will revert to the pre-2007 interface. So you’ll have to get used to the way Office 2007 works eventually.

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Even though the new interface is a major change I found it easy to adapt to using it, it only took a short time to be able to navigate around as quickly as I did on the old user interface. If anything I think it is more logical and easier to use for people who have never used office before. Personally I would not want to go back to the old interface.

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It did not take much time for me and others in our office to become at least familiar with the new interface. Now, I’d not want to go back. I’m sure that Microsoft will not go back to the old style interface. If anything the interface will continue to change as hardware and software become more capable.

If you are having lots of trouble have a look at Search Commands. It is a addin from the Microsoft Office Labs. From the linked page:

“Search Commands helps you find commands, options, wizards, and galleries in Microsoft Office 2007 Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Just type what you’re looking for in your own words and click the command you need. Search Commands also includes Guided Help, which acts as a tour guide for specific tasks.”

Joe

--Joe

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As a new user to Office 2007 I am still finding it frustrating. I HATE the new Access 2007 (my main development application).

TOP TIP – the right click menu usually takes you to familiar territory (old syle dialogs) etc..

I wish that there was an option to use the ‘old-style’ interface. Users could then ‘convert’ at their own pace and not lose productivity in the meantime. just my

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See my post 694,431. There are links to two utilities to customize the ribbon interface.

Joe

--Joe

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What are the advantages of the new interface for someone like me who is already quite effecient with and used to the old one? What would I gain by switching over (besides learning now rather than later that which I must inevitably learn)?

Regards,

JMT

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> What are the advantages of the new interface for someone like me who is already quite effecient with and used to the old one?

None.

> What would I gain by switching over (…)?

Each of the Office 2007 applications has new features, some useful, some only so-so. See for example Microsoft Office 2007 on wikipedia.

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Steve

I had Access 2007 sitting on a new computer for over a year. I would get it out only when I had to, because like you I hated it.
For me the problem was not just finding the new location of things, but things I could previously do with a single mouse click now took 2 or 3.

But I have now made the switch.

What made the difference for me was Customising the Quick Access Toolbar , so that most of the things I use on a regular basis are always sitting there. I have not finished this process yet.

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John

I have put some commands on the Quick Access toolbar for my use – BUT – I sometimes need to teach the software and that requires using the default set-up and knowing my way around that. (I’m currently fighting with Visual Studio 2008 Express but that’s another can of worms!)

I agree about needing 2 or 3 mouse clicks where 1 would do previously – Grrr!

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An interesting thread. We are considering an upgrade to Orifice 2007 from 2003. However from this thread I think that the move would not be beneficial; currently 2003 works OK and I cannot see a beneficial increase in productivity to 2007.

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I regret that I may have to upgrade and learn Office 2007 because Office 2003 is no longer being supported by MIcrosoft and the language packs being sold are only available for Office 2007.

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I had two betas and a trial on my computer before I really gave Office 2007 a try. I almost immediately liked Excel 2007 better than 2003, probably because I had never customized Excel and the new interface put lots of cool stuff right in front of me instead of two or three clicks away. Once I decided to learn the W2007 interface, it took about 2 weeks of daily use (at least 1/2 hour) to get used to where things are and to get Word options set the way I prefer them. I still found switching back and forth from ribbon to ribbon annoying (I’d had at least five toolbars always visible with W2003); since there are commands I want always in view, I began adding commands to the QAT. Now that I can take advantage of the ribbon and have my customizations, I prefer W2007—although I still have to work in both.

I am a freelancer who often works at customer sites where I use their computers and software. I’ve seen much more use of Office 2007 by my clients this year than last. And many users are asking their IT departments for it. Nonexpert users I’ve talked to prefer 2007 almost immediately. So my guess is that 2007 is successful and is not going away.

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The NEW interface is also appearing in Windows 7 programs such as Paint and Wordpad.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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So, honestly and realistically, are Office 2003 users going to have to learn Office 2007 inevitably? Is it possible that in the next couple of years, Microsoft might hear complaints by people (such as those voiced on this page) stating that Office 2007 in many ways requires more work than Office 2003 (e.g., 3 clicks were previously, 1 would do) and therefore, would it make more sense for people like me who know Office 2003 to wait a couple of years until Office 2007 adjusts to these complaints?
Or is my putting off learning Office 2007 going to do nothing more than cause inconveniences, such as the present inconvenience I am facing as I try to find the Office 2003 language pack somewhere, without really benefitting the procrastinators such as me?

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I don’t think there is any need for you to upgrade to Office 2007 if you are happy with what Office 2003 does for you.

It is not at all likely that Microsoft will give you back the Office 2003 menus, so I guess you may eventually have to upgrade, when Microsoft stop shipping security updates for Office 2003 – but I hope that won’t be for a long time.

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So, honestly and realistically, are Office 2003 users going to have to learn Office 2007 inevitably? Is it possible that in the next couple of years, Microsoft might hear complaints by people (such as those voiced on this page) stating that Office 2007 in many ways requires more work than Office 2003 (e.g., 3 clicks were previously, 1 would do) and therefore, would it make more sense for people like me who know Office 2003 to wait a couple of years until Office 2007 adjusts to these complaints?
Or is my putting off learning Office 2007 going to do nothing more than cause inconveniences, such as the present inconvenience I am facing as I try to find the Office 2003 language pack somewhere, without really benefitting the procrastinators such as me?

I’m sure Microsoft have heard the complaints. I don’t think that those complaints are going to change the direction of the UI. Office 2010 will have more products “ribbonized”. The ribbon is supposed to be more customizable than the current release.

If you decide to keep Office 2003 I recommend you download Service Pack 3 or whatever ends up being the last service pack. That way you’ll always be able to get to a known point if you have to reinstall Office for some reason.

Joe

--Joe

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Or is my putting off learning Office 2007 going to do nothing more than cause inconveniences, such as the present inconvenience I am facing as I try to find the Office 2003 language pack somewhere, without really benefitting the procrastinators such as me?

You might want to look at Microsoft Support Lifecycle and Microsoft Support Lifecycle for Office 2003. You’ll note that as of April this year Office 2003 entered extended support. This means security updates only until support ends in April 2014 unless you want to pay handsomely for extended hotfix support.

IMO, if you have easy, cheap access to Office 2007 or Office 2010 next year you should just upgrade and get used to it.

Joe

--Joe

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Does anyone find it annoying that there are far less keyboard shortcuts in Office 2007 than in Office 2003 and therefore, a person proficient at navigating around Office 2003 with the keyboard only now has to be slowed down with the mouse? I just find that in Office 2003, I can do ANYTHING with just the keyboard if I know the combos, but in 2007, there are so many times when I just need to click and icon.

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Does anyone find it annoying that there are far less keyboard shortcuts in Office 2007 than in Office 2003 and therefore, a person proficient at navigating around Office 2003 with the keyboard only now has to be slowed down with the mouse? I just find that in Office 2003, I can do ANYTHING with just the keyboard if I know the combos, but in 2007, there are so many times when I just need to click and icon.

Try using the Alt key with any program that has the ribbon. That should expose the keyboard shortcut for each tab and then each command for the functions on that tab.

Joe

--Joe

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i would recommend the upgrade, and get used to the new interface now, plenty of online help and training available, i can even send you some PPTX files used when we migrated all our users and gave them a mini-training course on the differences/changes to minimise the impact on my very small 2 man department. As JoeP already pointed out, security fixed will continue until April 2014, but nothing else will get changed/fixed, and you have no support with MS unless you pay for it.

Office 2010 will also see ribbon bar’s added to Outlook, Visio and Project for the first time. Once you know how to customise the bar, and use the quick launch links right at the top of the screen to do repetitive and frequent tasks, you do eventually improve your productivity, along with saving files in the new X format – DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, which makes office file much much smaller – saving on huge amounts of disk space in a company environment or home network if you have a lot of files or work from home. Don’t forget to download the free add-on to Office 2007 which adds PDF capability, due to some legal wrangling, it could not be added by default, but nothing stopping you acquiring the 933KB file and installing it yourself. Its ok, but not as small a file as you get from CutePDF. You can also make sure of the Prepare option to send the file direct as an attachment or email from inside the app.

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When I purchased a new computer, I decided to try Office 2007 and was frustrated by the changes. After trying several different Windows training programs, I found the “Professor Teaches Office 2007” and tried it. Wonderful, while I don’t use the program for business, like some of you may; I now find I like it much better than Office 2003. More efficient and intuitive. Good Luck.

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