Microsoft Office 2007
by Trevor Janke
With the new Windows Vista coming out, Microsoft has decided to put out a new version of Office along with it. The new Microsoft Office 2007 will feature a new style that resembles that of the new Vista. Though it may seem like it would be a big adjustment, the new intuitive interface will make it easier than ever to process your word document.
The new Office will feature and new tab based style for all its programs, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook. These new tabs will be held on something called a Fluent (also known as the ribbon). This replaces the old toolbar. The toolbar isn't the only thing being replaced. The old file button will be replaced with the new Windows logo. It will do all of the same saving, printing, and opening. The new button and head will also allow users to customize the look of the programs and make them their own.
Microsoft Office 2007 will also include a live preview
feature. This will let the user mouse over a button to temporarily
format the text before they click ok. Another new addition is
SmartArt. SmartArt is a graphics and text tool that can be
used to enhance the look of your document. It helps with formatting
text and automatically fits text and graphics to it.
Microsoft Office 2007 will use a new file format. Instead of the normal .doc, .ppt, and .xls, the new format will be called Office OpenXML. It is based on an XML file and is compressed so it can be up to 75% smaller than a file we have today.
In addition to new general features, Microsoft Office 2007 will have special features for each of the different programs. Excel 2007 will have new color features to make each cell its own bar graph or to make each section more attractive. PowerPoint 2007 has new features that allow a person to make any project that they have make into a template that they can use later. It also has improved 3D rendering and a better presentation view. Access 2007 will have greater compatibility with more documents and graphics. Word 2007 will introduce have a translation feature that includes English, Spanish, and French. It will also be more supportive to blogging and internet connectivity.
All in all, the new Microsoft Office 2007 looks to be a good step forward. It introduces a new intuitive style and more features to make the strongest Office yet.
