[Reporter]

Almost everything is worse. Word 2003 was just about perfect. I
cannot understand the reason for any of the changes.

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

See the "Why the New UI" series at
http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archiv..._/default.aspx
(start with Part 1, of course).

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"Reporter" wrote in message
ps.com...
Almost everything is worse. Word 2003 was just about perfect. I
cannot understand the reason for any of the changes.

[Reporter]

On May 6, 9:56 pm, "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote:
See the "Why the New UI" series athttp://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archive/tags/Why+the+New+UI_3F00_/defau...
(start with Part 1, of course).

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site:http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"Reporter" wrote in message

ps.com...



Almost everything is worse. Word 2003 was just about perfect. I
cannot understand the reason for any of the changes.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I like most of what Microsoft did in the past. I have always loved
their languages and other products. There is simply no excuse for how
BAD this product is.

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Give it a little bit of time. Many of us hated it at first, but after
customizing the Quick Access Toolbar so that it gives me most of what I
want, and Minimizing the Ribbon, I do find a lot things easier to do and am
quite happy with it even though the buttons from my custom toolbars addin
that were previously, conveniently arranged down the left and right sides of
the screen, now all appear in a chunk of the Add-ins tab/

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

"Reporter" wrote in message
oups.com...
On May 6, 9:56 pm, "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote:
See the "Why the New UI" series
athttp://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archive/tags/Why+the+New+UI_3F00_/defau...
(start with Part 1, of course).

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site:http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup
so
all may benefit.

"Reporter" wrote in message

ps.com...



Almost everything is worse. Word 2003 was just about perfect. I
cannot understand the reason for any of the changes.- Hide quoted
text -

- Show quoted text -

I like most of what Microsoft did in the past. I have always loved
their languages and other products. There is simply no excuse for how
BAD this product is.

[LurfysMa]

On Sun, 6 May 2007 22:56:10 -0500, "Suzanne S. Barnhill"
wrote:

See the "Why the New UI" series at
http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archiv..._/default.aspx
(start with Part 1, of course).

In my opinion, the issue is not whether this is good or bad or even
whether I will eventually love it. It was forced onto us with no
option to stay with the old interface. I have a lot of work to do and
right in the middle of it, I have to spend valuable time learning a
enw interface.

This is either complete arrogance or it's a maintenance strategy.
Either way, it is not my interests that were behind it.


--
Running Word 2000 SP-3 on Windows 2000

[JoAnn Paules]

It's growing on me. I no longer hate it but because I haven't played with it
a lot, I can't say that I love it......yet.

--
JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

~~~~~
How to ask a question
http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375


"Doug Robbins - Word MVP" wrote in message
...
Give it a little bit of time. Many of us hated it at first, but after
customizing the Quick Access Toolbar so that it gives me most of what I
want, and Minimizing the Ribbon, I do find a lot things easier to do and
am quite happy with it even though the buttons from my custom toolbars
addin that were previously, conveniently arranged down the left and right
sides of the screen, now all appear in a chunk of the Add-ins tab/

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

"Reporter" wrote in message
oups.com...
On May 6, 9:56 pm, "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote:
See the "Why the New UI" series
athttp://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archive/tags/Why+the+New+UI_3F00_/defau...
(start with Part 1, of course).

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site:http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"Reporter" wrote in message

ps.com...



Almost everything is worse. Word 2003 was just about perfect. I
cannot understand the reason for any of the changes.- Hide quoted
text -

- Show quoted text -

I like most of what Microsoft did in the past. I have always loved
their languages and other products. There is simply no excuse for how
BAD this product is.

[Gordon]

"LurfysMa" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 6 May 2007 22:56:10 -0500, "Suzanne S. Barnhill"
wrote:

See the "Why the New UI" series at
http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archiv..._/default.aspx
(start with Part 1, of course).

In my opinion, the issue is not whether this is good or bad or even
whether I will eventually love it. It was forced onto us

No it wasn't - you were NOT forced to use it....

[Daiya Mitchell]

Hey Doug,

If the Ribbon is minimizing, what is making stuff easier to do? I
thought the changes were all about an adaptive ribbon that offered
exactly the applicable commands.

Daiya

Doug Robbins - Word MVP wrote:
Give it a little bit of time. Many of us hated it at first, but after
customizing the Quick Access Toolbar so that it gives me most of what I
want, and Minimizing the Ribbon, I do find a lot things easier to do and am
quite happy with it even though the buttons from my custom toolbars addin
that were previously, conveniently arranged down the left and right sides of
the screen, now all appear in a chunk of the Add-ins tab/

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Hi Daiya,

The Quick Access Toolbar is what makes things easier to do. I hardly ever
use the Ribbon. Now if I could only customize the icons on the Quick Access
Toolbar ...

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

"Daiya Mitchell" wrote in message
...
Hey Doug,

If the Ribbon is minimizing, what is making stuff easier to do? I thought
the changes were all about an adaptive ribbon that offered exactly the
applicable commands.

Daiya

Doug Robbins - Word MVP wrote:
Give it a little bit of time. Many of us hated it at first, but after
customizing the Quick Access Toolbar so that it gives me most of what I
want, and Minimizing the Ribbon, I do find a lot things easier to do and
am quite happy with it even though the buttons from my custom toolbars
addin that were previously, conveniently arranged down the left and right
sides of the screen, now all appear in a chunk of the Add-ins tab/

[LurfysMa]

On Mon, 7 May 2007 14:38:24 +0100, "Gordon"
wrote:

"LurfysMa" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 6 May 2007 22:56:10 -0500, "Suzanne S. Barnhill"
wrote:

See the "Why the New UI" series at
http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archiv..._/default.aspx
(start with Part 1, of course).

In my opinion, the issue is not whether this is good or bad or even
whether I will eventually love it. It was forced onto us

No it wasn't - you were NOT forced to use it....

I meant that the new styles were forced onto me once I upgraded to
Office 2007, but then you already know that.

Of course I was not forced to upgrade. My alternate options a

1. Stay with an older version until it no longer works or I start
receiving documents from newer versions that are not compatible or I
need to do something that the older version can;t do or ...

2. Switch to some other office product and endure endless migration
headaches and incompatibilities and ...

3. Toss the whole thing out the door and go back to paper and pencil
and abacus.

4. ???

I see now that I was completely out to lunch. I was not forced at all.



--
Running Word 2000 SP-3 on Windows 2000

[Terry Farrell]

4. Papyrus and scribe.

5. Rock and chisel

6. Dye on cave walls (not very portable option though)

--
Terry Farrell - MS Word MVP

Of course I was not forced to upgrade. My alternate options a

1. Stay with an older version until it no longer works or I start
receiving documents from newer versions that are not compatible or I
need to do something that the older version can;t do or ...

2. Switch to some other office product and endure endless migration
headaches and incompatibilities and ...

3. Toss the whole thing out the door and go back to paper and pencil
and abacus.

4. ???

I see now that I was completely out to lunch. I was not forced at all.



--
Running Word 2000 SP-3 on Windows 2000

[Greg Maxey]

Or 7 . create your own software company. I suggests we simply ignore all
clowns that want to continue to hide behind munged e-mail addresses and a
ridiculous screen names and continously chime in to offer contradictory
observations and not just this one.

--
Greg Maxey/Word MVP
See:
http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/word_tips.htm
For some helpful tips using Word.


Terry Farrell wrote:
4. Papyrus and scribe.

5. Rock and chisel

6. Dye on cave walls (not very portable option though)


Of course I was not forced to upgrade. My alternate options a

1. Stay with an older version until it no longer works or I start
receiving documents from newer versions that are not compatible or I
need to do something that the older version can;t do or ...

2. Switch to some other office product and endure endless migration
headaches and incompatibilities and ...

3. Toss the whole thing out the door and go back to paper and pencil
and abacus.

4. ???

I see now that I was completely out to lunch. I was not forced at
all. --
Running Word 2000 SP-3 on Windows 2000

[Stan Brown]

Sun, 06 May 2007 22:44:29 -0700 from LurfysMa
:
In my opinion, the issue is not whether this is good or bad or even
whether I will eventually love it. It was forced onto us with no
option to stay with the old interface.

sarcasm
Unlike every other piece of software, where you get to pick and
choose which changes you accept?
/sarcasm

I hold no brief for Microsoft, as regulars know. But come on!
Microsoft doesn't force anyone to adopt the new version. If you don't
like the interface, don't install the new version.

If your workplace has imposed it on you, talk to your boss about the
impact on productivity. Be prepared to explain why you can't learn
the new interface.

You may or may not come to like the new interface in time, but I'm
really getting tired of all the ****ing and moaning. Might as well
complain about the weather!

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com/

[Stan Brown]

Mon, 7 May 2007 18:04:37 -0400 from Greg Maxey
:
I suggests we simply ignore all
clowns that want to continue to hide behind munged e-mail addresses

I know I'm quoting you out of context, but:

Hear, hear!

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com/

[A. Vella[_2_]]

Dear Doug,

You are right, that is also what I am doing at the moment.

However, you do realise, of course, that what you are saying is that we
should reject and ignore the new much-vaunted interface and try to recreate a
pseudo-2003 look. It doesn't say much for Microsoft that one of their
employees (I think?) is recommending this solution.

I hate the Ribbon because it is so rigid and non-customizable. It has a host
of options I will never use (Word is a word processor not a DTP program) such
as an automatic Japanese greeting, and I am forced to sift through a jungle
of icons to find what I want.

"Doug Robbins - Word MVP" wrote:

. . . . . .after customizing the Quick Access Toolbar so that it gives me most of what I want, and Minimizing the Ribbon, I do find a lot things easier to do and am
quite happy with it . . . .

[Tom Willett]

Doug is not a MS employee.

| pseudo-2003 look. It doesn't say much for Microsoft that one of their
| employees (I think?) is recommending this solution.
|

[A. Vella[_2_]]

So, this is the situation. Microsoft sets up a "discussion group" to
supposedly help its clients, let them express their opinion and talk about
the products they have bought.

Except.....

Except that these opinions have to be favourable. Anyone who does not drool
over "The Ribbon" and does not go into ecstacy about the new frills is
immediately set upon and, basically, told to shut up.

Well dear Stan Brown, nobody is forcing you to be on this discussion group,
so if you are "getting tired of all this ****ing and moaning" you can go take
a walk. You are not contributing anything useful to the people who post
their legitimate problems except, of course, your own ****ing and moaning.

"Stan Brown" wrote:

Sun, 06 May 2007 22:44:29 -0700 from LurfysMa
:
In my opinion, the issue is not whether this is good or bad or even
whether I will eventually love it. It was forced onto us with no
option to stay with the old interface.

sarcasm
Unlike every other piece of software, where you get to pick and
choose which changes you accept?
/sarcasm

I hold no brief for Microsoft, as regulars know. But come on!
Microsoft doesn't force anyone to adopt the new version. If you don't
like the interface, don't install the new version.

If your workplace has imposed it on you, talk to your boss about the
impact on productivity. Be prepared to explain why you can't learn
the new interface.

You may or may not come to like the new interface in time, but I'm
really getting tired of all the ****ing and moaning. Might as well
complain about the weather!

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com/

[Graham Mayor]

No-one posting here is a Microsoft employee. This is a user peer group
forum.

Most of the problems of the new interface are caused by unfamiliarity. I am
told that it becomes much better with familiarity.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org



A. Vella wrote:
Dear Doug,

You are right, that is also what I am doing at the moment.

However, you do realise, of course, that what you are saying is that
we should reject and ignore the new much-vaunted interface and try to
recreate a pseudo-2003 look. It doesn't say much for Microsoft that
one of their employees (I think?) is recommending this solution.

I hate the Ribbon because it is so rigid and non-customizable. It has
a host of options I will never use (Word is a word processor not a
DTP program) such as an automatic Japanese greeting, and I am forced
to sift through a jungle of icons to find what I want.

"Doug Robbins - Word MVP" wrote:

. . . . . .after customizing the Quick Access Toolbar so that it
gives me most of what I want, and Minimizing the Ribbon, I do find a
lot things easier to do and am quite happy with it . . . .

[Graham Mayor]

If by discussion group, you mean this forum, then it has little to do with
Microsoft apart from their hosting it. Of course you can moan about whatever
you want, but it is not actually going to achieve anything. If you have
issues that you cannot resolve, fellow users are more than willing to offer
guidance, but whinges about the new interface here are not even going to be
seen by Microsoft.

I don't much like the new interface either. It gets in the way of (my)
productivity, but I am not beating myself up about it.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org



A. Vella wrote:
So, this is the situation. Microsoft sets up a "discussion group" to
supposedly help its clients, let them express their opinion and talk
about the products they have bought.

Except.....

Except that these opinions have to be favourable. Anyone who does not
drool over "The Ribbon" and does not go into ecstacy about the new
frills is immediately set upon and, basically, told to shut up.

Well dear Stan Brown, nobody is forcing you to be on this discussion
group, so if you are "getting tired of all this ****ing and moaning"
you can go take a walk. You are not contributing anything useful to
the people who post their legitimate problems except, of course, your
own ****ing and moaning.

"Stan Brown" wrote:

Sun, 06 May 2007 22:44:29 -0700 from LurfysMa
:
In my opinion, the issue is not whether this is good or bad or even
whether I will eventually love it. It was forced onto us with no
option to stay with the old interface.

sarcasm
Unlike every other piece of software, where you get to pick and
choose which changes you accept?
/sarcasm

I hold no brief for Microsoft, as regulars know. But come on!
Microsoft doesn't force anyone to adopt the new version. If you don't
like the interface, don't install the new version.

If your workplace has imposed it on you, talk to your boss about the
impact on productivity. Be prepared to explain why you can't learn
the new interface.

You may or may not come to like the new interface in time, but I'm
really getting tired of all the ****ing and moaning. Might as well
complain about the weather!

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com/

[A. Vella[_2_]]

In this particular discussion, my dissent was not with Microsoft but with the
intolerant attitude of a couple of 'fellow users'. I found some responses (to
other fellow users, not to me personally) to be, at best, condescending, if
not outright insulting, and gave the authors of such responses a piece of my
mind.

That's tough? Well, you know what they say about getting out of the kitchen
if you can't stand the heat. There are other, tamer, Fora where the users
do not bite back.


"Graham Mayor" wrote:

If by discussion group, you mean this forum, then it has little to do with
Microsoft apart from their hosting it. Of course you can moan about whatever
you want, but it is not actually going to achieve anything. If you have
issues that you cannot resolve, fellow users are more than willing to offer
guidance, but whinges about the new interface here are not even going to be
seen by Microsoft.

I don't much like the new interface either. It gets in the way of (my)
productivity, but I am not beating myself up about it.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org

[Stan Brown]

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:45:01 -0700 from A. Vella
:
In this particular discussion, my dissent was not with Microsoft but with the
intolerant attitude of a couple of 'fellow users'. I found some responses (to
other fellow users, not to me personally) to be, at best, condescending, if
not outright insulting, and gave the authors of such responses a piece of my
mind.

How generous of you. Are you sure you can spare it?

I wonder why you find it necessary to rake up an article that is
almost two months old to complain about.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com/