Ah, fuck it, I’ll do it your way.
So what’s the problem? There exists a tool that solves your issues. I’m sure it wasn’t trivial to write. Why does it have to be made by Microsoft? Do Matlab users whine that Mathworks don’t write every Matlab addin? Do Excel users piss themselves in consternation at the thought of using third-party toolboxes? Of course not. So why does Mr Bigshot Executive have his panties in a bunch at the fact that there’s a cheap, easily-available solution to his problem?
I didn’t say that, I said that seeing as you define your needs with reference to 2003, 2003 is by definition acceptable. You’ve spent half the thread arguing about how it’s perfectly fine for you, and unwanted change is bad. So keep using it, for crying out loud. And if you think the 2007 features are so incredibly desirable, then either pay for retraining with the new UI, or pay the measly fee for Toolbar Toggle. It’s fucking simple. Stop whining that you’ve got a decision to make; that’s why you’re the big swinging dick, right?
It’s not a magic leap forward; Word 2007 is (IMO) a vaguely competent product, where 2003 was a detestable piece of shit that should be dragged out and shot. Personally I don’t use Word unless forced to at gunpoint, but that doesn’t mean I don’t a) know improvement when I see it, and b) know “I hate change” whinges when I see them. I’ve hardly seen a single complaint about it vs. 2003 that wasn’t a simple “where is X command?” query wrapped up in swearing, usually with the answer “right in front of your stupid, stupid face, for fuck’s sake.”
Unfortunately, it’s a trait of the common or garden idiot that they’d rather rant about something to strangers than spend 5 seconds with Google, hence the irritation amongst people who have a bit more initiative than God gave watercress. I sympathise if you employ a lot of common or garden idiots (I prefer garden idiots, myself), but that’s your cross to bear.
I’m in the UK, thanks all the same, and can speak for at least two top UK universities. They tend to roll over software frequently because they get cheaper support for newer versions, and replenish their machines a lot. And yes, Office 2007 has been the default retail edition since its release, unless your “markets” are in Bumfuck, Mongolia. So I’m sorry, but if you think 2007 isn’t widespread outside offices and getting more so, you’re not doing your job properly.
Given your enlightened approach to software development, I can’t imagine you really want any such detail, but here is a whole blog feed dealing solely with how MS went about designing their new UI, including validation. Knock yourself out. I also recommend Merneith’s roundly ignored posts earlier. Not enough insults for you, I suppose.
For the intellectually incurious, however, and just off the top of my head:
[ul][li]commands are more consistently placed (as opposed to the old “guess where the toolbar went” approach to layout);[/li][li]there’s much more label text, reducing the need to guess what individual icons mean;[/li][li]GUI elements are larger, meaning less hunting and pecking;[/li][li]and they’ve made a better attempt to group options conceptually, as opposed to the dire pre-2007 game of guessing whether the option you want is in “tools, options, advanced” or “tools, customize, advanced” or wherever the hell else Microsoft stuck all their features they couldn’t be bothered to locate usefully.[/ul][/li]
It’s not the best thing since sliced bread, but it surely is an improvement on the morass of anonymous, draggable icons and opaque dropdown menus that infested Word pre-2007. You’re welcome to your own opinion of course, but frankly I think anyone who can pretend that someone facing Word for the first time would prefer this to this is off their rocker.
