Word 2011 (Mac) Question

Factual Questions
1

So my new Mac laptop is working. The migration from the old machine went well. I have the new version of MS Word, and it works, but not as I would like it to.

I had my old version on the old Mac set up so that when I typed, each space between words was marked by a dot. The end of each line (each “line feed”) had a little backward P at the end. (That means blank lines were all marked with the symbol too.)

It helps me see the format, it is odd, but I like it. The old Word used the “Show All” command under the “View” tab I think.

Can I do this in the new Word? How?

2

It’s supposed to be the Show/Hide button under the Paragraph group of the Home tab. But I’ve looked at a bunch of images of Word 2011, and it doesn’t appear to be there, even though it is there in Word 2010. This is odd.

I guess you could try the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Shift-8 (that may be Command-Shift-8 on a Mac). There should also be a way to turn individual marks permanently on in the Options. If none of the other toggle methods work, there may be a way to make a special button.

3

If the Mac version of Word is anything like the current Windows version (2010), you’ll find it under the “File” tab on the ribbon. So, “File,” then “Options,” then “Display,” then check the “Show all Formatting Marks” box.

If the Mac version organizes things differently than the Windows version, well, I have no idea.

4

Go to Word ==> Preferences ==> View ==> Nonprinting Characters, and check all that you want (possibly “all”).

(This is from the Mac version).

5

Just jumped in to say that this is also available in page layout applications (InDesign, Pagemaker, Quark; command-i in all those, I think) and is proof that you’re anal retentive.

(Me, too. My coworkers can’t believe I can work with all those dots and returns showing!)

6

Don’t you just love Microsoft’s new Ribbon. No more menus with confusing commands! Now, all you have to do is search the right ribbon for the command.

So, let’s start looking at the ribbons…

There’s the Home ribbon, and look at all those little icons. Umm… Yes, unlike the menus, they don’t have any words associated with them, but that’s okay. We can see what they are by just …looking… …at… them…

Oh! Here it is, there’s an icon with that backwards “P” (the paragraph symbol). I’ll just click that and… No, that’s the Styles window.

I’ll just look at the other ribbons… Uh… Layout looks like a good bet. I mean, seeing those invisible symbols is part of the layout… Nothing here…

Of course, the Document Elements Ribbon! You just need to find. Is that it on the end? No, that’s for equations. You know… these little ribbon icons sort of all look alike…

I found the easiest thing to do is go to the “View” menu, select “Toolbars” and turn the “Standard” toolbar back on.

Now, on the very top of the window is a row of icons with the familiar Standard toolbar icons, and smack in the middle is that “Backwards P”, the paragraph symbol. Click on that, the invisible characters show. Click on it again, and they’re all hidden. Just like it has since Word 6 came out a decade ago.

I hate the ribbon interface. I can’t find anything with those stupid ribbons, and unlike the menus or the toolbars, they keep morphing, so when I find something, it moves the next time I’m looking for it because I’m on a different friggin’ ribbon!

At least in the Mac version, you can show the old toolbars and even turn off the ribbons. I feel really sorry for those who are stuck with Windows.

Ribbons are the Clippy of the user interface.

7

Thank you, that got it.

By the way, any way to make it default to opening document in font size 16 for my poor old eyes?

8

Thanks goodness the Mac version continues to have traditional menus, and further even offers you the ability to turn the ribbon off. I’d always felt that Windows Office was better than Mac Office, but this combination alone has tilted the scales in favor of the Mac version.

For Office 2010 I use Ubit menus. Still can’t get rid of the ribbon, but at least the proper menus are back.

9

quazwart: You’re telling me they removed the tooltips? That’s just plain stupid, and doesn’t go along with the idea that they are trying to make feature more discoverable.

And good luck with the whole menus thing. Microsoft is moving away from them, and other applications are following suit.

10

It’s going to show documents in the font size that the creator used. You can modify the normal template so that your documents are created using size 16 by default.