Microsoft Office 2010 Tech Preview Leaked

[drlacus]

The most stupid thing I've ever found is this - U need to scroll to select file types

[Calum Veteran]

The most stupid thing I've ever found is this - U need to scroll to select file types

Hmm, that does seem odd. I imagine they will fix that in the final product - there is a lot fo white space un-used. If used, there would be no need to have a scroll list...

[hdood]

Firstly, a lot of people out there do not use their eyes and look around properly. If you move your mouse around the user interface and click on anything which is clickable (reading tooltips in order to see what the button does first of course), surely you will easily be able to find out where all the options are and you'll know for future use then. This doesn't take long and shouldn't cost much, if any, money to a company.

The simple fact is that most users aren't don't understand "computers" well enough that they can deduce how to do something. Many users are even terrified of using software and afraid that the whole computer will blow up in their face if they do anything other than press the exact things they know how. They lack the ability to be able to just look around and figure out how things work, an ability that most people here proabably take for granted.

It's also not given that people will be able to remember how to do something if they just stumble upon it by randomly pressing things (likely under some stress). There has to be a system they can memorize without necessarily fully understanding what they're doing or the underlying concepts.

Many users also have other things to do. A nurse may not have the option of spending an hour hunting for an option and figuring it out on their own if they have to be back with the patients in 20 minutes. The only viable option is to take them out of their job and teach them. This costs money. Big money.

[Calum Veteran]

The simple fact is that most users aren't don't understand "computers" well enough that they can deduce how to do something. Many users are even terrified of using software and afraid that the whole computer will blow up in their face if they do anything other than press the exact things they know how. They lack the ability to be able to just look around and figure out how things work, an ability that most people here proabably take for granted.

It's also not given that people will be able to remember how to do something if they just stumble upon it by randomly pressing things (likely under some stress). There has to be a system they can memorize without necessarily fully understanding what they're doing or the underlying concepts.

Many users also have other things to do. A nurse may not have the option of spending an hour hunting for an option and figuring it out on their own if they have to be back with the patients in 20 minutes. The only viable option is to take them out of their job and teach them. This costs money. Big money.

Okay, I agree with you on the issue of training. Your example of the nurse is spot on - a nurse would not have time to look around for ages for an option; she would need to know where that option is. This is why I completely understand if businesses do not deem it feasible to upgrade, no matter the benefits - if it works for them and they will not be able to take advantage of those benefits then there is no point in wasting the money.

The same with any user. If you are not going to be able to take advantages of the new benefits of something then there is no point wasting the money to upgrade.

However, there is a difference between people saying "This new version is stupid", "Why did they change it all?", "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" etc and them not wanting to upgrade because they can't take advantage of the new benefits and this is what aggrevates me the most. People who say such things are too lazy/not interested to look for the benefits. You're right, there are many people who don't understand computers, are too scared to use software unless they know what they are doing and who lack the ability to look around and figure out new things; however, the problem is a lot of those same people use the phrases I have stated above when they come to use this new software. This is what I have a problem with. If a user doesn't understand computers and doesn't have the ability to look around and recognise how new things work, very well, surely they should understand this and not complain about new software just because they can't comprehend how it works/the benefits? Do you see what I am saying? :) That is the beef I have; not people who understand the benefits but don't upgrade, people who do not have the ability to understand the benefits/new interface and yet complain. It may not be their fault that they do not have this ability, but in no way do they have a right to complain. If they are not very good at using computers, they should either keep quiet about things like that or not use a computer at home.

Reason for edit - a typo.

Edited May 17, 2009 by Calum

[dreamz Veteran]

moved here

[Knife Party]

mmm, can't wait to get my mouse on Office 2010 tech preview leak :D

[frogger]

Is this version stable enough to use on a day-to-day basis?

I want to use it, but it wants me to uninstall my old version first...

[mail]

Is this version stable enough to use on a day-to-day basis?

I want to use it, but it wants me to uninstall my old version first...

no

[PGHammer]

no

I'd say it depends on what you do with it.

If you don't use or rely on unique-to-your-Office plug-ins (in short, you have a *vanilla* version of Office 2007 SP2 or earlier), it most certainly is stable enough to replace Office 2007 (especially if doing an up/crossgrade to the 64-bit version of the Technical Preview). This is definitely true if (like me) Outlook is the most-used (or second-most-used) application of Office.

However, if you have a large number of plug-ins that are specifically for Office 2007 or its applications (in fact, if you have ANY plug-ins that are specifically for Office 2007 or its applications) or have not upgraded to Service Pack 2, hold off.

I'm a decided *odd duck*; Outlook is the most used application of my Office install (it was true with 2007 SP2, and is equally true with Office 2010) and I use it for POP3/SMTP mail, not Exchange. (Word is a close second, followed by Excel.) For that reason, the simultaneous up-and-crossgrade from the 32-bit-only Office 2007 to the 64-bit Office 2010 made sense; however I wouldn't (and couldn't) have done it if it weren't for the fact that my Office 2007 configuration was surprisingly vanilla, other than Service Pack 2.

[AndroidPenguin]

You can install both. Just click options or something like that when you're installing it.

I actually have both running right now.

[RCOO]

How can you install a different language spelling check?

[RevitXman]

Installed it....Smooth install..Nice to see Outlook running x64. Works great with my Exchange 2007 server..

[Ambroos]

I've been running into quite some problems with Word. Once you start using all functionality (and I really really do) it gets kinda messy. And I don't like the new Office button menu, it's just toooo big.

[RCOO]

I've been enjoying the experience. I haven't found any bugs yet, but i didn't use it much and I don't use many programs contained on the whole suit.

I think I'm going to pass it for now, because i can't get the spelling check for my language... (It used to be possible to install proofing tools from older versions of Office, but it won't work now).

If anyone has any ideas on how to install a differente spelling check language, please tell me.

[Ambroos]

I've been enjoying the experience. I haven't found any bugs yet, but i didn't use it much and I don't use many programs contained on the whole suit.

I think I'm going to pass it for now, because i can't get the spelling check for my language... (It used to be possible to install proofing tools from older versions of Office, but it won't work now).

If anyone has any ideas on how to install a differente spelling check language, please tell me.

Get Office 2007 in your language (the one you need proofing tools in) and then your 2010 should be able to check that language too.

*checked again, stopped working for me... Must've messed something up or maybe it's just flimsy support...

[mikeanak]

Outlook works just fine in a exchange environment and with pop/smtp servers. But I've been running into serious problems with Visual Studio 2008 previously installed on the computer. VS 2008 freezes no matter which version 32b or 64b is installed. I have tried it on a clean install and in an upgrade from Office 2007 to 2010 32b - same results. You can open VS, then you can open the WEB site and on the next step when you try to open a file in design, editor mode it stucks.

[Denis W. Veteran]

I must say that I like the direction they're taking with the new full window Office menu. The advantage is they're stripping away some legacy dialogs and popups. Sounds a bit like what they're doing with Windows 7.

Let's look at an example. Here's the new Print page.

The old Print Options dialog and Print Preview consolidated into one page. Clever idea. (Y)

Another example is the Properties dialog. Before it was a dropdown box above your document, now it's a separate page and you can choose what appears here.

And there's the New Document screen. No need for a separate dialog to popup on screen.

I'll find more examples as I come across them.

The splash animation's really cool as well. :p

Edit: Inline equation editor for OneNote... FINALLY. It was quite a PITA to copy and paste images of equations from Word 2007 into Office 2007.

Edited May 18, 2009 by rm20010

[Denis W. Veteran]

Also this. Artistic effects that you'd usually find in an image editor are also here:

And this. Automatic magic wand-style background removal. Just draw lines indicating background and foreground objects and it figures out the rest.

Edited May 18, 2009 by rm20010

[dcoaster]

Overall, I like direction MS is taking for Office 2010. Much more unified and intuitive. However, it definitely does need some aesthetic work.

[+LogicalApex MVC]

Great trend started by rm20010 so I'll join in too and add stuff as I find them (and the time to share :p)

This new screenshots tool is very cool.

[Calum Veteran]

I must say that I like the direction they're taking with the new full window Office menu. The advantage is they're stripping away some legacy dialogs and popups. Sounds a bit like what they're doing with Windows 7.

I really like this approach too. I look forward to the day when legacy dialog boxes are out of Windows, Office and Visual Studio for good. It makes so much more sense to use the whole interface for the Office menu; let's face it, you're not going to need to see your actual document when you are carrying out the tasks they place in this menu. It just allows for more information and options to be put in that menu. The example of the new printing options is perfect. Everything to do with printing is now included in the same place, in an intuitive layout; including 'Print Preview'! It's fantastic!

Also this. Artistic effects that you'd usually find in an image editor are also here:

< snipped >

And this. Automatic magic wand-style background removal. Just draw lines indicating background and foreground objects and it figures out the rest.

< snipped >

It's very nice to see such image editing features being added to Office 2010! Some were added to the 2007 version, but these new ones are even more useful to me. I have always wanted to be able to easily edit the background out of an image I am using for a Word document; rather than having to wait for Photoshop to load and edit the image in there, I will now be able to do it very easily whilst I'm doing my work - all inside Word.

I'll find more examples as I come across them.

Great trend started by rm20010 so I'll join in too and add stuff as I find them (and the time to share :p)

Please do. The screenshots you have both provided in your two posts, above mine, have been very useful to me. I'm surprised at some of the new features and extremely happy - they're going to come in very handy. Thanks for the information and screenshots, guys (Y) :)

This new screenshots tool is very cool.

Does the 'Screenshots' function automatically take screenshots from your current active windows or do you have to press 'PrtSc'/'Print Screen' with a particular window active first?

Reason for edit - dyam typos again :/

Edited May 18, 2009 by Calum

[+LogicalApex MVC]

Does the 'Screenshots' function automatically take screenshots from your current active windows or do you have to press 'PrtSc'/'Print Screen' with a particular windows active first?

All auto! It includes them by default when you open the window and hitting the "screen clippings" option allows you to take a segmented screen clipping like the snipping tool. Very nice.

[Calum Veteran]

All auto! It includes them by default when you open the window and hitting the "screen clippings" option allows you to take a segmented screen clipping like the snipping tool. Very nice.

Thanks for the quick reply :) That's brilliant news. Microsoft impressed me no end with the improvements in Windows 7 and now these improvements in Office 2010... wow! I just look forward to seeing what they've done with Visual Studio 2010 now :p

[Denis W. Veteran]

Great trend started by rm20010 so I'll join in too and add stuff as I find them (and the time to share :p)

This new screenshots tool is very cool.

Ahh nice.

It could use some work on Windows 7 though. It inserts a screenshot with Aero Basic enabled. :ermm:

Also why can't the Office team use Vista/7 styled close dialogs? Grrr.

[Denis W. Veteran]

Publisher and the ribbon. Too bad they didn't port over the image effect engine used by Word to Publisher.