Office 2003 to 2010? Reasons to upgrade?

[BlueFiberOptics]

Hey guys, I still use Office 2003 because it's fast and light. I decided to avoid Office 2007, but I'm thinking Office 2010 might be something to use.

What would be some of the features/reasons for someone to use Office 2010 over Office 2003? I'm genuinely interested!

Thanks!

[jakem1]

I don't agree with the statement "If it works for you, don't upgrade". 2003 can work for you, but any newer version has the potential to work a lot better, and in the end, who wants to settle with something seriously inferior if there's better stuff out there?

+10000

Improvements in upgrades are often up for debate but Office 2007 really was a giant leap from 2003 and Office 2010 just continues that trend. I have to use Office 2003 at one of the sites I work at and it really is a lot more difficult to get things done in. I'm able to produce much higher quality documents of a fraction of the time in Word 2007/2010.

[Jan Veteran]

+10000

Improvements in upgrades are often up for debate but Office 2007 really was a giant leap from 2003 and Office 2010 just continues that trend. I have to use Office 2003 at one of the sites I work at and it really is a lot more difficult to get things done in. I'm able to produce much higher quality documents of a fraction of the time in Word 2007/2010.

THIS.

[migo]

Definitely upgrade. 2003 was fine for its time, but OpenOffice was pretty much duplicating it. I'd say aside from Ink support in Office 2003 there isn't a reason to use it over OpenOffice.

2007 leapfrogged it - the interface is far better. No other word processor comes close, and that Office 2007 isn't well supported by CrossOver Office is the reason I couldn't seriously switch to another OS. 2010 will be an incremental upgrade to 2007, but it's definitely worth it to upgrade from 2003.

[Calum Veteran]

The ribbon is the main reason I'd upgrade. If given the chance by the user, the ribbon displays useful features in positions which allow the user to access them much more quickly. Also, if given the chance, the ribbon increases productivity.

If not given the chance, the ribbon will usually be described as "not more efficient" by the user, but I wouldn't listen to them if you are willing to give it a chance and take a moment to get used to it (it should only require a short moment).

Edit:

To add; the different effects which can make documents look great like picture effects and textbox effects also contribute to the main reasons I'd upgrade. The 2010 version is just so much better than the 2003 version. Maybe you could download the trial and see for yourself? :happy:

[Chasethebase Reporter]

The fact that Powerpoint uses GPU acceleration is the main reason I would, but having everything else available that was in 2007 and the new features in 2010 it makes it totally worth upgrading.

[Lazure]

Simply the fact that 2007 and 2010 uses an entirely new format over 2003 makes it kinda necessary to upgrade.

Some people are just so stuck in the past, they are completely incapable of learning anything new simply due to their extreme stubbornness. They are basically forcing themselves to be retarded. People who use the classic theme in a modern windows or purposely using very old OS like win98 or win2k apply here too. There are people who for some reason cannot get used to the fact that vista/7 uses a start orb instead of a start button, even tho it's in the same spot and functions the same way. You gotta wonder, why is it so hard to figure out for these people?

When I went from XP to windows 7, it took me maybe a few hours at most to figure out where everything moved around to and I've adapted perfectly. When I went from office 2003 to 2007, I was able to jump right in and use it just fine... and a little searching through the tabs to find advanced features was not a killer. Once I saw where stuff was, I remembered where it was and walaa! If I can do it, why can't the complainers do it? I'm not a genius by any means, in fact I'm of pretty average intelligence. So what does that show for the people who absolutely can't adapt to the changes?

I'm also tired of hearing "if it ain't broke don't fix it". This is used as an excuse to never get off your bum and never advance anywhere. If humanity all abided by this "saying", we wouldn't even have technology.

[migo]

Oh, I just remembered, as I haven't done this for a couple years, but Word 2007 auto handles references and bibliographies for you.

[Alan-]

As stated previously the UI and format upgrades are probably reason enough to upgrade. At first you may be uneasy about the Ribbon UI, however just play around with it and you soon will come to love it. I sure know that I miss it when I am forced to use 2k3 on the computers at school, not to mention things seem more hidden away.

Upgrade my friend.

[LiquidSolstice]

Subjective, at best.

It depends on what someone is used to. I can use Word 2003 (for example) and never touch the mouse and do it with less keystrokes than is required in 2007/2010.

You do realize that if you press "Alt" in 2007-10, it shows little letter shortcuts on every single menu so that you don't have to touch the mouse?

[PyX]

2 different worlds. If you're still on 2003, buy 2010 ASAP.

It's filled with bugs, but it's worth it. Better interface, better graphics, options are easier to find, more streamlined with the OS, etc. etc.

Amongst all Microsoft products ever made, IMO Office 2007 was one of the best and same with 2010. As for everything else MS does, I hate it with passion though :)

The ribbon interface is a pain in the ass to learn, but take a good 10-30 minutes when you open each app and try to look where the options are. It'll save you hours later and you’ll realize it’s a great interface really.

[Gary2MBz]

Office 2010 uses your GPU more which is also better for older computers with graphics cards that were once great. My old Athlon 64 machine in the sig had problems rendering heavily animated, graphically loaded presentations without too much lag. Office 2010 breathed life into my 7600GT nvidia and actually utilized it with the CPU spiking no more than 35%. Also note the CPU in that machine is ~7 years old.

[pezzonovante]

Top three reasons to upgrade: Ribbon, Ribbon and Ribbon. It makes things so much easier. Also, OneNote 2010 is so much improved than previous versions. If you are not an OneNote user, you should seriously think about starting to use it. It's a great software.

If you do decide to upgrade, check out this article by Ed Bott to find the cheapest option.

[iamwhoiam]

You do realize that if you press "Alt" in 2007-10, it shows little letter shortcuts on every single menu so that you don't have to touch the mouse?

And apparently you failed to understand what I was referring to.

[splur]

I have to say, when I made the switch to Office 2007 from 2003, it was really annoying to get used to, but once I did, it was amazing. Everything was easier, at the time I was writing my thesis, so the auto referencing was fantastic.

Also, although maybe not so much in academics, but Word defaults to like 11pt calibri or something like that which is becoming the new standard for documents. Seeing TMR hurts my eyes now.

[petrossa]

Hey guys, I still use Office 2003 because it's fast and light.??I decided to avoid Office 2007, but I'm thinking Office 2010 might be something to use.

What would be some of the features/reasons for someone to use Office 2010 over Office 2003???I'm genuinely interested!

Thanks!

It's like going from Windows XP to Windows 7. It's just more mature, decidedly faster and better looking

[+Anarkii Subscriber²]

I like the new Office because I can simply do more with it. The new UI is fantastic too.

[c3ntury]

2010 has a ton of improvements compared to 2003, its best to upgrade now when its cheap ;)

[Pam14160]

64 bit.

[Steven P. Administrators]

I installed Office 2010 a couple of days ago and it is better than Office 2007 mainly because from the actual email (reading pane) you can view previous emails, update contact information and that appeals to me, plus Office 2010 makes use of the superbar for tasks and email notifications which is also a plus.

[rawr_boy81]

I'd say for two reasons; Windows 7 integration and better security and stability due to the use of extensive testing through the use of fuzzing. If you're still running Windows XP I really don't see a reason for upgrading other than possibly because 2003 will come to the end of its support life soon.

[Jebadiah]

I would suggest trying out the web version of Word, Excel and Powerpoint 2010 if you use these the most.

[migo]

I would suggest trying out the web version of Word, Excel and Powerpoint 2010 if you use these the most.

I tried that an only got the viewer. Did they just activate it a couple days ago?

[hanko panko]

Office 2007 restructured the user interface in order to boost productivity. This step required one to make a step back in order to make two steps forward and this might well be a good reason that many companies as well as individuals didn't do the upgrade. Office 2010 seems to put Office 2007 right, it is not so much different, just better.

Not everybody needs to upgrade Office applications every three years. It doesn't allways pay-off to do that. If you are going to be using Office applications for a while longer, Office 2010 might offer a good opportunity to join into a new step in its evolution!

[migo]

Well, yeah, Office didn't really need an upgrade since 97. There were little features here and there, like Ink support in 2003, but it had 10 years longevity. The switch in formats from .doc to .docx makes for a rather solid reason to switch now. When 2007 launched you were doing a lot in compatibility mode, especially with 2010 with Office Starter there'll be much fewer people who don't support .docx and you'll have to upgrade.

[soldier1st]

office 2010 uses your gpu instead of the cpu so that will offload your cpu to do other tasks. and office 2010 finaly gets it right where 2007 not quite. if your system is old/very old then 2003 will run better but if you got a newer system then the new one will run a bit better. you can make 2010/2007 have a menu similar to 2003.