Office 2010 preview program coming in July
Those attending Microsoft's TechEd event will not only get to hear about Office 2010, they will also be among the first to get to try it out.
Microsoft said Monday that it will launch an invitation-only Technical Preview Program of the new Office in July, and said that those at this week's Microsoft conference in Los Angeles will be among the first to get to kick the tires on the new version of Microsoft's flagship software.
Microsoft first talked about the browser-based abilities of Office 2010 (then code-named Office 14) at a developer conference last October. Click image for full gallery.
(Credit: Microsoft)Whereas Office 2007 introduced new file formats and a major overhaul of the user interface, Office 2010 is a more modest change to the desktop programs. However, in conjunction with the release, Microsoft is also releasing browser-based versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, known as Office Web Applications. It will also be the first version of Office to come in a 64-bit version, as well as the traditional 32-bit variety.
Microsoft had previously said that a test version would come sometime in the third quarter. Microsoft said it will scale the test version to users beyond those at TechEd, but did not give a time frame.
The final version of Office 2010 is due out next year.
To run the desktop versions of Office 2010, Microsoft said that users will need either Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista, or Windows 7. Hardware that is capable of running Office 2007 should also support Office 2010, Microsoft said.
In addition to announcing the timing of the Office technical preview, Microsoft is also using the first day of the TechEd event to announce more details on the next versions of SQL Server and Windows Server and to confirm that it will release Windows 7 in time to be on PCs this holiday season.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
As a career touch typist, I am noticeably _less_ productive on Office 2007. Simple example - if you have multiple documents open in Word or Excel Office 2003, switching between them is as easy as Alt-W/{number}. Much faster than the mouse. In Office 2007, switching is Alt-W/Alt-W{number}, and the lag is noticeable as the ribbon tries to figure out what to do with the Alt key combo. Every extra keystroke counts when you have dozens of documents open at once.
(That means "Laugh out loud" Mr. Dee)
You clearly are not familiar with the old adage - "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"
Just because something doesn't work for you doesn't mean it doesn't work for everyone.
My company doesn't pay me to "re-learn productivity software" as you put it, but I get paid to be productive. If that means I spend a little extra time learning something new then so be it. In my field technology is constantly evolving and again, I'm not paid to "re-learn" something. I have to learn it on my own if I want to keep current and then learn to implement it into what I do. Welcome to the business world.
Those who work hard and put in extra time as needed will get ahead. Those like yourself who'd rather ***** and moan than learn something new will be left behind.
You said:
"Having been a very skilled (and formerly productive) MS Office user for nearly 10 years, I can say with complete confidence and authority....."
"those of us who have spent countless hours learning features and becoming proficient on the older "pre-ribbon" versions"
>>> How skilled can you be if you had to spend "countless hours" learning how to use the features in Office?
"I'm stubborn and don't care about your command line voodoo trash talk..."
>>> The ribbon has a command line?? This is news to me.
"I don't get paid to re-learn "productivity software" you pompous fool!"
>>> You don't have to relearn anything. All the functionality is right there. Visible. You will be faster with the ribbon within one day.
"Julie Larson-Green is an idiot."
>>> And you're a usability expert I suppose?
You need an attitude adjustment. Even if your opinions are valid, your way of expressing it is distasteful to say the least.
Thanks for your smug "know-it-all" opinions on my post and taking blind stabs at my attitude & mental abilities. You don't know me, what I do, or my situation. I'd love to see either of you two get to sit down in front of new software and be expected to produce at the same level, immediately - there is no time for training on this - I'm already training on about 8 new database applications required for my job. I'd much rather be spending my time & mental energy on learning NEW things than re-learning OLD software that Microspew decided to change for the sole purpose of stimulating sales...not so much to make it better...you guys are obviously not heavy users, interested in ease of use, and evidently embrace change for the sake of change - not because it makes any particular sense. Why don't you ask the braintrust at Coca Cola about changing things that aren't broke? I remember this stuff called "New Coke"...
Microsoft spent 2+ years conducting usability research WORLDWIDE between Office 2003 and Office 2007. The ribbon design was RECOMMENDED to them by the actual productivity software users. The ribbon was not even tested until AFTER they received the feedback.
You can disagree all you wish (and I'm not taking sides) but in this case, majority ruled. MS went for the masses, and the masses had chosen the ribbon UI versus the text-based predecessor. Learn your history.
BTW, all keyboard shortcuts are STILL available in Office 2007+. Simply enable its visibility and voila, all of your standard menu options are suddenly available. And the F1 key explains all of this.
"Thanks for your smug "know-it-all" opinions on my post and taking blind stabs at my attitude & mental abilities."
>> Not blind stabs. They were based on the information you provided.
"I'd love to see either of you two get to sit down in front of new software and be expected to produce at the same level, immediately"
>> I was immediately productive with Office 2k7. I admit, I am a programmer so I don't use features beyond stuff needed for group collaboration with SharePoint, merging comments, changes, using templates, etc.
"there is no time for training on this"
>> Again, If you're computer savvy, you don't need *training* to use the ribbon.
"I'm already training on about 8 new database applications required for my job."
>> Again, If you're computer savvy, you don't need *training* to use the ribbon.
"I'd much rather be spending my time & mental energy on learning NEW things than re-learning OLD software..."
>> Whatever.. just because you capitalize new and old doesn't mean that your labels are valid.
"that Microspew decided to change"
>> Very mature. See my comments about your attitude from the previous post.
"...for the sole purpose of stimulating sales..."
>> Because you say so, right?
"...not so much to make it better..."
>> It *is* better. Let me count the ways:
1. Ribbon -- enhanced productivity, lower learning curve for first time users, exposes powerful functionality that was otherwise hidden in menus. Virtually all feature requests MS used to receive for MS office were for features that were already present in it -- people just didn't know where to look. The ribbon finally exposes the functionality so it's there for anyone who wants it.
2. Live Preview -- shows the effect of a style without you having to actually select the style. Very useful for quickly checking the effect of multiple styles and settling on one.
3. Quick Access Toolbar -- your most oft-used functions are always available. Customizable as you see fit.
4. Zoom slider for rapid adjustment while viewing a doc. (most useful when projecting stuff, etc.)
5. XML based file formats -- results in 75% smaller docs, and vastly improved interoperability compared to the previous binary file formats.
6. OneNote is now a part of Office -- where to begin? OneNote is the ultimate note taking app.
"you guys are obviously not heavy users,"
>> I am a heavy user of Outlook, OneNote, Word (in that order) - but my primary job is writing code.
"interested in ease of use, and evidently embrace change for the sake of change - not because it makes any particular sense."
>> If you say that, you have to be able to back it up. You say "change for it's own sake". I've actually given many examples/logic of what made the change an *improvement*. Now why don't you give some examples to prove that this change is *for the sake of change alone*?
"Why don't you ask the braintrust at Coca Cola about changing things that aren't broke? I remember this stuff called "New Coke"..."
>> Again, MS got countless feature requests for features that were already *in* office. People just couldn't find them 'cos they were buried in the menus. So you see -- it *was* broke. So they fixed it. The menu paradigm works, and works well, but after a certain level of complexity, you have to find better paradigms for exposing application features/functions. In the case of office, the ribbon was the answer.
+1 to you, sir. Seriously, I could not agree more.
Sorry, folks that refuse to adapt get slammed with a $30 fee. Duly note that your $30 isn't going to Microsoft but rather a small business.
Maybe if you spent less time trying to create idiotic nicknames for MS products and more time expanding your abilities, your skillset wouldn't be so antiquated. Or, as an alternative, stop posting on cnet. Think of the time you'll save!
Why do I hate the ribbon? Let me count the ways:
1) It takes up more room than the menu did. Sure, I can (and do) hide it, but then I might as well not have it.
2) It uses icons; I have no idea what most of the icons are supposed to mean, but I *can* read menu items.
3) The ribbon contains a bunch of operations that I have no use for, and which I can't get rid of. For example: centering or right-aligning paragraphs, choosing font colors, and a bunch of other things that I can't recall because I only have Word2003 on my home PC (I am forced to use Word2007 at the office). (BTW, I do often center paragraphs--when they're titles or subtitles. But I *always* use styles for that, because otherwise my documents would quickly become a morass of inconsistent formatting.)
4) It does not have many of the operations that I *do* use. Sure, I can put them on the so-called quick-toolbar (that's probably not the right term, it's that additional toolbar that sits in the upper left-hand corner of the window, where it only displays completely opaque icons that require a mouse-over).
5) Unlike the old menus, the ribbon is not customizable (apart from the quick-toolbar, which I've already complained about).
In short, the menu was customizable; the ribbon is not. The ribbon only makes sense if you think like whoever designed it, and do everything the way the designers think you should. There is no CHOICE.
After 2-years of pretty solid use I like to think that I've given it a chance but I don't like it and the choice of going back to the old interface would be greatly appreciated.
- by whoville100 May 12, 2009 1:09 PM PDT
- Wordperfect.......User friendly and FUN! :)
- Reply to this comment
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- by firefoxluva95 May 13, 2009 3:22 PM PDT
- Yeah...I'd rather...use OpenOffice.
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(36 Comments)Let the bashing begin.