This update isn't for everyone; if you're a power user who has a specific way you like to do things and want all the same functionality as an older version of Microsoft Office, then you can probably get by on an older version. Just like with Office 2. Office 2. 00. 3 or earlier versions of the suite will need conversion tools to open many of the now default Open XML file types.
But if you are eager to try out new time- saving features and are willing to spend some time learning where everything is, we think you will appreciate this major update. Even new users of productivity suites and students looking for a solid set of productivity apps will benefit from the new features in Office 2. Academic license is more than reasonable for what you get. One of the major new changes to the suite is the ability to collaborate and share your work using Web apps.
You can collaborate using Web apps over your Sky. Drive (2. 5GB of available online storage) on Windows Live. You may also be able to collaborate with a coworker using a slimmed down Facebook- connected version of the Web apps, however, Microsoft representatives explained to us that the Facebook- connected version we saw in the company demo is only a pilot program to test social media features. As is, having two ways to connect seems a bit confusing to us, but we'll reserve judgment until the bugs are ironed out. Office editions. We reviewed Office 2.
Professional, which costs a substantial $4. This suite includes Word, Excel, Power. Point, One. Note, Outlook, Publisher, and Access, in addition to Share. Point Workspace for collaborative tools, and Info. Path Designer for standardized forms. If you don't need desktop e- mail, you should opt for the lowest tier Office, Home & Student at $1. Word, Excel, Power.
Point, and One. Note. Office 2. 01. 0 Home and Business adds Outlook 2. Home and Student version and costs $2. Office Professional Academic 2. Unfortunately, there is no upgrade pricing for Microsoft Office 2. Microsoft found that most people buy Office when they buy a new computer and there was little interest in upgrades at retail outlets.
Setup. We installed Office 2. Windows XP and the other running Windows 7. In both cases the standard installation was fairly painless, clocking in at less than 2. Requirements to run Office 2.
MHz processor or higher, 2. MB of RAM (5. 12. MB recommended to use more advanced features), and Windows XP with Service Pack (SP) 3 (3. Connectivity to Microsoft Exchange 2. Server or later is required for certain advanced functionality in Office Outlook 2.
Instant Search with options that appear as you type requires Windows Desktop Search 3. You will also need Windows Server 2. SP1 or later running Windows Share. Point Services if you want to use the more advanced collaboration tools. We were happy to see that Office 2. Interface. The Ribbon has returned in Office 2. Robot Arena 1 Download Game more.
Office 2. 00. 7) and now is offered in all the applications in suite. There was plenty of resistance among users to the introduction of the Ribbon in Office 2. We can only suggest to those that are still resistant to the Ribbon that, with time, the cross- application functionality becomes very useful. The Ribbon now changes based on what feature you're using at the time and you have the ability to add or remove features to any Ribbon if you need certain features for your specific workflow. Just like in Office 2. Ribbon, as well as contextual tabs that appear only when the software detects that you need them. Picture formatting tools, for example, show up as a tab only if you select an image in your document.
One of the more jarring changes is the file menu that will now take you to a full- page document management section called Backstage. Like the old file menu (or logo menu) you'll be able to open, save, and print your documents from Backstage, but now Microsoft has added a slew of features to help you with the next steps for your document. You can set permissions to lock down your changes- -including password- protected document encryption- -create access restrictions for specific users, and include an invisible digital signature to ensure the integrity of the document. Save and send features (sharing) are also found in Backstage, along with the option to inspect the document for hidden data (like document comments and revisions), Check Accessibility for those with disabilities, and also to ensure compatibility across older versions of Office. Once you've properly inspected your document, you can click the Save and Send button to open up options for auto- attaching the document to an e- mail, saving to the Web (with a Windows Live account) for collaboration or accessibility from anywhere, saving to Share. Point for interoffice availability, and other options. Your print preview options are also now in Backstage, so you can see how your document will look without opening extra windows.
Though useful, the reworked File menu (or Backstage window) may be one of the interface tweaks people have a hard time getting used to, but we think having all these features in one place is much more efficient. Like Office 2. 00.
Office 2. 01. 0 lets you quickly change styles, colors, and fonts in most applications of the suite through the use of pull- down Style Galleries. In Power. Point, for example, along with helpful image- editing tools (more on that later), you can quickly preview how effects will change your image simply by mousing over each effect. Similarly, as you mouse over different fonts in Word, the document will change in real time before you commit. Office 2. 01. 0 makes this . Some of our favorite new interface features are the paste- preview tools that let you see what pasted content will look like before you commit to adding it to your document.
In Word 2. 01. 0, for example, once you've copied information elsewhere, you can quickly mouse over the paste preview tools to see how content will appear using formatting from the source, merged formatting, or how it will look with the source formatting stripped out. Features. Alongside interface enhancements like the Ribbon across all Office 2. Microsoft Office 2. Simple image and video editing tools are welcome additions to anyone who works with media in their documents and presentations. Many of the new features push your presentations away from the usual bullet points and toward more- engaging visual effects. Power. Point now provides options for editing video right within the program. You can trim video so your audience sees only the video content you want them to see.
You also can add video effects, fades, and even create video triggers to launch animations during your presentation. These video bookmarks can be used to cue captions at specific points during a video, for example. When it's a static presentation you're working on- -such as a publication, newsletter, or pamphlet- -Office 2.