Microsoft expects record adoption rate for Office 2010

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Although there are fantastic free alternatives to Microsoft's popular productivity suite, few if any competing products match its quality – and Microsoft knows it. The company expects to sell its latest version of Office at the quickest rate in the software's history.

Office 2010 has been tested by 7.5 million users, or three times more than Office 2007. That interest leads Redmond to believe adoption will be quick, and with many people upgrading to Windows 7, they are more likely to spring for the latest version of Office too. Even more significant is the gradual return to business spending, as around 60% of Office sales stem from multiyear enterprise contracts.

Another factor is the large number of users who skipped the upgrade to Office 2007. More than half of Office customers currently use the 2003 build, which makes them more likely to take the plunge. Office 2010 brings several desirable features, such as a 64-bit version and expanded Web-based features that better position the suite against Google Apps.

Do you plan to purchase Office 2010? I've been using it for a few days now and apart from the added functionality, Word and other applications seem much more responsive. A hundred fifty bucks more responsive? I don't know. You be the judge.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/38940-microsoft-expects-record-adoption-rate-for-office-2010.html

 

[hellokitty[hk]]

Oh yes, much more responsive, but I feel that its because 2007 was so silly somtimes; I mean, its just a text editor.

 

[CMH]

Someone really has to explain the "real" difference between Microsoft office and other office suites or older versions.

Most home users and small businesses buy MS Office suite, and all they do is simple word processing and spreadsheets, maybe some simple presentations. All these can be done on a free, easily available office suites, and the files produced are still compatible with MS Office.

All you're paying for when buying MS Office really is all the bells and whistles, complicated macros, advanced group editing stuff.... seriously, does a home user need that?

 

[PanicX]

I've been using 2010 for a while on a technet subscription. I haven't seen any must have features and I'm really annoyed they replaced the menus in Outlook with the ribbon bar, but I suppose that was inevitable.

I won't be recommending an upgrade to any of my clients as Outlook is their core application and none will be happy having to retrain.

 

[ibgarrett]

I don't care how many people have "tested" this new version of Office 2010 - the UI still sucks if they still insist upon using the gawd-awful UI they had in 2007. What focus group out there things that removing something easy to tell people to use, such as the "File" menu to - yeah, just click on that blobby looking thing with the Microsoft Windows logo on it in the upper left hand corner.

If they had a way to turn that crap off, and put the menuing system back the way it's been for twenty five years that would be great. I know there are transition tools out there, but the changes they made to the menu system make absolutely zero sense.

Ever since 2007 came out I've been pushing people to buy either the 2003 version and stick with it, or to download Open Office and go that route. When they find out that for 99% of the stuff they do OO works AND it's free, they make the switch and never go back.

Are you LISTENING MS?

 

[Guest]

There are third party tools to bring back the "classic menu". As for whether or not this is for you, it's all dependent on what you use it for.

This is for medium/big business, or small companies that need to collaborate online via outlook/sharepoint. This is for analysts/accountants that have large excel files/custom third party macros that wouldn't work or not available in any pother suite. This is for power users that need more than what is not available in the other suites.

You have to understand, software is a tool. You pay more for features and support, just like any other industry.

Take painting. Sure you can get by with that cheap 99cent paint brush, but real pros use the more expensive brushes/rollers/power painters.

Same thing with industrial mechanics. They don't want to go to a dollar store to buy tools,. they go to a specialty dealer, grainger, etc and pay more up front, but the tools pay for themselves in saved time.

Software is no different. It's just a tool.

 

[windmill007]

Office 97 would wok well and be way more that 70% of office users would ever need. Sure I always want the newest too but I just do simple word processing or need to open the files someone sends me. The newer versions always seem slower and more cluttered. Sorry Microsoft but I don't see office as being a must have.... In the future I see Google or one of the many other cloud services replacing office.

 

[Guest]

"In the future I see Google or one of the many other cloud services replacing office. "

Problem is you assume 1 tool will do the job for 100% of everyone, when surely that is not the case.
Just as there are multiple operating systems, multiple browsers, multiple apps that do the same thing, there is a tool for everyone but not everyone wants the same tool.

Also not everyone WANTS to put their data on the cloud. I had a client that did just that, put everything on the cloud. And when they lost internet connection, or hiccup on the Google server, they were unable to reach their files, and they were dead in the water. They lost clients because they put all their faith on cloud. The PC makes it so there is no single point of failure. If the server is down, people can still work.

Some of us have already lived thru the "cloud", they just called it something else in the 70's and 80's. Today's PC is about online AND offline working and collaboration.

 

[Guest]

I really don't understand all the Microsoft hate around here. I mean it's great that we have so many alternatives to choose from Google, Apple, Microsoft, linux, BSD, etc Is this techspot or FO$$spot?

The only constant is change whether we like it or not. Even Openoffice is considering a big change in GUI:

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.downloadsquad.com/media/2009/08/openoff-asdtw3.jpg

I'm glad Microsoft keeps pushing the envelope, because frankly technology would be boring if they didn't. Not everyone wants to live in the past, some of us LIVE for the future.

 

[Guest]

No ive been using Office 2003 and it works just fine. Its not worth the money to upgrade.

 

[slh28]

I can understand the concept behind the ribbon interface, I mean for a beginner-medium level user it does make sense. However I think I am not alone in saying that it is impossible to work quickly in Excel 2007 - I usually only use the keyboard and it seems M$ want people to click on everything... also I like having buttons on a toolbar which I use all the time, not cycling through different tabs.

I would be seriously pissed if my company upgraded from Office 2003 and I find M$'s projections a little ambitious. Having said that it would be handy having more than 65536 rows and 256 columns to work with

 

[Rick]

slh28 said:
I usually only use the keyboard and it seems M$ want people to click on everything... also I like having buttons on a toolbar which I use all the time, not cycling through different tabs.

If you usually only use the keyboard, then the existing keyboard shortcuts which allow you access to everything (even on other tabs) should be wonderful.

And if you like having buttons on a toolbar which you use all the time, then you can probably appreciate that the ribbons are entirely customizable...

 

[Guest]

You guys got it all wrong. If office97 can suffice for 99.9% of all users and features one would ever need, then all you REALLY NEED is Abiword since Abiword does what 99.9% of ALL users would EVER need anyway and for FREE.

If you need email use PINE, no need for fancy schmancy graphics or useless EYE Kandy.

And Gnumeric can do EVERYTHING Office97 can and it's FREE too so there!.

Abiword/Pine/Gnumeric. Thats all anyone would EVER need and that's all that 99.99999999% of all people and business would ever use.

Why buy M$? You can run Abiword/Pine/Gnumeric on a Pentium III. Why by faster CPU so you can have usele$$ eye candy?

You people paying the ebil M$ tax so stop using M$.

Abiword/Pine/Gnumeric/Pentium III got it?

if not, you guyz are just M$ Shills!

/Abiword/Pine/Gnumeric/Pentium III is PERFECT for 99.99999999% of all users.

If you need web browsing, all you need is dillo, since dillo is all that 99.99999% users ever need anyway.

Abiword/Pine/Gnumeric/Pentium III/Dillo, and DSLlinux distro with 256meg ram. Why would one ever go beyond these is beyond me. Anything more is just u$ele$$ fluff. Oh and forgot you can use LaTeX Editor for more komplicated documents and stuff and also learn some useful commands. It will make you smarter and not lazy like those M$ nubz people.

 

[gunste24]

Why change when there is no list of worthwhile things. Office 2002 has worked well and does most things I want to do, though often somewhat clumsily. Then I go to Open Office 3, which is very good and does everything, plus some extras not in Office 2002.

 

[Guest]

I now have two pcs at work - one that I use almost all the time with Office 2003 and one with Office 2007 for those few occasions when 256 xls columns are not enough.

I have been using ms word/xl/access/... for 25 years - I knew where everything was. My toolbars were setup just how I like them - now the customisation options are as good as non-existant. With 2007 I am almost back to square 1 - I regard this complete change to the interface to be corporate terrorism, millions if not billions of hours would be being lost due to users having to relearn how to use these apps. At least many of the old keyboard shortcuts still work, I wonder if this will still be the case with 2010?

And I haven't even touched on the backwards compatability fiasco. Office 2007 is the worst thing I have ever seen ms do - it should have led to their demise, however, as the vast majority of users are and always will be complete simpletons who do not have the vaguest idea what is going on ms will continue to prosper. End rant.

I am off to see what I can find out about Linux now. I have finally decided that I am up to building my own gaming pc and want to know if it is possible to do without having any ms code on the machine.

 

[Guest]

You do realize the ribbon was the result of a lot of research on user interfaces right?
It's way faster to use than whatever pathetic toolbars you had if you waste the 5 seconds it takes to learn it.
Nobody forced you to upgrade either, office 2003 still works fine.
Also... Gaming PC + Linux = Ferrari with no wheels, if you use ubuntu then it's an Orange/Purple/Brown Ferrari with no wheels, a damaged engine, no stereo, the steering wheel is on the wrong side and it has a dangerous propensity for exploding in your face.

 

[Guest]

I used to have a one button mouse, now I have a 2 button mouse and scroll wheel. Dam you M$ and technology, you make my life so complicated.

I also used to have atari 2600 with 1 button. Then the evil corporations invented XBOX$ and P$3 and I can't hang with all these buttons.

We used to have tincan and string, it worked most of the time. Now this VOIP fad is just way too complicated.

Dam you ebil corporation$! Dam change! We want DOS and Wordperfect back! We want cassette tape because they couldn't track you when you made mixes and stuff.

We need VHS back because you need a mega 8core computer and terabytes to copy movies. before we just used 2 vcrs.

Commodore 64 was MORE than enough that 99% of all users don't need anything more than PFS works!

 

[Guest]

"Also... Gaming PC + Linux = Ferrari with no wheels"

I like to abstract and my workflow, even tho it uses EsotericWorkarounds(TM), but I am FREE from the ebil CHAIN$. I like to run my windoze games on top of wine on top of x on top of Hann Montana Linux on top of debian, just so i can run it "almost" good. with a few glitches and no antialiasing.
Antialiasig and optimized binary drivers are ebil newayz, Come to think of it, Tetris and Tuxracer is more than 99% of all users need.

 

[avoidz]

CMH said:
Someone really has to explain the "real" difference between Microsoft office and other office suites or older versions.

Most home users and small businesses buy MS Office suite, and all they do is simple word processing and spreadsheets, maybe some simple presentations. All these can be done on a free, easily available office suites, and the files produced are still compatible with MS Office.

All you're paying for when buying MS Office really is all the bells and whistles, complicated macros, advanced group editing stuff.... seriously, does a home user need that?

Office 2003 works just fine. Office 97 would too, if it worked with later Windows versions. Damn that Ribbon!

 

[Guest]

The new format introduced by Office2007 is much better than the binary obsolete DOC format. Also, documents are much smaller than the old ones plus the fact that interoperability, with the new format, is now a possibility. These are things that simple users with a home pc don't have to think about, but for business and enterprise users it matters a lot.

 

[Guest]

"Office 2003 works just fine"

Why you using still using GUI desktop and office 2003?, when Word 5.5 DOS runs 99.99999% of ALL you would ever ever need? 99.999999% of ALL businesses and people DO NOT need gui, that is all just fancy shcmancy "useless fluff eye candy" and not compelling.

If you like to use keyboard shortcuts like I do, memorize CLI commands, memorize feature locations and esoteric workarounds and abstract your workflow like I do, you WILL LOVE DOS. And there are millions of free dumpster dive computers that can still run it and very fast. And hundreds of old dos games still exist,

Look at me, I am SO productive:

http://www.feld.com/blog/var/www/html/blog/images/img002_small.jpg

Look at my workscreen, isn't it beautiful! Who needs stupid wallpaper, you don't need that to distract you. Screensavers are for wimps, you just turn off the computer.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bd/Ms-word-5.5-dos.png

Stupid Stupid Ebil ribbon tries to think for you, make it decisions based rather than memorization based. How dare they make it easier for me and open up new options I would otherwise not have available to me, when I can work just fine drilling thru the many many layers of my DOS program. In fact I been using this for 25yrs, why change when it works perfectly fine, why change at all? 99.999999% of all people DO NOT NEED change, they should stick to DOS. Technology change is for those young folks who like to get new fads. But I don't change with time, why should you too?

You guys and your technology change. We should all go back to the days when bootdisks were simple floppy disks. Now THAT was perfect. You can carry your OS anywhere and have separate disk for apps and data files.

Why do tech companies change? I want them to stay in 1985 4-eva! Yu know if we go too fast, skynet will be born and take over and be like war-games in 1984. That was scary movie man, stick with DOS, and war-games will never happen.

 

[w1n74mas0ch1sm]

Will the install require a holographic disc reader to install? Obviously the larger the application the better it is!

 

[siiix]

office 2003 was BY FAR the best office, just as XP was the best windows, i guess after the vista and that time office (10) DISASTER, people just ready to upgrade

the only difference is really compatibility with the same version, so you only upgrade because others do as well , kinda silly but thats the way it is

 

[Guest]

I love the new office UI but I agree it's not to everyones taste; I believe people should have the choice, so if some want to use MS office over freeware suites or web-based suites that's their decisision.

Personally, I think the new ribbon design is clever and very simple. It's even better now it's incorporated into every program in 2010.

 

[Guest]

Pff!. Word for Windows 1.0 can do 99.9999% of everything office 2003 can and it uses the same "good 'ol reliable" button toolbar, see look below:

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.downloadsquad.com/media/2008/03/ms-word-1.jpg

Why bother with silly "2003" or "openoffice", just silly graphics fadz for nubz.

All you need is word for windows 1.0 and party like it's 1989 baby!

Sing it Bobby brown yeah baby it's 1989 4-eva!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0FKzPfsxA4