Microsoft Office 2003 vs. Microsoft Office 2007/2010

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the comparison between Microsoft Office 2003 and the newer versions, specifically Office 2007 and 2010. Participants share their experiences and preferences regarding usability, functionality, and compatibility, particularly in the context of science and engineering applications.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses dissatisfaction with the interface of Office 2007, finding Office 2003 more intuitive and easier to use for basic tasks like Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
  • Another participant prefers the newer versions due to the ability to open .docx files, although they acknowledge occasional compatibility issues with Office 2003.
  • A different contributor finds Office 2007 beneficial for complex documents and automation, despite some frustrations with certain features that are missing or altered.
  • One participant highlights productivity loss due to the learning curve associated with Office 2007, stating they often have to search for functions that were more accessible in Office 2003.
  • Concerns are raised about the .docx format leading to file instability, with a preference for the older .doc format to avoid corruption.
  • Another participant notes that clients using Office 2003 have issues with receiving .docx attachments, leading to communication problems.
  • Some participants mention that they have not encountered a need for the additional features in Office 2007 or 2010, particularly regarding the increased row limits in Excel.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of preferences, with some favoring Office 2003 for its simplicity and familiarity, while others appreciate the newer versions for their additional features and functionality. No consensus is reached regarding which version is definitively better, as opinions vary based on individual needs and experiences.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention specific limitations and frustrations with the newer versions, including interface changes, compatibility issues, and file format concerns. These points highlight the subjective nature of user experience with different versions of Microsoft Office.

druandruan
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To all science and engineering students/those working in these fields,

Do you use MS Office? If so, do you find MS Office 2007/2010 really necessary? Do you think you could get away with using Office 2003? Are there any significant functions that you need from 2007/2010 office programs that you couldn't get on 2003?

Basically, I had Office 2007 a while ago on my laptop. I eventually got fed up with the interface, the ribbon which I find hideous and the general bulkiness that I felt 2007 had. I recently uninstalled it and installed 2003, which I find to be much more intuitive. I'm starting my Bachelor's of Engineering in the fall and I'll be likely getting a head start and taking some first year eng courses over this summer. I've tried to reinstall Office 2007/install 2010, but it's just not working anymore. The install won't complete, only 2003 will work.

I think I'd only be using Word, Outlook, Powerpoint and Excel. I don't anticipate a problem for the former 3. I do for the latter, however.

http://www.add-ins.com/Excel%202003%20versus%202007.htm

From what I've read Excel 2010 is basically like 2007 with some pivot table changes, so from what I understand, nothing too significant. The maximum number of rows and columns has been greatly increased in 2007, but even then, for a bachelors of engineering, I feel like I won't even need 65,000 rows or 256 columns, let alone a million rows or whatever.
 
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I do use them and I to prefer the newer versions due to the docx (other ones end with and 'x') format. Even with the addon for 2003 to be able to open those new formats there are still problems every now and then.

The 2010 version also added the function of saving your files in pdf form which is nothing amazing but nice.

overall, i find the newer version a little nicer, just take a while to get used to. In the long run i find it less frustrating to get used to newer versions than having two different versions (older version at home, newer version at work for example) and having problems with incompatibility or whatever
 
I work with Office every day at my job. I find 2007 easier because I have to access addons and use most functions that word offers regularly. If you just needed to type a paper 2003 would be just as easy to use, but for complex documents with automation I'm very happy with 2007. The only downside is certain attributes which weren't included (hello marching red ants) can be a pain to remove in 2007 (since the option to add or remove them is gone).

That said, .docx is awful, I save in .doc every time if I can. .docx seems to lead to file instability and corruption more often than .doc.
 
I felt very confident and fast with the 2003 versions, especially excel. We were 'migrated' to 2007 at work over a year ago and I still feel like a novice, I'm constantly googling to find out where MS moved the buttons. I hate 2007, it has damaged my productivity without making a single thing that I do easier.
 
Oh, and another thing. We have clients who still use 2003; their email systems think 'docx' is a virus, and will not deliver emails with attachments carrying that extension. And I don't get a delivery failure message from their system, all I get is angry phone calls asking why I'm late delivering.
 
Their email system is jacked then. Never heard of that. What company uses word but doesn't use outlook anyway?
 
feathermoon said:
... What company uses word but doesn't use outlook anyway?

The ones that use Lotus Notes for email. I wish we still did, it is better than Outlook IMO.
 
I use Excel 2003 at home for personal things and 2007 at work. I've never had one case using 2003 at home where I wished I had 2007. People at work love it because they often need more than 65k rows...
 
I go back to using MSOffice 2003... i find 2007/2010 complicated.
 

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