Hi Lars,
On 1/14/07, Lars D. Noodén <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
1) "'why do I need to upgrade' Microsoft doesn't
really have a good answer."
Agreed - there isn't much motivation to change other than MS will call you a
dinosaur if you don't.
http://www.microsoft.com/office/evolve/default.mspx
That and you'll need the new Office to work with files from the new Office.
So if any of your clients, partners, etc. use the new Office - then you
might "have to" upgrade. (That was put in quotes for a reason.)
2) "'If the new user interface of Office 2007 is so intuitive,
why does it have a learning curve' And it does have a learning
curve ? a very steep learning curve."
Any new interface will have a learning curve. Changing the way a button
looks - even if you don't change where it is or what it does - causes a
learning curve. Changing from OpenOffice.org 1.5 to 2.0 has a learning
curve. Just because a user interface is well designed doesn't mean it will
have a 0 learning curve, and, conversely, just because a user interface has
a learning curve doesn't mean it's poorly designed. It is impossible to
design an interface that all users will instantly know exactly how to use.
That's why help files exist. That's why manuals exist. That's why online
help, users lists, forums, knowledge bases, quickstart guides, tool tips,
tutorials, intros, and any and all other documentation exist. You can't
expect anyone to completely understand exactly how to interact with your
highly complicated, powerful, megamultifunctioned piece of software. And to
change what someone has already learned - there will always be a learning
curve.
What might need to be pointed out is that the learning curve is smaller when
switching from MS Office 2003 or lower to OpenOffice.org 2.x than it is to
switch from MS Office 2003 or lower to MS Office 2007. Not that there is a
learning curve at all - just that to switch to us is a lower one than to
switch to the latest version of MS Office. (Since that has always been an
excuse to stick with Microsoft.)
Of course, the lowest learning curve will be to stick with what you already
use. And I have a feeling that what most people are going to do. Since a
lot of businesses and end users still have MS Office 98/XP.
--
- Chad Smith
http://www.chadwsmith.com/
