On 24 Dec 2009, at 02:00, David Morganstein wrote:

> 
> Very important, if you use Excel Basic macros, do not upgrade, as this was
> dropped in 2008.  There was so many complaints that MS said they would
> return the capability in the 2010 version.  I hope testers are seeing this
> to be the case.

That's a slightly biased view point. MS always intended to re-introduce VBA 
support for Office:Mac - they just didn't have the time and resources to 
rewrite the full implementation of VBA at the same time that they were 
completely rewriting Office for the Intel platform. 

They effectively had 3 options:

1.  Stick with Classic and face the derision of the whole industry (remember, 
Office was just about the last major app to move to native intel already)
2.  Produce one version in Intel without VBA support and work on the conversion 
for the next release.
3.  Delay the introduction of Office 2008 for about 18 months. 

Any choice but number 2 would have been disastrous.


> 
> My wish, MS please do not design Mac Office 2010 around the infamous
> 'ribbon' that was put into the Windows Office 2007 version.

That is not likely. Because of the Mac HIG (Human Interface Guideline) and the 
way the mac OS works, mac apps need to have a menu. The ribbon in office 2007 
an 2010 are tied to the document window on, not to the application space. This 
separation can't be properly achieved in the mac OS without MS duplicating much 
of the core OS functionality in the application itself.
 
> 
> What a horrendous waste of time to master for no obvious value.  I imagine
> that hundreds of thousands of hours of time have been expended while people
> try to figure out where everything has been moved!!!  I've never read any
> review that suggests anything was gained by this monstrous idea (other than
> the huge profit MS raked in as Enterprise after Enterprise paid the entry
> fee for a 'new' version).

Totally incorrect.

Yes, the ribbon is very different to what preceded it. It is, however, much 
more efficient in use. However, it is also much more efficient in use. Yes, 
there is a learning curve, but once you break through that it is so much 
quicker.

Go and watch people who come to office 2007 without having much experience of 
previous version. They 'get it' straight away. i used to hate it, when first 
introduced to it, now I love it. It makes my life so much easier.

The huge difference between the ac approach and the ribbon is seen when I am 
working on multiple documents with dual 27" monitors (not, I agree, something 
that everyone does). Then, having the ribbon available in each document space, 
showing commands that are relevant to what I am doing in that window, is many 
orders of magnitude more efficient than havvng to trawl all the way across that 
screen real estate to an unchanging menu bar that is a long way from what I am 
working on.

See this video about the development of the ribbon and why it was necessary: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl9kD693ie4

-- 
Barry Wainwright
Microsoft MVP



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