SVA Forum

Peter · Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:12 pm Post subject: Office software.

I am currently using MS Office 2000. I was wondering what type of office software everyone else is using, and can they state what version it is please?

Are the newer versions of MS office better, and subsequently worth the money, or are they much of a muchness?
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coxvos · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 7:14 am Post subject:

I use Office 2007 Pro. The menus are significantly different from previous versions and there are some really neat tools that aren't available in previous versions - e.g. highlight some text and right click and above the usual menu you get a toolbar where you can change some of the text formatting such as font, pitch, styles, text colour, add highlighting, bullets and indents

If you are changing over to Office 2007 you may need to set aside some time to get to know the ribbon menus but if you think about what you want to do you'll work out where to find it and of course the shortcut keys still work.

I think Office 2007 is the best Office ever.[/img]
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Sally@Stonetext · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 9:04 am Post subject:

A lot depends on your clients. If they all use 2000 it is advisable to use the same, simply from the compatibility aspect. 2000 is less likely to be buggy and will be cheaper too.
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sheena · Star Poster Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Posts: 144 Location: Bath

Hi, I'm on office 2000 and haven't had any compatibility issues with clients and thats the important factor from my point of view

Sheena
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OfficeStuff · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:07 am Post subject:

I use Office 2003 and haven't had any compatibility issues other than with clients using 2007, as 2007 saves Word documents in a slightly different format which I can't open with 2003. All the client has to do is save their document as an older version of Word.
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Maisie418 · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 12:43 pm Post subject:

I am also on Office 2003, I find it excellent for everything I need to do. I may update to 2007, finances permitting, but not for a while yet.

Vee
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coxvos · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 1:38 pm Post subject:

There are a lot of concerns over compatibility issues with Office 2007 but there isn't really an issue at all - there are two solutions:

When you save a document you can choose to save as Office 2007, Office 97-2003, .txt, etc - just like you have always been able to do in previous versions of office.

If you forget to change it and send your client an Office 2007 document they will be prompted to download an add in to their version that will allow them to open Office 2007 documents.
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admindoc · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 1:54 pm Post subject:

Hi Peter

I'm using Office 2007 and think it's great. It's a different layout to the previous versions but once you get the hang of it, it's a doddle.

I agree with Lynn there are no compatability issues; you simply save the document as a previous version and Bob's your uncle!

Laughing

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caroline · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:21 pm Post subject:

The thing I really HATE about updating is that they take up so much more space than the previous versions and there isn't any real difference in the applications i.e. they still do what they did before!

There are some nifty gadgets in newer versions, but I have an old version of Office 97 on my home laptop and never have any problems with it - unlike some of the more recent incarnations in the office which have compatability and update issues constantly!

I suspect it's all a conspiracy to get me to spend lots on more software. Evil or Very Mad

OfficeStuff · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:57 pm Post subject:

'fraid I belong to the "if it's not broke, don't fix it" brigade. I don't see the point in up-grading for the sake of it when I am quite happy with the software version I am using - it's just Microsoft blinding us with gizmos and gadgetry in an endeavour to get us to part with out hard-earned dosh! Mind you, I'm a fond user of Serif programmes, and I will up-grade those, mainly because you get really good deals/bargains if you're hard with the sales people!
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secretary4hire · Star Poster Joined: 08 Nov 2006 Posts: 347

I've got the new Office 2007 on a trial version with my new computer and I really don't like it. I've been using Microsoft Word since it's invention (yes I have been using computers long before Word was invented - it was all green screens back in those days and before that a manual typewriter!). I think because this version of Word is such a drastic change away from the previous versions, it's a completely new learning curve. Why should you have to re-learn a whole new package when you've been using it for ever? I know Word inside out and there's nothing I have problems doing using it - but this new version is really infuriating. I'm typing a book just now, so I keep having to use the Help facility to do what I would do as second nature on previous versions.

Uninstal for me I'm afraid and back to Office 2000.

Marj

planitpurple · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 8:11 pm Post subject:

I use Word 2003 still and have had no problems.
Yvette
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ASAP Admin · Moderator Joined: 12 Jul 2006 Posts: 854 Location: Glasgow

I have the new office 2007 trial package with my new PC also and I am finding it quite difficult to do such easy things. Everything was so easy before. I think I am just going to stick with my 2003 version.
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samantha · Joined: 05 May 2007 Posts: 21 Location: Nottinghamshire

I'm using Vista which so far so good, quite impressed despite all the bad reports it's had.

secretary4hire · Star Poster Joined: 08 Nov 2006 Posts: 347

Re reply about Vista - I'm just keeping my fingers, legs and everything else crossed about that one re viruses. Have been told because it's so new that it's susceptible to more viruses than XP. Two of my friends recently got new laptops and both of the laptops completely died on them because of viruses, despite having the virus killer working (using the software that came with the laptop).

I run Avast on all of my PCs and laptops at the highest level of security and do a full scan once a week, so I'm hoping that will be enough to keep the blighters at bay.

Any Vista users had any such problems?

Marj
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