I sold my copy on eBay yesterday. Un-opened (note: I didn't pay for it so I didn't lose anything on the sale). I haven't heard many good things about it since it's release, but to be fair… we all know how those first releases go.
None-the-less, I have to do it. I have to say it, because someone always does, and this time it'll be me. If you aren't a gamer. Switch to a Linux distro. Use OpenOffice. If your stuck on Outlook, try Evolution. The flavor of the day is Ubuntu… but I've been with SuSE since the early days. Go on. Take the plunge, my 80 year old father uses it, so know one can convince me that it's not desktop ready. Trust me, my father is the ultimate usability tester.
Anonymous
Mostly agree. Vista's not going to be decent until a service pack hits, and maybe not even then. Office, however, I do disagree on; once you get used to the ribbon it's actually a good piece of software. Tons of functionality over the previous version. I might be a bit biased, though, since I'm a SharePoint admin. 😀
I don't understand the differences in quality between Microsoft products. Things like Visual Studio 2005 and SharePoint are great, but then Vista is awful. All the subdivisions and teams really just seem like their own unique company sometimes.
Anonymous
Have to agree with Toby on Vista and Office 2007. There could not have been usability testing. The menus in Office 07 have all changed. Try and add a worksheet in Excel – the option isn't under Insert or the windows icon – you have to search for it, of course why would you want to add a sheet? And if you use any object in PowerPoint you will be informed, even though the same squares and circles were available in all previous versions, that it is no longer compatible with older versions, nope, cause now they are Smart Art – yep. And time yourself on how long it takes you to find the “Change Shape” option. Now Word – ah the bane of my existence – I still haven't figured out what they heck they've done to styles – oh and speaking of which – try and set a global footer in PPT – let me know how that works for you. And Office 2007 is NOT compatible with any version of Acrobat prior to 8. You get error messages up the wazoo. As for crashing and slowness – it compounds – the first day I installed Office 2007 on my new Vista loaded laptop I “froze” 5 times. It gets better, my machine only locks up about once a day. But I know my boss understands…right Toby?
Anonymous
Hmmmm, interesting. I'll have to play with some of those solutions some time. As for OpenOffice, how does it work when someone sends you a Word document you need to work in? Or vice versa?
Anonymous
ok
Anonymous
You'll need to be alert, you can save it as a Word doc, you just have to make sure you change the file type on save. It opens word documents just fine (I haven't tried the latest word doc type, though).
Anonymous
MS Office 2007 is awesome.
I have it at home, I was a beta tester. When my Beta license ran out, I almost panicked enough to BUY it, thankfully my school came through for me and got the site license. The thought of going back to office 2003 left me in a cold sweat. It would take minutes at a time trying to find that “one” special button to operate some function-or-another.
With 2007 things are organized by task, as they should be.
I also use linux at home, and one of the major considerations for NOT switching all the way over was open office is as good as office 2003. Which is to say, it's great…until it's compared to office 2007.
Anonymous
Well to each their own. But you see i've never heard anyone complain about Office 2003 (cept little tiny things that we all have about software). And its been hugely successful. So why completely re-engineer it? I was completely confused and I don't have time to re-learn another piece of software. But again to each their own. What is usable to one person, is not to another and we all have to respect that.
Anonymous
You have a processor faster than 2 Megabytes?
Do you have 44Khz of memory to go with that? How about a 12ohm monitor?
No wonder you're having problems
Anonymous
Sorry, but that's not the problem. The problems were not my fault because i dont' have the minimum requirements. This is a brand new computer that exceeds the minimum requirements and came BUNDLED with Vista. Microsoft Vista is the problem, not my computer.
Anonymous
I was given a copy of the Vista trial version and it completely eliminated my Windows XP which came with the computer purchase. Now, however, the computer will not let me re install my original windows once the trial period ended. The Vista just shuts down now and will not let me into the operating system unless I purchase the complete Vista. Guess my only solution is to buy a Mac as this has completely turned me off buying any Microsoft products!
Anonymous
I'm sorry to hear you're having problems with the computer and Vista but rest assured you're not the only one (there are many thousands of others). Here's what you do:
1- Get a copy of an XP disc and license (if you don't have to do it today you can buy them reasonably on eBay).
2- Back up all your files (don't forget your e-mail files and Favorites under IE and Firefox).
3- Boot from the disc and install XP. If you need help. phone the help desk of you're computer manufacturer and they will walk you through it.
It took me a total of a week or two's worth of hours to back up all my files and wipe Vista and load XP and then download all the drivers and load all the software and files again. It was very difficult, and I spent many hours on the phone with tech support because my computer came with Vista and had no previous OS on it. But it was worth the effort and wait. XP is a dream in comparison.
Best of luck, Toby
Anonymous
I just retured a new Toshiba laptop because VISTA was loaded on it. After a week of hell I had to dump it. I thought it might have been a problem with the Toshiba computer AND VISTA combo or maybe just bad luck so I bought another “different” HP laptop yesterday with VISTA loaded on it. After two more days of VISTA HELL I'm returning the second laptop tomorrow and buying a MAC. How could they screw up so bad? I'm buying my first MAC tomorrow. All it needs to do is work and MAC will have me for twenty years.
Anonymous
I'm sorry to hear it. XP is pretty good though if you're not ready for the learning curve associated with a Mac.
Anonymous
Vista sucks! Office sucks! The ribbon is a joke, hot keys are gone, can't find anything. I've been a windows user my whole life, but I'm taking the leap of faith and converting over to a MAC.
Anonymous
I had an issue opening a Word 2003 doc with OpenOffice. Hmmm…must try again…
I sold my copy on eBay yesterday. Un-opened (note: I didn't pay for it so I didn't lose anything on the sale). I haven't heard many good things about it since it's release, but to be fair… we all know how those first releases go.
None-the-less, I have to do it. I have to say it, because someone always does, and this time it'll be me. If you aren't a gamer. Switch to a Linux distro. Use OpenOffice. If your stuck on Outlook, try Evolution. The flavor of the day is Ubuntu… but I've been with SuSE since the early days. Go on. Take the plunge, my 80 year old father uses it, so know one can convince me that it's not desktop ready. Trust me, my father is the ultimate usability tester.
Mostly agree. Vista's not going to be decent until a service pack hits, and maybe not even then. Office, however, I do disagree on; once you get used to the ribbon it's actually a good piece of software. Tons of functionality over the previous version. I might be a bit biased, though, since I'm a SharePoint admin. 😀
I don't understand the differences in quality between Microsoft products. Things like Visual Studio 2005 and SharePoint are great, but then Vista is awful. All the subdivisions and teams really just seem like their own unique company sometimes.
Have to agree with Toby on Vista and Office 2007. There could not have been usability testing. The menus in Office 07 have all changed. Try and add a worksheet in Excel – the option isn't under Insert or the windows icon – you have to search for it, of course why would you want to add a sheet? And if you use any object in PowerPoint you will be informed, even though the same squares and circles were available in all previous versions, that it is no longer compatible with older versions, nope, cause now they are Smart Art – yep. And time yourself on how long it takes you to find the “Change Shape” option. Now Word – ah the bane of my existence – I still haven't figured out what they heck they've done to styles – oh and speaking of which – try and set a global footer in PPT – let me know how that works for you. And Office 2007 is NOT compatible with any version of Acrobat prior to 8. You get error messages up the wazoo. As for crashing and slowness – it compounds – the first day I installed Office 2007 on my new Vista loaded laptop I “froze” 5 times. It gets better, my machine only locks up about once a day. But I know my boss understands…right Toby?
Hmmmm, interesting. I'll have to play with some of those solutions some time. As for OpenOffice, how does it work when someone sends you a Word document you need to work in? Or vice versa?
ok
You'll need to be alert, you can save it as a Word doc, you just have to make sure you change the file type on save. It opens word documents just fine (I haven't tried the latest word doc type, though).
MS Office 2007 is awesome.
I have it at home, I was a beta tester. When my Beta license ran out, I almost panicked enough to BUY it, thankfully my school came through for me and got the site license. The thought of going back to office 2003 left me in a cold sweat. It would take minutes at a time trying to find that “one” special button to operate some function-or-another.
With 2007 things are organized by task, as they should be.
I also use linux at home, and one of the major considerations for NOT switching all the way over was open office is as good as office 2003. Which is to say, it's great…until it's compared to office 2007.
Well to each their own. But you see i've never heard anyone complain about Office 2003 (cept little tiny things that we all have about software). And its been hugely successful. So why completely re-engineer it? I was completely confused and I don't have time to re-learn another piece of software. But again to each their own. What is usable to one person, is not to another and we all have to respect that.
You have a processor faster than 2 Megabytes?
Do you have 44Khz of memory to go with that? How about a 12ohm monitor?
No wonder you're having problems
Sorry, but that's not the problem. The problems were not my fault because i dont' have the minimum requirements. This is a brand new computer that exceeds the minimum requirements and came BUNDLED with Vista. Microsoft Vista is the problem, not my computer.
I was given a copy of the Vista trial version and it completely eliminated my Windows XP which came with the computer purchase. Now, however, the computer will not let me re install my original windows once the trial period ended. The Vista just shuts down now and will not let me into the operating system unless I purchase the complete Vista. Guess my only solution is to buy a Mac as this has completely turned me off buying any Microsoft products!
I'm sorry to hear you're having problems with the computer and Vista but rest assured you're not the only one (there are many thousands of others). Here's what you do:
1- Get a copy of an XP disc and license (if you don't have to do it today you can buy them reasonably on eBay).
2- Back up all your files (don't forget your e-mail files and Favorites under IE and Firefox).
3- Boot from the disc and install XP. If you need help. phone the help desk of you're computer manufacturer and they will walk you through it.
It took me a total of a week or two's worth of hours to back up all my files and wipe Vista and load XP and then download all the drivers and load all the software and files again. It was very difficult, and I spent many hours on the phone with tech support because my computer came with Vista and had no previous OS on it. But it was worth the effort and wait. XP is a dream in comparison.
Best of luck, Toby
I just retured a new Toshiba laptop because VISTA was loaded on it. After a week of hell I had to dump it. I thought it might have been a problem with the Toshiba computer AND VISTA combo or maybe just bad luck so I bought another “different” HP laptop yesterday with VISTA loaded on it. After two more days of VISTA HELL I'm returning the second laptop tomorrow and buying a MAC. How could they screw up so bad? I'm buying my first MAC tomorrow. All it needs to do is work and MAC will have me for twenty years.
I'm sorry to hear it. XP is pretty good though if you're not ready for the learning curve associated with a Mac.
Vista sucks! Office sucks! The ribbon is a joke, hot keys are gone, can't find anything. I've been a windows user my whole life, but I'm taking the leap of faith and converting over to a MAC.
I had an issue opening a Word 2003 doc with OpenOffice. Hmmm…must try again…
Great article, I enjoyed reading it.