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Office 2007 Gets Themes, UI Tweaks

By Nate Mook, BetaNews

July 17, 2006, 2:19 PM

Microsoft continues to tweak the user interface for Office 2007, and has added a new silver theme to go along with the current blue and black color schemes. Office UI head Jensen Harris posted a screenshot of the new designs in his Web log Monday.

"Silver isn't infused or saturated with color, so that the design of your document stands out," Harris wrote. In addition, Microsoft has listened to feedback from customers running Office 2007 Beta 2 and has removed the curved upper-left corner, along with making the Quick Access toolbar look more like a separate entity. Harris says changes are still being made to the UI, and expects to finalize the design "in a few weeks."

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By Joco

posted Jul 18, 2006 - 9:33 AM

Anyone has already tried Outlook 2007? I hope that it fixes a very annoying bug/feature of OL 2003: when replying to an email it decides to override the default settings of fonts & colors by someything else. Sometimes it even inserts a double space/lines. The craziest thing is that this behavior in OL2003 is unpredictable.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jul 18, 2006 - 10:21 AM

Never encountered that behaviour.

Are you on an exchange server, or is this copy of yours for Internet accounts only?

Score: 0

By MonZ

posted Jul 18, 2006 - 7:53 AM

hmm, i liked the round cornors

Score: 0

By mjm01010101

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 9:20 PM

We have invested tens of thousands learning the old interface. Menus and the toolbars of previous office versions are consistent across platforms and versions.

This will throw a wrench, we just don't have the cash to upgrade because it's prettier.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

edited Jul 18, 2006 - 8:47 AM

We have invested tens of thousands learning the old interface.

Tens of thousands of what?

Seconds? Dollars? Peanuts?

I'd be the first to say this new interface is "easy", but the old one wasn't *that* hard....

Score: 0

By templar™

posted Jul 18, 2006 - 5:30 AM

Changes may be painful at times, but it's necessary in this case. Office has become so feature-rich that most people are not aware of its powerful features.

With the radically redesigned interface, useful features become more prominent - depending on the context.

It's not just prettier but it's really an improvement by leaps and bounds over Office 2003. Most people I know who have tried Office 2007 love it; some swear by it.

Score: 0

By bsf

posted Jul 18, 2006 - 5:24 AM

actually the new interface is quite interesting...
I only tested Word and Excel so far, but well Word's word considering you don't really use too much of the menus in word, but excel's become really convenient. Especially with huge monitors, the new interface is LOT easier to use.
prettier? I'm not sure. I actually like the looks of the old one because it's more simple...

Score: 0

By 11001001

posted Jul 18, 2006 - 2:57 AM

While the interface is a large point of Office 2007, there are other selling points to it, like live formatting previews and the new XML based file formats.

Score: 0

By Adrian79

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 9:16 PM

i have a great/silly question...!!! how do i change the theme color???? i have the blue one :-/

Score: 0

By AnthonySPT

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 11:04 PM

Open MS Word...
Click on the File Menu Button (Upper Left Office Button)
Click 'Word Options' at the Bottom of the Drop Down Menu
On the first set of Options look for 'Color Scheme' there are currently two options, Vista Grey and XP Blue.

The Vista Grey is the Black one and can be used in XP but is turned on by default on Vista.

Windows XP Blue can also be used in Vista, but is turned on by default in XP.

Score: 0

By talk2vachan

edited Aug 28, 2008 - 12:51 AM

Thanks dear. it's really helpfull

Score: 0

By Adrian79

posted Jul 18, 2006 - 8:37 AM

thxx!!!

Score: 0

By ds0934

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 11:50 PM

Why couldn't it be as simple as a small color button like Nero uses. :)

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 9:48 PM

I'm not sure, but I don't believe this is available to end-users yet.

Score: 0

By joeshmoe7

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 8:53 PM

the layout looks interesting, definitly looks slick. But i worry about functionality, seems like things are getting dumbed down. Ill wait to try the final.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jul 18, 2006 - 8:45 AM

Isn't that the point? Create an interface *anyone* can use? So long as the advanced functions still exist, they can "dumb down" (Otherwise known as "making it easier to use") their interface all they want.

Score: 0

By 1uk3

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 7:49 PM

Personally, I really like the way the new UI is looking and themes are good. I do like my desktop and applications to look good. and I'm sure there are many others just like me.

The new UI works really well too, I'm not going back to Office 2003 ever! Office 2007 is shaping up very nicely.

Score: 0

By dvferret

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 8:05 PM

Oh yah, I think the new design is great. Can't wait till the final version ships.

Score: 0

By Banquo

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 6:37 PM

Finally Office has themes, this should be a huge boost to productivity. After all you cannot type letters or work on spreadsheets if the program you are using isn't "pretty". It just can't be done.

Score: 0

By Paradise-FH-

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 7:15 PM

You should build your own productivity suite ... it can include all your productive comments!

Score: 0

By zridling

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 4:27 PM

Subtle changes indeed. How about reemphasizing keyboard shortcuts for those of us who know how to type? I don't need 1-inch fat pictures telling me my text is bold.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 4:38 PM

There's always Office 2003....

Score: 0

By crashoverride

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 3:59 PM

ooooo aaa I can now change the color of MS Office and it comes in silver now. Yippy Skippy just what I always wanted. I hate to tell MS this but their "new" interface is utterly nauseating.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

edited Jul 17, 2006 - 4:34 PM

I, as well, could not care less about the themes, but I have found the interface a *large* improvement over previous versions.

Just takes a bit of getting used to. Sort of 'unlearning' the wrong ways to do certain things.

I have had it installed at home for quite some time and at first it seemed cludgey, but now I wish I had it installed at work. The old UI seems counter-productive to me now.

I suppose they could have included backwards support for the old interface, but that would be...backwards. And talk about the added bloat...

Score: 0

By dvferret

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 8:06 PM

This new interface took me some learning to but I would definatly have to say that it is a great improvement over previous Office interfaces.

Score: 0

By crashoverride

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 5:02 PM

Maybe I'll eventually come around but as for now I don't particularly care for it.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 5:11 PM

Heh...

It does take some getting used to.

Though... I don't use it *constantly* I have a sneaky suspicion it might get a tad annoying if one had to use it *all* day.

Score: 0

By crashoverride

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 5:24 PM

I've been using OpenOffice lately which does what I need it to so I'll probably just stick with that. I just figured I'd get the beta to check out this new interface I kept hearing about. I really just don't know though. There are mixed feelings everywhere about it though so..

Score: 0

By dvferret

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 8:08 PM

OpenOffice annoys me. So many things I do on it dont go exactly as planned like they do in Microsoft Office.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

edited Jul 18, 2006 - 8:43 AM

The same could be said by someone familliar with *any* other Office suite and trying MS Office.

Every piece of software has it's quirks, you've simply become familliar with Microsoft's.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 5:32 PM

With my luck...

I'll get to the point where I'm used to and comfortable with the interface, and they'll change it just ebough to throw me off.

Score: 0

By crashoverride

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 5:57 PM

That would be my luck as well.

Score: 0

By AlexBR1974

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 3:23 PM

Hey, MS haters.. use OpenOffice and shut up!!

Score: 0

By Hot Blonde

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 3:46 PM

or fire up his dos & type EDIT.exe

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jul 18, 2006 - 9:53 AM

Real Geeks use "Copy Con".

Score: 0

By Spyderloco

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 3:06 PM

Retarded.

I need a product that works. I don't need themes.

Why did they waste time with themes? That's retarded big time.

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 3:47 PM

Well said. An 8-year-old couldn't have said it better.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 4:30 PM

True, but a nine-year old probably could have. ;)

Score: 0

By DJInsomniac

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 3:46 PM

It does work. It's not themese necesarily, only three color choices. Quit your b****ing.

Score: 0

By spitfire

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 2:45 PM

Why can't we see the themes? I'd like to see what the thems are...

But Tene's idea of fitting with explorer is ever better...

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 4:30 PM

Link is in the article, dude. We can't help ya if ya can't read.

Score: 0

By deadmonkey

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 3:00 PM

Click the link in the post for screenshots

http://blogs.msdn.com/je.../2006/07/17/667971.aspx

Score: 0

By Tene

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 2:44 PM

Why can't they just make it fit in with explorer? :/

Score: 0

By Paradise-FH-

posted Jul 17, 2006 - 7:20 PM

that's a very good question.

Score: 0

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