Microsoft struggles to get act together

http://uweekly.com/newsmag/04-30-2008/8344

Quotes from the link:

"Currently, there are two projects featured on officelabs.com. The first is called Community Clips, and is basically a video help forum, created by and for Office users. The second project, however, is a little more interesting.

For those of you who have used the new Office, you have no doubt experienced endless frustration over the reorganization of the new “Ribbon” interface. In an apparent effort to make office more visual and less intuitive, Microsoft rearranged things into seven categories: Home, Insert, Page Layout, References, Mailings, Review, and View. (Because that makes much more sense than the File, Edit, View format that we’ve been using for the last twenty years.)

Back to the point: Search Commands is Microsoft’s latest ingenious workaround for their disastrous new software redesigns. The feature addresses the frustration of never knowing where the command you are looking for is located on the new Ribbon layout. Users simply search for “page format” or “auto-correct” and voila! Search Commands shows you where to find your desired command.

Of course, all of this just prompts the question: Why not just return to the old layout everyone in the world of technology knew and understood!? Like grandpappy always said: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”"

The old layout *was* broke, and I love the new Ribbon interface (many people are now finding features that were there for many versions), even after using the old interface for 18 years.

How was the old layout "broke"? I've never had any problems with it. There may have been a couple of obscure features that I didn't find, but I certainly didn't miss them.

The vast majority of Office users use a small fraction of the Office feature set 95 percent of the time. The new Ribbon interface won't improve on this situation at all. There'll still be features that you won't find (even once you get used to it).

There was no real reason for MS to "fix" the Office interface, except to try and squeeze additional dollars out of us...

@Chips, thanks for the heads up on that. To be honest when I first started using Office 2007 I didn't know how to save a file. Couldn't find it on the menu. Now if I could only find the "Search Commands" you speak of I'd have my Office experience succeed.

Try clicking F1 for help - wow - what a concept.

Moving away from toolbars etc. (in this case to Ribbone) was necessary, but it will take a few years before the OSS folks realize that (as their products mature).

Exponential increase in number of toolbars is just one such reason.