Microsoft Word 2007: What You Need to Know

Microsoft has a new version of Microsoft Office on the market. Yes, Office 2007 is out and available and it is the recommended software to use with the new Vista operating system. Basically if you buy a new PC, it will have Vista, and they will want you to use the new Office package. Aside from the large number of issues with Vista, the new Office package has some challenges. The most popular program is Microsoft Word, and even it has undergone some major upgrades.

The first thing is that the toolbar is totally different than it is on earlier versions. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. I do like the new set up, but it is very different. Yes the old a familiar file, Edit, Print. Insert, Format etc commands are gone. Now they are replaced with new icons and labels. Once I spent time looking at each of the options, I figured things out. However, if you aren't exactly computer savvy, this could be an issue. I am comfortable with just jumping in and doing things by trial and error. It does take some getting used to, but it is nothing too awful if you just have patience.

Another issue is that documents saved on the 2007 software are not compatible with older versions of the software. They save as a docx file instead of a doc file. You can open the old files without issue, but it is another story if you try to open the new files. If a file has been saved as a 2007 file and you just try to open it, lets just say it becomes this jumbled code mess. You have to know how to go in and re-format it to open properly on your PC. Yeah, not everyone knows how to do that. A way to avoid this mess is to save the 2007 document as a Rich Text File, or use the save as a 2003 option the software has. However, once again you have to be aware these options exist and how to make them happen.

Both of these issues have really hit home with me as a writer and an instructor. One site I publish through does not have the compatibility to upload from a 2007 document. I have to remember to save items I write for them in 2003 mode. It isn't a huge hard ship, but still it is frustrating at times. As instructor, I am faced with the issue that some of my students have the new software, and some do not. Also, the school does not. When I use to teach about formatting papers, it was easy. Now I have two different versions I have to teach. I can easily show them how the 2003 version works in the computer lab or using Smartboard, but if I want to demonstrate how the 2007 version works, I have to bring in my laptop and arrange for a projection unit. It also creates a mess when students with the old version want to bring work in. We often work on papers in class on the days we are in the lab. Students bring their work back and forth on flash drives. However, if they did not save their work properly, their files might not be easily accessible.

It isn't that Word 2007 is inherently evil. I do like the new set up. I love that there is blog option. I have a blog through Blogger that I mainly use to promote my other material. I can write up my content in Word and then the software will submit it to the website for me. That is a very nice option for this dyslexic blogger. I am hoping that option is available for more blogs in the future. The issue is that until everyone is using it, there are a few bugs to work out. These are things that the average person probably does not know about until their document is a jumbled mess and they are wondering how on earth they can fix it before the deadline. I try to give students the tools they need to ensure this mistake is never made, but not everyone has someone showing them the ropes.