Office 2003 soon to lose support too

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    Office 2003 soon to lose support too


    Posted: 28 Aug 2013
    It's not just Windows XP that reaches support end of life next April on Patch Tuesday, but Office 2003 as well. This was an extremely popular version of Office, and running it without security patches will be dangerous.

    Many are outraged that Windows XP will soon reach end-of-life for support and no longer receive security updates, but it gets worse. On the same day, Patch Tuesday, April 8, 2014, Office 2003 and all its constituent applications, will also receive their last updates.
    Read more at: Office 2003 soon to lose support too | ZDNet
    Brink's Avatar Posted By: Brink
    28 Aug 2013



  1. Posts : 8,135
    Windows 10 64 bit
       #1

    I've been avoiding upgrading my Office 2003 Professional (and FrontPage 2003). But I'm going to have to do it soon. I have a replacement for the old FrontPage 2003 and just have to get busy and redo my web site.
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  2. Posts : 9,600
    Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit
       #2

    I simply can't understand why people have been in such an uproar over the "new" ribbon that first came out in Office 2007. I also dreaded it due to what I had heard but I had no trouble adapting to it and actually like it a bit better. Sure there was a bit of a learning curve but I was functional with it from the moment I installed it for the first time.

    It was the same when I went from XP to Win 7. I bought my first Win 7 machine (my current notebook) a year ago last June while on a trip and, other than open the box to make sure there was no obvious physical damage, I did nothing with it for fear of the learning curve would be too time intensive (and I was on a vacation so I didn't have time for that). When I got home and actually fired it up, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was functional with it from the word "go" and had little trouble quickly getting up to the level of knowledge I was at with XP.

    Now, Win 8 is a whole 'nuther story.
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  3. Posts : 20,583
    Win-7-Pro64bit 7-H-Prem-64bit
       #3

    I agree with Lady,
    Office 2007 isn't as bad as people were saying it was for me anyway ?
    But 2007 was my first real office suite also
    I guess my biggest issue with 2007 is how small the Quick access toolbar is compared to the ribbon,
    I don't understand why it is so small ?
    Possibly that is also some other peoples gripes ?
    Last edited by ThrashZone; 28 Aug 2013 at 13:18.
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  4. Posts : 2,298
    Windows 7 Professional x64 SP1 ; Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard
       #4

    It comes down to peoples willingness to move on or not :) Personally, I don't mind Windows 8 but because it changes how people use Windows they uproar about it. Thinking about it though if they didn't add the start menu it would have just been Windows 7 with some more eye candy and people wouldn't upgrade. Hmmm...
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  5. Posts : 4,049
    W7 Ultimate SP1, LM19.2 MATE, W10 Home 1703, W10 Pro 1703 VM, #All 64 bit
       #5

    Awful Ribbon


    There are going to be a few "unhappy campers".

    I'm in the "dinosaur" camp.
    I hate every program that uses the "Ribbon" (except Excel).
    That includes W8 File Explorer and Foxit Reader's Ribbon mode.

    Reasons to hate the Office 2007 Ribbon:

    • Wastes vertical real estate on 16:9 monitors (more than 2 Office 2003 toolbars; I have screenshots to prove it)
    • Collapsed, it is like the old menu system except with less functions
    • Hidden context Ribbons that can only be activated by clicking on a specific object in a document
    • Not customisable
    • Where is the Print Ribbon?
    • The Developer Ribbon that allows template editing is disabled by default
    • A lot of the important functions still use the old windows anyway (e.g. tabs and paragraphs)

    Office 2010 takes it even further, by using nondescript icons instead of text descriptions (e.g. in the Copy/Paste pop-up and probably in other places).
    Supposedly you can customise Office 2010 though.

    Shadowjk said:
    Thinking about it though if they didn't add the start menu it would have just been Windows 7 with some more eye candy and people wouldn't upgrade. Hmmm...
    Perhaps you meant the Start Screen instead of Start Menu?

    I disagree.
    People aren't upgrading to W8 the way it is now (I'm not sure that W8.1 will make much difference either).

    If W8 had been W7 with the actual Windows improvements (e.g. lower resource requirements) businesses would be moving to it, instead of W7.

    You have an unusual definition of "eye candy".

    Blinding white backgrounds with huge mono-coloured slabs, don't fit my definition of "eye candy".
    You could always configure W7 to look (mostly) like that in any case (i.e. turn of Aero and transparency).
    Even worse, a lot of websites are adopting that scheme/style.

    Maybe you were being sarcastic and I missed it.
    Last edited by lehnerus2000; 29 Aug 2013 at 08:00. Reason: Spelling
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  6. Posts : 8,135
    Windows 10 64 bit
       #6

    In my case, I got the Office 2003 free and I've been too cheap to buy a newer version.
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  7. Posts : 9,600
    Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit
       #7

    Wastes vertical real estate on 16:9 monitors (more than 2 Office 2003 toolbars; I have screenshots to prove it)

    You couldn't see the entire page before without reducing it to the point it is difficult to read. I use a 22" monitor for most of my productivity and just don't notice the reduced vertical real estate; I barely notice the lost vertical real estate on my notebook's 15" monitor and don't miss it on either of my monitors. The tradeoff for me is easier and faster navigation.

    Collapsed, it is like the old menu system except with less functions

    So don't collapse it. I never do.

    Hidden context Ribbons that can only be activated by clicking on a specific object in a document

    That's to reduce onscreen clutter and more "wasted vertical real estate". You don't need those functions showing if the object isn't there. For example, why have Picture Tools showing if you don't have any pictures in the document? I also find it speeds navigation.

    Not customisable

    I found Office 2007 to be easily customizable and Office 2010 has even more options available.

    Where is the Print Ribbon?

    Why do you want a whole Print Ribbon when one or more icons can do the same job. I find two little icons ("Quick Print" and "Print Preview and Print") work just fine for me. Others are available.

    The Developer Ribbon that allows template editing is disabled by default

    So, enable it. I have it enabled on my copies of Word 2010. It probably wasn't enabled by default since most people won't use it or will use it only rarely.

    A lot of the important functions still use the old windows anyway (e.g. tabs and paragraphs)

    So? You clamor for the old windows, then complain when they are still there?
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  8. Posts : 9,600
    Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit
       #8

    fireberd said:
    In my case, I got the Office 2003 free and I've been too cheap to buy a newer version.
    In the case of Office 2013, I don't blame you. When that turkey came out, I grabbed 2010 while I could (and even got on sale) to make sure I would have a usable Office program through the EOL of Win 7. My main objections to 2013 included not being able transfer the license to a new computer (enough people raised a ruction over it, M$ backed off on that bit of stupidity), no three computer Family Pack licenses yet 2013's single license cost only slightly less than the old Family Packs, and the ugly, flat, boring appearance that tended to blend into itself.
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  9. Posts : 4,049
    W7 Ultimate SP1, LM19.2 MATE, W10 Home 1703, W10 Pro 1703 VM, #All 64 bit
       #9

    I accept that ...


    Lady Fitzgerald said:
    Wastes vertical real estate on 16:9 monitors (more than 2 Office 2003 toolbars; I have screenshots to prove it)

    You couldn't see the entire page before without reducing it to the point it is difficult to read. I use a 22" monitor for most of my productivity and just don't notice the reduced vertical real estate; I barely notice the lost vertical real estate on my notebook's 15" monitor and don't miss it on either of my monitors. The tradeoff for me is easier and faster navigation.
    They could have used "Sidebars" like 2003.

    The "Sidebars" caused the basically the same issue in 2003.
    In that case, it was the loss of horizontal real estate on 4:3 monitors.
    Typical MS execution.

    Lady Fitzgerald said:
    Collapsed, it is like the old menu system except with less functions

    So don't collapse it. I never do.
    If you want more vertical real estate you have no choice.

    Lady Fitzgerald said:
    Hidden context Ribbons that can only be activated by clicking on a specific object in a document

    That's to reduce onscreen clutter and more "wasted vertical real estate". You don't need those functions showing if the object isn't there. For example, why have Picture Tools showing if you don't have any pictures in the document? I also find it speeds navigation.
    Non sequitur; the "Ribbons" are all the same height.

    Most of the "Ribbon" tab bar is empty on my PC.
    There could probably be another dozen headings on that bar.

    Lady Fitzgerald said:
    Not customisable

    I found Office 2007 to be easily customizable and Office 2010 has even more options available.
    How?
    You can't edit the "Ribbons" without hacking xml files.

    I had EVERY commonly use command on 2 toolbars in Word (and a bunch of others to fill up the empty space).
    That was on a 1280px wide monitor (I could fit even more on my 1920px monitor).

    Lady Fitzgerald said:
    Where is the Print Ribbon?

    Why do you want a whole Print Ribbon when one or more icons can do the same job. I find two little icons ("Quick Print" and "Print Preview and Print") work just fine for me. Others are available.
    I don't.
    That was in response to Microsoft's statement (of the time) that EVERY commonly used function was available on the "Ribbon".
    In fact, you got a Print "Ribbon" when you were in the "Print Preview" window.

    Speaking of the "Print Preview" window, the 2010 version is even more horrible.

    Lady Fitzgerald said:
    The Developer Ribbon that allows template editing is disabled by default

    So, enable it. I have it enabled on my copies of Word 2010. It probably wasn't enabled by default since most people won't use it or will use it only rarely.
    Like the "Mailing Ribbon" or "Review Ribbon"?

    You can only enable it once you know it exists (and why you should bother).
    I only found out that I needed it after searching the Internet for info on editing templates.

    Lady Fitzgerald said:
    A lot of the important functions still use the old windows anyway (e.g. tabs and paragraphs)

    So? You clamor for the old windows, then complain when they are still there?
    The old menu system used those windows in any case, so as far as I'm concerned, it proves that the original "Ribbons" were just "change for changes sake" and executed in Microsoft's typical 50% fashion.

    The problem the "Ribbons" were supposed to solve, were actually caused by Microsoft's total inability to provide useful help or tutorials (hence sites like SevenForums).
    It had nothing to do with the menus and toolbars being too hard to use.


    I've pointed out the reasons that I don't like them (you don't have to agree with them). :)
    I suspect that other "Ribbon Haters" have their own reasons.

    You won't be able to convince me that they are fantastic, just as I won't be able to convince you that they are mostly garbage (except in Excel where I actually find them useful).

    In any case, I accept that:

    • I'm in the "minority camp" on the Ribbon (for some reason lots people of love it)
    • I'm in the "majority camp" on Metro (for some reason lots of people hate it on desktops)
    Last edited by lehnerus2000; 29 Aug 2013 at 22:09. Reason: Spelling
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