Free Word 2010 Ribbon/Fluent UI Guide Available

[JMH]

A new resource available for download from Microsoft is designed to let customers upgrading from Office 2003 or earlier to Office 2010, get familiarized with the redesign of the look and feel of the Word components of the product. The Word 2010: Interactive menu to ribbon guide can be grabbed free of charge through the Microsoft Download Center, and as the label implies, users will get a “visual, interactive reference guide to help you find the new location of commands in Word 2010,” according to Microsoft. “Use this interactive tutorial to find the location of commands in Word 2010. The guide is a simulation of the old menu version of Word. Click a command in the guide to learn its new location in Word 2010.”

With the advent of Office 2007, Microsoft dramatically overhauled the graphical user interface for its productivity suite. The evolution of the new Ribbon/Fluent GUI continued with Office 2010, which brings to the table a perfected variant of the user interface, widening the gap between the new design and the old File menu that was the default in Office 2003 and earlier.

While Ribbon is immensely superior to the old Office UI, it takes a little time to get accustomed to it. As with everything new there’s a learning curve, but fact is that some users might not get over the initial shock of having to work with a completely overhauled UI. It’s human nature to seek as much comfort as possible, and while the Office 2003 UI might feel extremely comfortable the new users interface of Office 2010 will appear to be strange and extremely different.

More -
Free Word 2010 Ribbon/Fluent UI Guide Available - For download from Microsoft - Softpedia

 

[Lordbob75]

You know, I really don't want to have to read a book to figure out how the UI works....

Unless this has like really cool super-secret tricks in it.

~Lordbob

 

[mlevy]

lordbob, I just installed it on a test box I have here at work. It requires Silverlight, it gives you a virtual Word 2003 UI, you can then click on your familiar buttons to find how to perform the same actions in Word 2010.

Too bad there aren't any for other Office apps, if the company wanted to put Silverlight on everyone's PC we could push this as a help for the transition to Office 2010 from 2000..

 

[Lordbob75]

lordbob, I just installed it on a test box I have here at work. It requires Silverlight, it gives you a virtual Word 2003 UI, you can then click on your familiar buttons to find how to perform the same actions in Word 2010.

Too bad there aren't any for other Office apps, if the company wanted to put Silverlight on everyone's PC we could push this as a help for the transition to Office 2010 from 2000..

That's not too bad, definitely not what I expected.

~Lordbob

 

[mlevy]

I was mistaken, there IS one for most apps in the Office 2010 suite. There is also an Excel sheet for each application for "translation" from Office 2003 to Office 2010. All of this can be found at
Learn where menu and toolbar commands are in Office 2010 - Outlook - Microsoft Office

And one for Office 2007 from Office 2003.
Guides to the Ribbon: Use Office 2003 menus to learn the Office 2007 user interface - Support - Microsoft Office

 

[tanzanos]

Ribbon is possibly the worst ever UI invented by man! I fail to see where it is superior to the classic interface. Computers are supposed to make life easier and if it takes an university diploma just to learn how to use Ribbon then it has failed miserably in user friendliness.

This is what happens when company executives have their way and insist on something to look and function differently for commercial sakes while totally disregarding functionality.

No matter how much they try to convince us that it is the best ui; they seem to forget that they also tried to convince us that Windows ME and Vista were the best too!

Thank god that there are people who take the time to offer us third party software that brings back the excellent and functional classic menu style UI.

 

[Dave76]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
Freedom of choice is one of the things that make this world a great place.

There are other, older versions available if you don't like the newer ones.

I found after a couple of days that I much prefer the new ribbon in Office, works well once you get use to it.


Let's not start on the ME and Vista bashing. Many people, including myself, never had a problem with those OS's.

:focus:

 

[TVeblen]

Freedom of choice is one of the things that make this world a great place.

There's the rub.
As I understand it, from users complaining to me, there is no option in Office 2010 to turn off the ribbon and show "Classic Menus".

Did I hear that wrong?

 

[Dave76]

Don't know if there is an option to get classic menus in Office 2010, haven't looked.

It would be impossible to make apps and OSs that suite everyone.

If someone really doesn't like new features on the new editions and can't find anything to change them to an older or specific style they like, then they have to accept/learn the new features or go back to the older versions. Sometimes that is the choice.

No matter what the software companies come up with a large group of users won't like it for some reason.
As users we have to accept changes, they are inevitable, but we don't have to like it.

If we didn't have change in our nature we would still be living in caves, so change is a good thing.

No offense intended to anyone that doesn't like change, it's just going to happen

 

[JMH]

If someone really doesn't like new features on the new editions and can't find anything to change them to an older or specific style they like, then they have to accept/learn the new features or go back to the older versions. Sometimes that is the choice.

No matter what the software companies come up with a large group of users won't like it for some reason.
As users we have to accept changes, they are inevitable, but we don't have to like it.

If we didn't have change in our nature we would still be living in caves, so change is a good thing.

No offense intended to anyone that doesn't like change, it's just going to happen

Well said Dave.
Change is part of the human condition. It exists!
We all exercise choices. Check it out then decide to use or not use in this case.

 

[tanzanos]

Change is not necessarily a move for the better. Ribbon does not offer an advantage over classic menus. Practically speaking, a person used to any of the two UI's will be able to navigate easily; Thus why did MS remove the choice of classic menus?

The wheel was invented thousands of years ago and apart from refinements has basically remained unchanged in shape.

To those who insist that anyone who does not like Ribbon is basically against change; Then I say to you "Stop being victims of commercial interests and or Fashion victims".
Change does not always mean progress and since Ribbon is not an improvement it cannot be considered a change that brings progress.

Keep the fancy pastel colours and illogical layout and the lack of functionality but also give me the right to choose what is best for me too!

 

[Dave76]

:roflmao:

Relax, take it easy, this is not a big deal in the scheme of things.

This is why I said:

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
Freedom of choice is one of the things that make this world a great place.

And this:

Don't know if there is an option to get classic menus in Office 2010, haven't looked.

It would be impossible to make apps and OSs that suite everyone.

No matter what the software companies come up with a large group of users won't like it for some reason.

No offense intended to anyone that doesn't like change, it's just going to happen

No one is saying anything about the ribbon being better or even that MS shouldn't give everyone what they want.
It's just not very likely that it will happen, so here's the choice, if you really don't like it there are other versions available.
You're not being forced to use it.

I really do hope you find a way to get the 'Classic' menu that you want.

BTW, I'm lol because I've never been accused of being a victim of fashion before.

 

[mickey megabyte]

toolbars and menus are fine for simple programs that only have a limited set of features - eg notepad.

for more complicated software, a different approach is needed.

word (and office) have become so feature-rich over the years, that the menu paradigm had to be thrown away - look at the pictures below, taken from this long and geeky video.

if you don't like office, save yourself some money and go openoffice - it's great that we can choose.

each to his own, and all that.

 

[mlevy]

Considering I never really used Office 2007, 2003 or XP I had to make the jump from Office 2000 to Office 2010. Yes, it's a significant change and I've found myself searching for how to perform a task even if I've done it before. However, it's been a welcome change as some tasks were actually made simpler. Also, with Office 2010 they added native PDF print support and the ability to insert screenshots which our old version did not support, these are money savers for anyone or any company that previously had to buy programs like PDF creator or Acrobat and Snagit.

Those complaining about the ribbon haven't dived too deep into customizing the interface. I have the ribbon hidden in my Outlook and all my common/frequent tasks on the title bar, there are days I never see it in my main Outlook window. Those customizations are then exportable to move them to another PC or in the case of a reinstallation need.

 

[mikedl]

I found after a couple of days that I much prefer the new ribbon in Office, works well once you get use to it.

Agreed, Dave, entirely. I love the Ribbon interface. It changes as my needs change without clicking through the same menus all the time.

Too bad the Ribbon Guide doesn't work with 64 bit browsers being Silverlight based as it is:

Microsoft Silverlight cannot be used in browsers running in 64 bit mode.

AutoCAD Archtecture 2011 has done a great job of implementing the Ribbon interface as well. If one doesn't like it, well, one had better learn to do so. It's the way Windows apps are heading.

 

[tanzanos]

Now I know why some people camp outside computer stores in order to be the first to buy something new!

I use 3D CAD software amongst others and the lack of Ribbon in them is a blessing. Not to mention that they use the classic menu gui and the menus consist of much more menus than any office software; Yet navigation is easy and fast.

RIBBON does not offer anything more than classic menus and it is a myth that due to the contemporary programs having more menus then only ribbon can accomplish the task.

I know what I want and what I do not want is someone shoving down my throat a totally unfriendly ui just so that they can claim to offer something totally new.

Thank god for the people who take the time to offer us classic menus for the Ribbon based software.

Damn suits will be serving us pink air and charging us for breathing it

 

[TVeblen]

AutoCad 2010. Tools > Option > Classic Menus.
Boom. Back in 1998.
And I can meet deadline.

Options peoples. It's all about options.

 

[Dave76]

Options are a very good thing.

 

[mickey megabyte]

especially when they are belgian chocolate flavoured. :drool:

 

[TVeblen]

I expressed mirth in a clearly audible manner.

Or they could go with these:
Chocolate Ribbon Bars Recipe | Taste of Home Recipes
No one could complain about those!