First Impressions – Office 2007 (Beta)
      by Ann Moore, Member of the Topeka (Kansas) PC Users Club
http://www.topekapcusersclub.org
com_muter1@cox.net

The deadline for submission of my monthly article is looming and I am still struggling to complete it.  As the time draws nearer, our editor will bombard me with e-mails. I have a legitimate excuse but will he believe me when I tell him that I am tangled up in a Ribbon. Yes, the Microsoft Word 2007 Ribbon.

I had decided to compose this month’s article using Microsoft Word 2007 Beta.  When I opened the program I was stunned.   What I was viewing did not in any way resemble the Microsoft Word that I had used for many years.  Where to begin? My first thought was to seek Help.  I pressed the blue button located IN THE RIGHT UPPER SCREEN AND IN MY TASK BAR APPEARED “Microsoft Help”. It produced a drop down menu giving me four choices: Move, Size, Minimize, Maximize or Close.  Where is that pesky paper clip when you need it?

 

I decided to start at the top left and work my way to my right.  I clicked on the Office icon to open a new document. I went to Page Layout and I clicked on Margins.   I selected the first which gave me a half inch around the page.

1.      The font was set at Garamond 12 which was what I preferred. I clicked on something that gave me a request for borders which I did not want or need.  nOW  I have hit something  that is causing this. (Placeholder1) Now what have I done to get this? I didn’t want to number my paragraphs!

How did I get this Strike Through? All I want to do is get out of this dilemma.

I checked the Home box and find my font has been changed to Calibri (body) 12. I enter the font box to confirm the Garamond 12 setting.  I would like to enter some SmartArt right about here here. Where did all those arrows come from?  I am at the end of my patience and have accomplished nothing.

.. .д€Ж £$≠ Oh, Oh, no, I really didn’t say that!!! I clicked on the F1 again –received the same four choices in color. I am exhausted.  Microsoft, what have you done to me?

Why do I have these dots between every word? Will this torture never end?

okay, now I will continue, but wait a minute. What happened to my font? It was set at garamond 12.  Go back, stupid. Tuesday, August 08, 2006.  Now what?  I went back TO change the font.  I think I hit the Increase Font size.  I want to return to normal, whatever that is.

 

SOMETHING HAPPENED CHANGED MY FONT, AGAIN. Under Home, there is a category marked Fonts.  I clicked on it and was told that this command was temporarily disabled and I should click on F1 which brings up the Help menu giving the same four choices. I feel like I am in a Catch 22.I guess I should sign off for now. Microsoft Office Signature Line

There is no restriction against any non-profit group using this article as long as it is kept in context with proper credit given the author.  The Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article to you.