October 3, 2011

This months discussion is short and sweet.  For those of you who are still using a version of Microsoft Office older than 2007, I see no need for you to upgrade unless you just want to spend money and be able to say you have the newest version.  In fact, if you are using an older version, you will have a pretty steep learning curve in order to use the newer versions.  The reason, they completely changed the look and operation and you will not have the icons on the toolbars at the top.  Also, some items have been moved around to the point where they are harder to find.  My advice, stick with your older version.  There aren't any worthwhile upgrades for the average user to cause you to spend the money and have the aggravation of learning the newer programs.

If you fall into that category, you might want to consider downloading the Microsoft Office compatibility pack from the Microsoft website. This will allow you to open files created in the later programs using your older version of Office.

For those of you who are using Office 2007, or later, change the default save settings to office 97 through 2003 format.  This will allow other people to use you files without having to download the conversion software.  Business customers, in particular, will want to save in the older format for the convenience of the other people in the business community who haven't, or don't plan to upgrade.