Carroll County Times Articles
Upgrading to Microsoft Word 2007 May Be Worthwhile Investment
by Matt Day– October 11, 2007
By now, you're probably aware that earlier this year Microsoft released a new version of Word, its popular word processing program. Appropriately titled Word 2007, the interface of this new version is very different than any previous version, and includes a few new features that have not been seen before. If you're a user of a previous version of Word, you can purchase the Word 2007 upgrade for about $110. This, of course, brings up the question: Is upgrading to Word 2007 worthwhile? Let me tell you about three new features in Word 2007 that may explain why the answer for you may be "Yes."
Live Preview.
It really is amazing how small things make such a big difference. Live Preview is a new addition to Word 2007 that allows a user to see how formatting will look before it's actually applied. For example, if you want to change the font of your text, you can point to the various fonts on the font drop-down list, and Word 2007 will actually show you your text in that font, but will only permanently change the font if you click the font choice. Therefore, with Live Preview you can browse through many of the toolbar buttons and see how your document would look, without having to actually apply the formatting and then click undo.
Super Tooltips.
This is another example of small things making a big difference. By now, nearly all computer programs allow a user to point at a toolbar button without clicking to display a small note that lists the name of that button. This feature, called a "Tooltip", has been upgraded dramatically in Word 2007. Now, when you point at any toolbar button in Word 2007, not only does the Tooltip tell you the name of that button, it also tells you what that button does and the shortcut keystroke that would execute that feature. This enables the user to immediately learn what each feature does without having to research the item in the help system. Microsoft has called the Super Tooltips feature "the missing link between the user interface and the help system."
Building Blocks.
A building block in Word 2007 is a part of a document, such as a header or company logo, that can be saved and reused in any other document without having to perform a cut and paste. With building blocks, a user can recycle existing content from a previous document and use it repeatedly in later files. What is most impressive about this feature is how easy it is to use and the wide variety of information that can be stored in a building block, such as a header or footer, company contact information, or a letterhead.
About the Author
Matt Day is the Coordinator of Technology Training at Carroll Community College. He has a MBA and a bachelor's degree in Computer Information Science. Questions are welcome and may be addressed in future articles. Email mail@carrolltechcouncil.org or go to www.carrolltechcouncil.org to learn more.
