by Tim O'Connor

Created on: January 27, 2009

The 2007 release of Word is an impressive leap from earlier versions. In fact, the Microsoft Office 2007 package is a nearly complete makeover. It's been re-written in XML and uses zip technology to bring the once dimly lit software into the light.

The moment you start the program, you'll see the obvious changes with the introduction of the Ribbon. The Ribbon makes it easy to see and find the commands you want. The Microsoft Office Button (the Orb) at the top left of the screen gives you the basics: New, Open, Save, Print, Recent Documents, and Close. It also includes Prepare, Send, and Publish options that make workflow easy.

Prepare allows you to view and edit document properties. It also provides a simplified way to add digital signatures, encrypt your document, mark collaborative work as final, and run a compatibility check against earlier versions of Word to search for unsupported features.

Send gives you quick options for e-mailing and faxing documents, and Publish allows you to post to Blogs and Document Management Servers.

The Ribbon uses tabs to organize tools and commands by task. Each tab is divided into groups that also follow the workflow process very closely. There are also contextual tabs that appear when necessary. If you want to fine-tune an image, for example, just click on it and a tab full of picture tools pops up. Forget about drilling down through multiple layers of menus and dialogue boxes. Think about what you want to do, click the tab and read the groups. The rest is easy, because every item you hover over gives you an annotated tool tip. No guessing required.

You can customize the Quick Access Toolbar with your favorite commands as well as customize your copy of Word using the Word Options button at the lower right of the Microsoft Office Button screen.

Another nice touch is the Galleries of ready made styles waiting for you to pick and click. The Galleries are enabled with a live preview feature that lets you see how a style will look in your document before you choose it - very convenient.

The Ribbon tabs include Home, with the basic Clipboard, Font, Paragraph, Styles, and Editing groups while the other tabs (Insert, Page Layout, References, Mailings, Review, and View) let you accomplish some very sophisticated tasks minus the agony of spending time trying to find and understand the tools.

Ready made content (yours or Microsoft's) can be stored as a Building Block for you to use in later projects. Templates, Tables of Contents, Footnotes,

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