Following Geoffrey's line of thought, people sometimes forget that Office is more than Word, Excel and Powerpoint. As a Data Analyst, Access is a potentially good product that is NEVER just quite there yet. And so it has been since Access 97.

Access should evolve into a much powerful while easy data manipulation tool, and aplication development tool.
Access has been stagnant for so long it's beyond a joke.
And yes, I use Access 2007 on a daily basis.

While most of what you said about Office is true, Open Office is not much of an alternative, since it pretty much clones all of Winword's bad features, and then adds a huge infestation of bugs.

It hardly matters that Open Office is free, it doesn't work. Meanwhile M$ piles on more junk on top of the heap of misconceived UI metaphors that is Winword, so users get a lousy product either way, but at least Winword works, even if the tired metaphors waste a lot of time, especially if you are trying to create something a bit more complicated than an office memo.

Nobody that has invested tons of time in Excel macros is going to want to redo their work in Calc. While Microsoft may eventually forced to actually update the suite with some actual improvements someday, Open Office so far has been a huge disappointment.

Doesn't anyone think of the children. How many times are you going to drill the 25% increase over the student version. Its 10bucks more. If it was a $1000 and they did a 25% increase, then make a fuss but the article acts like Bill Gate is sitting there with his fingers in an evil triangle, laughing all the way how the extra few bucks on the student version will allow him to take over the world or something.

Here comes the 2010 Microsoft Lifeboat! Hop on in, the lack of water is fine.

(for those who don't get it, you obviously need to get schooled on OFFICELB.EXE. I bet you dollars to doughnuts it's the source of your Office 2007 woes.)

TheInq is fine, just not as fine as it was previously. Re Magee era, Charlie's posts were still mainly anti nVidia vitriol but at least well informed vitriol. These days Nick Farrell has become a caricature of himself and Lawrence Latif seems to be a copy.

I'm not sure I could raise the level of writing. I'm no journalist, just a lowly Computer Science grad from Kings College London... same as Lawrence Latif ;)

Curiously, you don't seem to enjoy The Inquirer any more than does "Dave P.".

As I've said before, this site attracts many literary critics, but you're the first hack I've noticed stating a wish to "do the same" for hire. I don't understand the urge to do what you despise. Couldn't you at least aspire to raise the level of writing?

By the way, despite the literary critics who flock here, and those who simply yell "shut up", comments are a deal more civil than many sites, and frequently amusing. -- As are the articles. I seem to have missed the fabled Magee era, but the present writers are competent enough.

This isn't the Inq slant it's just lazy.

MS release something new. Cue cash cow, bloatware, expensive, 'features', ailing monopoly.

Apple release something new. Cue fruit themed toy, locked down, Jobsian, fanbois, overpriced.

Could just as well be playing buzzword bingo. It's a few quid for Lawrence churning out the same shit for every article without having to think. I don't blame him, I'd do the same if VNUnet would pay me for such tripe but don't lets assume that Dave P doesn't get it - the Inq slant left with Mike Magee.

youre comments are not wanted here and you obviously do not enjoy the inq slant so why not leave and never come back?
you could serve out the rest of your beige existence in the vacuous numbness of fence-sitting boredom websites
does it sound appealing to you?
i thought so
tata

"dumps out" being the operative phrase

but the price tag always makes me laugh so it has a very small amount of entertainment value but nothing else of any worth

I like how my first comment was removed. What's wrong, don't like criticism?

Makes my add-on comment look out of place.

OpenOffice, Google Docs and Zoho are great alternatives that are free!

Ubuntu 10.04 is an excellent free alternative for Windows 7.

I think the boxed version of Office 2010 Professional is $499, while the download is $349. I could get a decent computer with a great free OS like Ubuntu WITH OpenOffice (also free) bundled with it for that price!

Now, thats sweet especially in this tough economy!

Thank god (or your favorite color) that AMD and Intel don't relase products like MS does.

It would be slower, cost more, have features that your used to but changed where you find them and or how they work. Takes more time to use than the previous version. Ohh wait, I see they put the "File" back in Office, well that's ONE good thing.

How many versions of Office are there? there should be 3, no more no less.

... generation is what it's all about.
All those new texts/publications/re-certifications and software sales.
Excellent! I mean everyone, EVERYONE - uses 100% of this package's capabilities, right?

Office 2007 left such a foul taste in my mouth I don't think I could stomach another upgrade from MS. They should have (and could have) just fixed the bugs in 2003. Instead they came out with a "new" 2007 product with mostly nonsensical cosmetic changes, compelling IT depts everywhere to upgrade. It's just as bug ridden as the old version. Thus 2010 is not even a remote consideration for me.

If you see hatred in the article, it's arguably justified. But where's the stupidity? How nice it is to criticise without offering any elaboration.

M$ Office products, that's what they really are: Butt Sauce.

Really if you have XP or 2003 what more do you need to type a letter to mom?

I also forgot the clipart and template gallery.

Say what you want about them they are still a major selling point. OpenOffice can't even remotely approach Microsoft offers here.

I don't know if Openoffice is capable of utilizing the Office Online components but it would be hilariously hypocritical if they did.

Could you have possibly filled this article with any more venomous hate?

OpenOffice is good for free and it does suite the average user's needs but Microsoft Office is still the better product. MS Office loads faster and has less UI lag. The functionality is generally quicker and its feature set is much more extensive. Businesses DO need many of the features you claim to be useless.

Many businesses also use Outlook. Until someone else can match Office feature for feature Microsoft will be on top.

This is coming from someone who absolutely hates Microsoft, isn't very fond of Apple, and likes Linux.

Of all the articles Dave could have picked as an example of "hate and stupidity", he picks a fairly tame item highlighting everything that's wrong with Microsoft Office 2010 - and which everyone with half a brain already knows.

Basically, unless you make money selling Office to idiot corporates or work for Microsoft, what you've read here is exactly right. Which is it then, Dave?

After years of absence I brought myself to read another Inq article. It's sad to see that the hate and stupidity of the "authors" show no signs of diminishing. Well, see ya in a couple of years.