On my return flight last week, I sat next to a gentleman who said he was a Microsoft power user. He mentioned that he wasn't planning to update to Office 2007 because he couldn't use his beloved shortcut keys. I made a mental note and decided I would check this out. After viewing the first video demo, I too had doubts.

Most of us are aware that Microsoft is planning a major release of their popular Office Suite. Such events bring joy and sorrow to users for different reasons. Some rejoice in seeing new features and applaud the change. Others will look at the same software and declare we're screwed.they killed my favorite feature.

There's no question this new version of Microsoft Office is dramatically different, particularly because of the interface. If you watch the demos you immediately see this new item called the ribbon. You can think of this ribbon as the navigational aid to your desired feature rather than the familiar pull down menus. To compliment these changes, tool tips appear more robust and in some cases include graphics. The company refers to the new contextual design as more results orientated. Despite the buzzwords, they may have a compelling argument.

Although I am intrigued by the ribbon, I was shocked by a statement in the video that Word 2003 has 1500+ features. I never would've guessed there were that many. It never seemed like that many when I went hunting for which menu contained footer. Again, I started to think how one person would consider this heaven and another hell. Regardless of your take, you have to admit it's a huge undertaking to change the way those features are presented.

Just as my fellow passenger was worried about shortcut keys, I was concerned about my add-ins and file format changes. Both items were addressed in the longer interview. The short answer is add-ins should work and display on an Add-ins tab. For older file formats, you can open them in a compatibility mode which will prevent you from applying a new feature. This is essential when working in mixed environments where people have different software versions.

The product it's not publicly available, but the company has released several videos showing the product. One is a short corporate presentation that highlights the new user interface (UI) and introduces the ribbon, tabs and galleries. This is a good starting point, but realize the time frame doesn't allow you to see everything or cover all your questions.

A longer informal video interview was done by Robert Scoble with Julie Larsen-Green in her office last September. Julie, who also appears in the shorter video is a group manager at Microsoft and responsible for the UI. If you're concerned about the shortcut keys, you can fast forward to about the 35 minute mark to see how they work. This interview goes more into design considerations and research.

The last demo I liked the best. It's done by Darren Strange who is the Office Product Manager in the UK. Although the emphasis was also on the user interface, it was easier for me to grasp the contextual nature of the ribbon. You're now more apt to find the features you need for the item you're working on whether it's a paragraph, Excel cell or PowerPoint slide.

In retrospect, I should've asked for the passenger's email address and offered to respond. Had I done so, I would've told him he could still use his shortcut keys and the footer is in a better place. I'm not sure how he came to this conclusion. It could have been the infamous friend of a friend story or he may have seen a demo that only showed the ribbon and tabs. It may be the product won't suit his needs, but I hate to see anyone dismiss something based on incorrect info.

Before you decide, you might want to look at one or more of these videos. There is a lot you can glean without using the product. Certainly, I still have questions, but there is plenty that appeals to me such as the ability to see how your changes will look without committing them. Oh yeah, I am curious as to how many features are now in Word 12. Maybe someone on the project team can plot this over time with the nifty new charting features.

Referenced Resources:

• Microsoft New User Interface Video (13 min)
• Robert Scoble Interview with Julie Larson-Green (41 min)
• Office Rocker! Demo of Office 12 with Darren Strange (17 min)