EveryJoe » Office 12

Microsoft’s Stranglehold on Office Suites

Colleen Coplick — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:16:36 +0000

Despite what I said yesterday about only 1% of users actually using Google Docs, it seems that this isn’t really a deterrent to other pundits thinking that perhaps Microsoft has something to worry about.

The fact that Microsoft has been talking about releasing the next version of Office for oh so long, it’s not like we don’t have options anymore. We used to need Office in order to be productive, but not so much anymore with suites like Open Office, Zoho, and Google Docs available.

Now, I love Google Docs, and I have to admit, I’m not using it nearly as much as I should be considering how much I adore it. I suspect it’s that ‘old habits die hard’ axiom.

Don Reisinger has introduced me to a new suite that I wasn’t aware of yet – ThinkFree Office Online. It sounds fantastic, and I actually can’t wait to check it out. What impressed me about ThinkFree Office Online is the praise Don heaped on it:

ThinkFree Online offers all the “must-have” features available in Microsoft Office like a rich toolbar, a ruler bar, and an interface that offers simplicity and delivers the same feel as Word, Excel, or Powerpoint. Creating a document is simple and working with spreadsheets is a treat thanks to the tens of thousands of rows it provides, along with just about any formula that comes to mind. [source]

I’m thinking at this point, it might be time to switch. I’m pretty sure Microsoft Office has something to be concerned about with all the online, open source and free options out there. Maybe Google Docs has something to worry about in ThinkFree as well….

Post from: EveryJoe

Microsoft’s Stranglehold on Office Suites

Managing Norton AntiVirus Office Plug-in

Jerome Locson — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:37:17 +0000

Many of my friends use Norton Antivirus and they asked me on how to disable the Norton AntiVirus Office Plugin. I am not using Norton and I do not know the solution for that… but then I googled it. Here’s a repost on the Turning on and turning off the Norton AntiVirus plug-in for Microsoft Office:

Turn on the plug-in for Microsoft Office XP/2000

Start Norton AntiVirus.
If Norton AntiVirus is part of Norton Internet Security or Norton SystemWorks, then start that program.
Click Options.
In the left pane, click Miscellaneous.
In the right pane, under “How to keep Microsoft Office documents protected,” check Enable Office plug-in.
Click OK.

Turn off the plug-in for Microsoft Office XP/2000

Start Norton AntiVirus.
If Norton AntiVirus is part of Norton Internet Security or Norton SystemWorks, then start that program.
Click Options.
In the left pane, click Miscellaneous.
In the right pane, under “How to keep Microsoft Office documents protected,” uncheck Enable Office plug-in.
Click OK.

I hope that helped. :)

Post from: EveryJoe

Managing Norton AntiVirus Office Plug-in

How to Use Office 2007 without the Ribbon Menu

Jerome Locson — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:44:34 +0000

I was using MS Office 2003 before shifting to Office 2007, which I was not so comfortable with the ribbon-style menu. So, I googled for some answers on how to work in Office 2007 without the ribbon menu.

Follow this steps if you want to try it:

Open MS Word 2007.
Right-click the toolbar and click the ‘Minimize the Ribbon’.
The ribbon menu is minimized. Now, click ‘Add to Quick Access Toolbar’ or if you already have it there click ‘Customize Quick Access Toolbar’ instead. Select all appropriate menus you wish to show.

Post from: EveryJoe

How to Use Office 2007 without the Ribbon Menu

Setting up Your Default PowerPoint Theme (2003/2007)

Jerome Locson — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:47:04 +0000

When we create presentations using PowerPoint, by default, it shows a blank slide – without design, plain and white. And, if you are using it every time when creating slides, it would waste your time in looking for some presentation theme or design. But, no worries coz I will teach you how to setup a default theme ( for both 2003 and 2007 PowerPoint).

Using Microsoft PowerPoint 2003:

Create a New Presentation.
Right-click on the slide and select Slide Design.
Notice that a lists of slide design is visible at the right side.
Now, select your favorite slide design that you wish to use every time.
Right-click on that design and select “Use for All New Presentation”.
And now, you have set a default theme.
Then, try to create a new presentation and notice that the default theme was loaded automatically.

Using Microsoft PowerPoint 2007:

Create a New Presentation.
Click on the Design menu.
Notice that a lists of slide design is visible at the top.
Now, select your favorite slide design that you wish to use every time.
Right-click on that design and select “Set as Default Theme”.
And now, you have set a default theme.
Then, try to create a new presentation and notice that the default theme was loaded automatically.

Post from: EveryJoe

Setting up Your Default PowerPoint Theme (2003/2007)

Office 14 Release in 2009

Jerome Locson — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 03:56:27 +0000

Office 14, code-name for the next version of productivity suite from Microsoft, is scheduled to release by 2009. Here are some hint links about this news:

Microsoft Site Leak Hints at 2009 Release for Office 14 from PC World and Computer World.
Geek Valley from Blogspot.
Yahoo! News feed from PC World.

All links provides similar contents and is authored by Elizabeth Montalbano, from the IDG News Service.

Post from: EveryJoe

Office 14 Release in 2009

Some MS Office Adds-on

Jerome Locson — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:16:11 +0000

Here’s a list of some useful MS Office Adds-on that you can use to be more productive:

I hope this can help you in some ways while doing your reports, presentation and documents.

Post from: EveryJoe

Some MS Office Adds-on

Sun’s ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office

Jerome Locson — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 03:05:20 +0000

I know that you like to be more productive with your Office applications but there are drawbacks that limits us to do such, like the file formats they support. Specifically, Open Document Format (ODF) is not support by default by some version of Microsoft Office. At times, we need to work with such Open Document Format (ODF), such files created using OpenOffice.org or StarOffice, with Microsoft Office and do some editing but we have a problem of readability.

Well, that’s not a problem anymore because Sun Microsystems created a tool that which helps us move on, that is with the Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office.

Sun’s ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office, which works with Microsoft Office 2007 (Service Pack 1 or higher), Microsoft Office 2003, XP and Microsoft Office 2000, is a tool that gives us the ability to read, edit and save ISO-standard Open Document Format (ODF) using Microsoft Office suites (Word, Excel and Powerpoint). Currently at version 1.1, it now supports more that 16 languages and improves the import and export of ODF files into Microsoft Office, increasing the interoperability of the Plugin.

[ via ]

Post from: EveryJoe

Sun’s ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office

Microsoft doesn’t like Fasthosts’ Office SaaS

Jerome Locson — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 03:21:46 +0000

Just this month, the UK-based hosting company named Fasthosts offered an online Microsoft Office as SaaS. But Microsoft is not happy about it, claiming that there are copyright infringement violation offering Microsoft Office through software streaming.

But Fasthosts holds to its claim that there was no violation. According to the article published by David Meyer for ZDNET UK,

“Fasthosts’ Microsoft Office product uses the SaaS model in that it is delivered and managed via the Internet,” explained Mark Jeffries, Fasthosts’ chief technology officer, on Thursday. Speaking with ZDNet.com.au’s sister site ZDNet.co.uk via e-mail, Jeffries said that a “full version Microsoft Office, identical to the boxed product, is downloaded using a streaming service and saved locally on a user’s PC”.

“Fasthosts is a valued Microsoft partner who we have a great relationship with”, said Michala Wardell, head of anti-piracy at Microsoft UK, last week. “At present, streaming Microsoft products like Office 2007 via the Web infringes our licence regulations. Fasthosts have been informed of this and we are currently working with them to rectify this situation.”

“Fasthosts has understood, and has had confirmed to it, that the facilitation of this approval is through the production of an addendum to the current SPLA, a decision confirmed in meetings between Microsoft European SPLA Division and a Fasthosts’ software streaming partner in January of this year,” Fasthosts’ statement continued. “Fasthosts and Fasthosts’ partners have therefore worked with the European and Worldwide SPLA teams in getting approval for this service prior to launch, in order to bring this innovative new offering to market.”

While this issue is still under dispute among parties, Fasthosts still offers the service online as of the moment. For more details and FAQs about this Streaming Software Service, please click here.

Post from: EveryJoe

Microsoft doesn’t like Fasthosts’ Office SaaS

Office 14: Bringing Microsoft Office Online?

Jerome Locson — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:22:57 +0000

Few years back (that’s around 2005, if I am not mistaken), we heard about Office 12 and made a buzz in the office suite industry since, of course, it’s from Microsoft? Partly, I suppose, but it is due to the many advanced features it has and most noticeably its new user interface. Well, that was (again) few years back.

As the trend today, most applications are going web-based, commonly labeled as SaaS (Software as a Service), Microsoft also aims to bring their Office suite online but limited.

Bill Gates, the ever rich and ever famous man, delivered a speech during the last Microsoft Office System Developer Conference in San Jose, said something like this:

“Outlook Web Access is not the full version of Office, but if you want to go into a kiosk or an Internet cafe and browse and connect, it gives you plenty of functionality. As we look at all the modules [in Office 14] we have in mind the equivalent of Outlook Web Access.” [ source ]

Well, I guess Gates sees the tight competition with the current key players of the online office suite arena (Google Apps, Zoho Online, etc.) and will try to rule it out with this move. Appropriate as it may seem and let us just hope that it will be a of quality and of course cheap, yet better if free, online applications.

*Image Credit due to Stephen Chapman at Aero Experience.

By the way, Office 14 is said to be shipping in the early 2009. Betas will be released late this year 2008.

So, basically, Office 14 will be the updated version of Office 2007 (after 2 years hopefully). And for more in-depth FAQs about Office 14, please click here and here.

Post from: EveryJoe

Office 14: Bringing Microsoft Office Online?

Microsoft Office 2003 SP3 Automatic Update this February

Jerome Locson — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 23:59:54 +0000

The Microsoft Update Product Team Blog already mentioned the date of the update release of Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3. The date to remember is February 27, 2008. It will be available via Microsoft Update Automatic Distribution for both Windows XP and Windows Vista.

The SP3 follow-up update is due to some security fixes and additional enhancements of course. If you recall, we posted about the issues encountered by many users after installing SP3 for Office 2003.

[ via eWeek ]

Post from: EveryJoe

Microsoft Office 2003 SP3 Automatic Update this February