1. Office 2007 User Interface is dramatically different from previous versions. The old menus and toolbars (e.g., File, Edit, and View) have been replaced with the “Ribbon” and the “Office Button”. This new interface is designed to give you all the options you would need in an easily navigable tabbed environment. Also new is the Microsoft Office Button in the top left corner. Not unlike the Start button, this is where users may change global options and settings for the program.
| Microsoft's new Ribbon graphical user interface |
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2. The default file formats (.docx, .xlsx, .mdbx, and .pptx) for Office 2007 files are incompatible with older versions of Office, including Windows Office 2003 and Office 2004 for Mac.
- If you already have Office 2007 installed on your computer, you should use the "Save As" option to save files in the older format (e.g., “Word 97-2003 Document”) to ensure that those who don’t have Office 2007 can read your files. If you are a faculty member, remind your students who have Office 2007 to use the “Save As” option described above when preparing files that they submit to you electronically.
- If you have Windows Office 2003 or Office 2004 for Mac, you should download and install the following compatibility pack or file converter. When you install these, you can open, edit, and save files that were originally saved in the default Office 2007 formats (.docx, .xlsx, .mdbx, and .pptx).
- For Windows Office 2003:
- Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats
- For Office 2004 for Mac:
- Microsoft Office Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 0.2(PLEASE NOTE: This Beta version ONLY supports Word and PowerPoint files)
For additional information on Office 2007 at DePauw, please visit our website at http://www.depauw.edu/it/helpdesk/office2007/ .
