Comments on: New Excel for Old Guys http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2008/02/14/new-excel-for-old-guys/ Daily posts of Excel tips…and other stuff Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:58:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: James Cox http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2008/02/14/new-excel-for-old-guys/#comment-40015 James Cox Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:01:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1811#comment-40015 <p>Re Office Labs's Search Commands - </p> <p>It doesn't play well with some of my other Excel AddIns - a fact that's reported in the blog on Search Commands - but apparently works fine with Word and PowerPoint. The symptoms are that once installed, Search Commands disappears when Excel is closed and re-opened. </p> <p>However, if you add some Workbook_Open code to set the appropriate COMAddin.Connect first to False and then to True, it's available (at least for workbooks that have that code).</p> <p>It's claimed that Search Commands can work with voice recognition - to wit:</p> <p>Rob gave me a cool demo – he was using Word said "Search Commands Background" and magically Search Commands found all background related commands and then he said "2? to launch the add shading option. Nifty! How did he do it? Rob has created a speech macro (aka speech magic) to enable voice with Search Commands. </p> <p>But that's probably out of my zone of interest. See <a href="http://www.officelabs.com/projects/searchcommands/Pages/default.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://www.officelabs.com/projects/searchcommands/Pages/default.aspx</a> for more, if you already haven't gotten at least reasonably familiar with the Excel Ribbon</p> Re Office Labs’s Search Commands –

It doesn’t play well with some of my other Excel AddIns – a fact that’s reported in the blog on Search Commands – but apparently works fine with Word and PowerPoint. The symptoms are that once installed, Search Commands disappears when Excel is closed and re-opened.

However, if you add some Workbook_Open code to set the appropriate COMAddin.Connect first to False and then to True, it’s available (at least for workbooks that have that code).

It’s claimed that Search Commands can work with voice recognition – to wit:

Rob gave me a cool demo – he was using Word said “Search Commands Background” and magically Search Commands found all background related commands and then he said “2? to launch the add shading option. Nifty! How did he do it? Rob has created a speech macro (aka speech magic) to enable voice with Search Commands.

But that’s probably out of my zone of interest. See http://www.officelabs.com/projects/searchcommands/Pages/default.aspx for more, if you already haven’t gotten at least reasonably familiar with the Excel Ribbon

]]> By: Patrick O'Beirne http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2008/02/14/new-excel-for-old-guys/#comment-32080 Patrick O'Beirne Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:45:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1811#comment-32080 <p><a href="http://www.builderau.com.au/news/print.htm?TYPE=story&AT=339288481-339028227t-320000982c" rel="nofollow">http://www.builderau.com.au/news/print.htm?TYPE=story&AT=339288481-339028227t-320000982c</a></p> <p>Microsoft lets users bypass Office Ribbon<br> Ina Fried - 2008/04/29 08:03:01</p> <p><a href="http://www.builderau.com.au/news/soa/Microsoft-lets-users-bypass-Office-Ribbon/0,339028227,339288481,00.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.builderau.com.au/news/soa/Microsoft-lets-users-bypass-Office-Ribbon/0,339028227,339288481,00.htm</a></p> <p>For users still unhappy using the Ribbon interface in the Office productivity suite, Microsoft has a new option: search.</p> <p>On Monday, the company released an Office add-on called Search Commands that lets users type the function they are looking to do. After months of testing it internally, Microsoft is ready to give the public a chance to try it out. But the new tool won't be found on Microsoft's main Web site.</p> <p>Rather, it will be available via a new effort, dubbed Office Labs. Spearheaded by Microsoft veteran Chris Pratley, Office Labs is Microsoft's attempt to test out productivity ideas that may -- or may not -- be ready for prime time.</p> http://www.builderau.com.au/news/print.htm?TYPE=story&AT=339288481-339028227t-320000982c

Microsoft lets users bypass Office Ribbon
Ina Fried – 2008/04/29 08:03:01

http://www.builderau.com.au/news/soa/Microsoft-lets-users-bypass-Office-Ribbon/0,339028227,339288481,00.htm

For users still unhappy using the Ribbon interface in the Office productivity suite, Microsoft has a new option: search.

On Monday, the company released an Office add-on called Search Commands that lets users type the function they are looking to do. After months of testing it internally, Microsoft is ready to give the public a chance to try it out. But the new tool won’t be found on Microsoft’s main Web site.

Rather, it will be available via a new effort, dubbed Office Labs. Spearheaded by Microsoft veteran Chris Pratley, Office Labs is Microsoft’s attempt to test out productivity ideas that may — or may not — be ready for prime time.

]]> By: Matthew Henson http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2008/02/14/new-excel-for-old-guys/#comment-31182 Matthew Henson Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:40:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1811#comment-31182 <p>There is a quick-and-dirty way to let users control Excel 2007 through a menu: add to the menu that appears when you right-click a sheet tab. The menu itself is CommandBar(42), also known as the Ply menu, at least in English. In my current project I simply test the version, and the project's menu goes to the Ply menu under Excel 12 of the Worksheet menu under Excel 11.</p> <p>This is not an ideal solution, but I am working on an Excel 2003 machine at work with limited opportunities to test on 2007.</p> There is a quick-and-dirty way to let users control Excel 2007 through a menu: add to the menu that appears when you right-click a sheet tab. The menu itself is CommandBar(42), also known as the Ply menu, at least in English. In my current project I simply test the version, and the project’s menu goes to the Ply menu under Excel 12 of the Worksheet menu under Excel 11.

This is not an ideal solution, but I am working on an Excel 2003 machine at work with limited opportunities to test on 2007.

]]> By: Patrick O'Beirne http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2008/02/14/new-excel-for-old-guys/#comment-30922 Patrick O'Beirne Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:59:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1811#comment-30922 <p>I just had a look at John Walkenbach's Excel 2007 Bible.<br> It's a good introduction, probably better for people starting new with Excel 2007 than converting from earlier versions.<br> I noticed that his dialog screenshots were in a colourful 2007 style whereas my Excel 2007 dialogs look just like the grey old ones.<br> It's because for speed I have the Personalization option in Vista set to "Windows Standard" rather than Vista or Aero.</p> <p>And btw on the last page he offers PUP for only $9.95 to readers! A giveaway.</p> I just had a look at John Walkenbach’s Excel 2007 Bible.
It’s a good introduction, probably better for people starting new with Excel 2007 than converting from earlier versions.
I noticed that his dialog screenshots were in a colourful 2007 style whereas my Excel 2007 dialogs look just like the grey old ones.
It’s because for speed I have the Personalization option in Vista set to “Windows Standard” rather than Vista or Aero.

And btw on the last page he offers PUP for only $9.95 to readers! A giveaway.

]]> By: Ross http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2008/02/14/new-excel-for-old-guys/#comment-30787 Ross Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:18:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1811#comment-30787 <p>I rember when people used to come up to me, back in 2006, and say hey Ross, I hate this standard looking IU, I just cant use it!<br> (what I really need is some sort of UI where I can only get at the things which are grouped togther and might migrate well to a web app.)</p> <p>Not anymore! :-)</p> I rember when people used to come up to me, back in 2006, and say hey Ross, I hate this standard looking IU, I just cant use it!
(what I really need is some sort of UI where I can only get at the things which are grouped togther and might migrate well to a web app.)

Not anymore! :-)

]]> By: Jack Broad http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2008/02/14/new-excel-for-old-guys/#comment-30750 Jack Broad Sat, 16 Feb 2008 23:49:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1811#comment-30750 <p>I had to use the new interface when a user using some of my spreadsheets was asking me to do certain things and he had the new office. Man, was that a frustrating experience (and humbling too). Being one of the fastest key board users around - I was prevented from getting even the simplest of tasks done and felt like a fool. I finally just threw up my hands and got the user to do the work under my direction. I have just taken the plunge and installed it on my laptop and will be forced to have to come to grips with the Microsoft "vision" of how the UI should be. I imagine it will be similar to the migration from pre-VBA macro code to VBA - which, at that time, was a personally very frustrating experience. But I think a concerted two days of "drilling" in the new approaches will be mainly what it takes. I have not touched the programmability as yet. In general, it's a real dud. Who on earth at Microsoft could possibly think that this was the way users would want to work. Someone's got their head in the clouds (or perhaps I mean in a hole in the ground or some other more nefarious and smelly location).</p> I had to use the new interface when a user using some of my spreadsheets was asking me to do certain things and he had the new office. Man, was that a frustrating experience (and humbling too). Being one of the fastest key board users around – I was prevented from getting even the simplest of tasks done and felt like a fool. I finally just threw up my hands and got the user to do the work under my direction. I have just taken the plunge and installed it on my laptop and will be forced to have to come to grips with the Microsoft “vision” of how the UI should be. I imagine it will be similar to the migration from pre-VBA macro code to VBA – which, at that time, was a personally very frustrating experience. But I think a concerted two days of “drilling” in the new approaches will be mainly what it takes. I have not touched the programmability as yet. In general, it’s a real dud. Who on earth at Microsoft could possibly think that this was the way users would want to work. Someone’s got their head in the clouds (or perhaps I mean in a hole in the ground or some other more nefarious and smelly location).

]]> By: J Ellenberger http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2008/02/14/new-excel-for-old-guys/#comment-30746 J Ellenberger Sat, 16 Feb 2008 19:25:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1811#comment-30746 <p>The relevant point was made</p> <p>it is but the question remains whether the ribbon provides enough benefit to overcome that cost. </p> <p>Any new command process requires relearning and is therefore a cost.<br> Presumably there is an offsetting benefit.</p> <p>In several cases I have not found that to be true and there fore noted that the emperor had no clothes and stayed with the older version I do not have time to play for no benefit.</p> The relevant point was made

it is but the question remains whether the ribbon provides enough benefit to overcome that cost.

Any new command process requires relearning and is therefore a cost.
Presumably there is an offsetting benefit.

In several cases I have not found that to be true and there fore noted that the emperor had no clothes and stayed with the older version I do not have time to play for no benefit.

]]> By: Hui... http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2008/02/14/new-excel-for-old-guys/#comment-30738 Hui... Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:09:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1811#comment-30738 <p>The world was going to end after Dos 3.3...<br> It Didn't, we adapt and survive</p> The world was going to end after Dos 3.3…
It Didn’t, we adapt and survive

]]> By: Simon Murphy http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2008/02/14/new-excel-for-old-guys/#comment-30730 Simon Murphy Sat, 16 Feb 2008 02:23:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1811#comment-30730 <p>fzz - great analogy. Yes MS can, and do admit mistakes (eg SP3), although no one is doing that for the effluent UI.</p> <p>Dick - I thought that was a milder rant. Interesting point on the keyboarding improvements. Most reports also suggest inexperienced users cope ok with the ribbon too. I guess that leaves a middle ground of folks that kinda knew where most stuff was in 2003 but didn't know the kb shortcut, these probably feel the most pain.</p> <p>I'm not convinced that a UI that is OK because it is easy to make it go away could be classed as a triumph of user experience engineering. </p> <p>Ditto on the paste button and button size, I can't see any sense in them being bigger than normal cell size.</p> <p>I think needing to 'ease into' the latest version of a program I have been working in for years and years represents a massive user experience Fail. You are right though, and I think that is where I went wrong, I thought I would 'just make sure' all my free add-ins worked fine with a beta of 2007. None of them did, and I couldn't find any useful commands to work out why. That was a rant believe me!</p> fzz – great analogy. Yes MS can, and do admit mistakes (eg SP3), although no one is doing that for the effluent UI.

Dick – I thought that was a milder rant. Interesting point on the keyboarding improvements. Most reports also suggest inexperienced users cope ok with the ribbon too. I guess that leaves a middle ground of folks that kinda knew where most stuff was in 2003 but didn’t know the kb shortcut, these probably feel the most pain.

I’m not convinced that a UI that is OK because it is easy to make it go away could be classed as a triumph of user experience engineering.

Ditto on the paste button and button size, I can’t see any sense in them being bigger than normal cell size.

I think needing to ‘ease into’ the latest version of a program I have been working in for years and years represents a massive user experience Fail. You are right though, and I think that is where I went wrong, I thought I would ‘just make sure’ all my free add-ins worked fine with a beta of 2007. None of them did, and I couldn’t find any useful commands to work out why. That was a rant believe me!

]]> By: Dennis Wallentin http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2008/02/14/new-excel-for-old-guys/#comment-30718 Dennis Wallentin Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:13:00 +0000 http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/?p=1811#comment-30718 <p>A deeper review of the book can be found here:<br> <a href="http://xldennis.wordpress.com/2008/01/20/ribbonx-customizing-the-office-2007-ribbon-review/" rel="nofollow">http://xldennis.wordpress.com/2008/01/20/ribbonx-customizing-the-office-2007-ribbon-review/</a></p> <p>Kind regards,<br> Dennis</p> A deeper review of the book can be found here:
http://xldennis.wordpress.com/2008/01/20/ribbonx-customizing-the-office-2007-ribbon-review/

Kind regards,
Dennis

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