P
Pat mcNamara
I tried Office Groove 2007 tonight, wondering what advantages it might
provide over Groove Virtual Office 3.1. I uninstalled in less than 60
minutes!
Besides turning my 3.1 licensed installation on another networked computer
into a 3.1 TRIAL -- yes, it took away my licensed activiation on another
computer, and told me I'd have to upgrade to 2007 within 60 days -- never
asked my permission at all -- and hanged up on synching my other computer to
the 2007 Office Groove Trial, I read the 2007 Help file -- What's new in this
release of Microsoft Office Groove [2007].
What's new is that very little has been added, and a huge amount has been
taken away. Has Microsoft gone crazy? Has Ray Ozzie gone crazy or sold out
to let Microsoft do this?
I see no reason to upgrade, and every reason to stay away from Office Groove
2007. What they have done is a stranglation of Groove -- or more like a
surgical procedure lower on the body!
Read here all the things taken out of Groove:
Features and tools no longer available in this release
The list below describes the features and tools no longer available in this
release. The lengthy number of items mostly reflects adjustments to the
feature set as the Groove application becomes part of Microsoft's Office
offerings. Additionally, this release focuses on ensuring the highest quality
of the key features that receive the most use.
• The following tools and toolsets are no longer available for adding to
new or existing workspaces: Contact Manager, Discussion, Document Review,
Outliner, Task Manager, Text, Tic-Tac-Toe, Web Links, Welcome Page, Advanced
Project Toolset, and Mobile Workspace for SharePoint.
Instances of these tools in existing workspaces will continue to function.
A new version of the Groove Discussion Tool (as described above) is now
available.
The Groove SharePoint Files Tool replaces Mobile Workspace for SharePoint.
Note that you can no longer synchronize data between an existing mobile
workspace and its associated SharePoint site.
• Chat-only workspaces. Chat is now available only as part of standard or
file sharing workspaces.
• Co-editing of Word documents.
• Presenting of PowerPoint slide shows.
• File viewers in the Groove Files Tool.
• Outlook Calendar integration with the Groove Calendar and Groove Meetings
tools.
• Launching Netmeeting.
• Sending an Outlook email thread to a Groove workspace.
• Sending Lotus Notes documents to a Groove workspace.
• XMPP Proxy Server and Client features (i.e., interacting with Jabber
users).
• Options in account preferences for presence settings for idle behavior.
• Docking the Groove Launchbar.
• The "Auto-create record" feature in the Groove Forms tool.
• Forms tools created in Groove versions prior to Groove 2.5 will not be
accessible.
• Forms tools created in Groove 2.5 will be accessible only for the purpose
of exporting data. Exported data can then be imported into a new Forms tool.
• Groove no longer supports installing new tools via component injection.
That is, you can no longer install new tools in your Groove account by
opening a .grv or .gcd file. Additionally, tools previously installed via
component injection will no longer function in existing or new workspaces.
• Groove accounts can no longer be uploaded to groove.net for backup or for
setting up use on multiple computers. Multiple computers usage now requires
saving your account file manually.
provide over Groove Virtual Office 3.1. I uninstalled in less than 60
minutes!
Besides turning my 3.1 licensed installation on another networked computer
into a 3.1 TRIAL -- yes, it took away my licensed activiation on another
computer, and told me I'd have to upgrade to 2007 within 60 days -- never
asked my permission at all -- and hanged up on synching my other computer to
the 2007 Office Groove Trial, I read the 2007 Help file -- What's new in this
release of Microsoft Office Groove [2007].
What's new is that very little has been added, and a huge amount has been
taken away. Has Microsoft gone crazy? Has Ray Ozzie gone crazy or sold out
to let Microsoft do this?
I see no reason to upgrade, and every reason to stay away from Office Groove
2007. What they have done is a stranglation of Groove -- or more like a
surgical procedure lower on the body!
Read here all the things taken out of Groove:
Features and tools no longer available in this release
The list below describes the features and tools no longer available in this
release. The lengthy number of items mostly reflects adjustments to the
feature set as the Groove application becomes part of Microsoft's Office
offerings. Additionally, this release focuses on ensuring the highest quality
of the key features that receive the most use.
• The following tools and toolsets are no longer available for adding to
new or existing workspaces: Contact Manager, Discussion, Document Review,
Outliner, Task Manager, Text, Tic-Tac-Toe, Web Links, Welcome Page, Advanced
Project Toolset, and Mobile Workspace for SharePoint.
Instances of these tools in existing workspaces will continue to function.
A new version of the Groove Discussion Tool (as described above) is now
available.
The Groove SharePoint Files Tool replaces Mobile Workspace for SharePoint.
Note that you can no longer synchronize data between an existing mobile
workspace and its associated SharePoint site.
• Chat-only workspaces. Chat is now available only as part of standard or
file sharing workspaces.
• Co-editing of Word documents.
• Presenting of PowerPoint slide shows.
• File viewers in the Groove Files Tool.
• Outlook Calendar integration with the Groove Calendar and Groove Meetings
tools.
• Launching Netmeeting.
• Sending an Outlook email thread to a Groove workspace.
• Sending Lotus Notes documents to a Groove workspace.
• XMPP Proxy Server and Client features (i.e., interacting with Jabber
users).
• Options in account preferences for presence settings for idle behavior.
• Docking the Groove Launchbar.
• The "Auto-create record" feature in the Groove Forms tool.
• Forms tools created in Groove versions prior to Groove 2.5 will not be
accessible.
• Forms tools created in Groove 2.5 will be accessible only for the purpose
of exporting data. Exported data can then be imported into a new Forms tool.
• Groove no longer supports installing new tools via component injection.
That is, you can no longer install new tools in your Groove account by
opening a .grv or .gcd file. Additionally, tools previously installed via
component injection will no longer function in existing or new workspaces.
• Groove accounts can no longer be uploaded to groove.net for backup or for
setting up use on multiple computers. Multiple computers usage now requires
saving your account file manually.