keep Word menus, popups and shapes simple

[philk]

Hi
although I've been using Word2003 at home for a while, the office finally
caught up and I snapped. Admittedly there are several improvements, but I
think some things have been refined so much that they are now past their peak
of useability, and are becoming less and less generally useable as features
are added to solve minority issues. Can I suggest that Microsoft gets a panel
of end users to review specifically this? I'm sure you do anyway, but maybe
focus gets lost sometimes.
Some examples:
1) tracking was easy to understand and flexible in Word2000. It's much
harder to manage in 2003 - although I love the printed output format - a vast
improvement.
2) amending a style format used to be simple - menu format, style; then
change. Now an unwanted help window leaps out, displays a load of stuff I
don't want or need, and takes up 1/3 of the screen. I have to click on a
dropdown to find the modify button.
3) before 2000, we could have text boxes with rounded corners. We lost that
in 2000, but otherwise it was fine. Now when I click on text box, a huge
picture frame springs out and shifts my text all over the place. I had
already clicked where I wanted the text box anchored, so I don't want this. I
have to click outside the boundaries (a tiny space in the margin) to make it
go away - but then I have to relocate and resize the text box. This seems
pretty tedious!
On the other hand, my colleague says mail merge is much more difficult. I
think it's much better.

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[Graham Mayor]

Hi
although I've been using Word2003 at home for a while, the office
finally caught up and I snapped. Admittedly there are several
improvements, but I think some things have been refined so much that
they are now past their peak of useability, and are becoming less and
less generally useable as features are added to solve minority
issues. Can I suggest that Microsoft gets a panel of end users to
review specifically this? I'm sure you do anyway, but maybe focus
gets lost sometimes.

One man's improvement is another's bugbear

Some examples:
1) tracking was easy to understand and flexible in Word2000. It's much
harder to manage in 2003 - although I love the printed output format
- a vast improvement.

I don't do tracking so cannot comment.

2) amending a style format used to be simple - menu format, style;
then change. Now an unwanted help window leaps out, displays a load
of stuff I don't want or need, and takes up 1/3 of the screen. I have
to click on a dropdown to find the modify button.

Add the FormatStyle tool from Tools > customize > commands > all commands
and the dialog will be the same as it was before.

3) before 2000, we could have text boxes with rounded corners. We
lost that in 2000, but otherwise it was fine. Now when I click on
text box, a huge picture frame springs out and shifts my text all
over the place. I had already clicked where I wanted the text box
anchored, so I don't want this. I have to click outside the
boundaries (a tiny space in the margin) to make it go away - but then
I have to relocate and resize the text box. This seems pretty tedious!

Turn off the drawing canvas from tools > options > general - and yes you can
have rounded text boxes. Add a rounded autoshape from the drawing toolbar
and put a borderless text box inside, then group them.

On the other hand, my colleague says mail merge is much more
difficult. I think it's much better.

Not more difficult so much as different and all the old tools are still
available - http://www.gmayor.com/mail_merge_labels_with_word_xp.htm


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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[philk]

Hi Graham
thanks for info...
I think the jury is still out on 1) and themain point (obtrusive popup box)
in 3) .
PK

 

[Graham Mayor]

As for 3) did you see my comment - Turn off the drawing canvas from tools >
options > general ?

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[philk]

I did but did not twig - yes thanks that's much better.
I must admit I knew about how to achieve the rounded text boxes - just can't
be bothered to do the extra fiddling most times, whereas I would if it were
still in the same Format Textbox operation :~)