ribbon
Work
2:59PM Angus Kidman | When Microsoft introduced the Ribbon interface in Office 2007, a key argument for the radical switch was that it would be easier to use. That always seemed like a suspicious claim relative to the millions of existing Office users, and now Microsoft has been forced to concede that throwing out everything might not have been the best move. More »
Microsoft Concedes That The Ribbon Isn’t Intuitive
2:59PM Angus Kidman | When Microsoft introduced the Ribbon interface in Office 2007, a key argument for the radical switch was that it would be easier to use. That always seemed like a suspicious claim relative to the millions of existing Office users, and now Microsoft has been forced to concede that throwing out everything might not have been the best move. More » 
Work
OpenOffice.org Screenshots Preview A Ribbon-Like Toolbar
12:40AM Kevin Purdy | Sun Microsystems’ OpenOffice.org developers have posted prototype screenshots and demonstrations, and while the toolbar content and look could likely change, the commenters are not apparently happy with the very Microsoft-Office-like “ribbon.” Some argue the look doesn’t play well on non-Windows systems, and others say it’s just another learning curve for the noble-intentioned, but often disadvantaged, open source office suite. Let’s hear what you think of the prototype, or where else Sun should look for design ideas, in the comments. [via Slashdot]
Work
2:30PM Angus Kidman | Our recent roundup of how to deal with the Office ribbon offered lots of hints on how to make the most of Microsoft’s polarising interface, but didn’t mention one useful trick: using Control-F1 to hide the ribbon from sight. The same shortcut also restores it.
Use Control-F1 To Hide The Office Ribbon
2:30PM Angus Kidman | Our recent roundup of how to deal with the Office ribbon offered lots of hints on how to make the most of Microsoft’s polarising interface, but didn’t mention one useful trick: using Control-F1 to hide the ribbon from sight. The same shortcut also restores it.
Work
1:04PM Angus Kidman | Microsoft’s Ribbon interface represents a radical change from standard menu-based applications, but if you’re a regular user of Office 2007, you need to come to grips with it. Here’s some handy strategies to make the transition easier. More »
Making The Most Of The Microsoft Office 2007 Ribbon
1:04PM Angus Kidman | Microsoft’s Ribbon interface represents a radical change from standard menu-based applications, but if you’re a regular user of Office 2007, you need to come to grips with it. Here’s some handy strategies to make the transition easier. More »
Work
4:30PM Angus Kidman | Confused by Office 2007’s Ribbon? Some free spreadsheet guides might help you untangle the mess. More »
Office 2007 Mapping Workbooks Show Where Everything Went
4:30PM Angus Kidman | Confused by Office 2007’s Ribbon? Some free spreadsheet guides might help you untangle the mess. More »
Work
SlideShare Ribbon Puts Web Sharing Tools In PowerPoint
12:30AM Kevin Purdy | Windows only (with PowerPoint 2007): SlideShare, the YouTube-style sharing and embedding service for presentations, has released an Office 2007 plug-in that lets creators directly upload and control web presentations from inside PowerPoint. The plug-in, which requires the very latest .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, adds basic “Open/Publish/Manage” buttons to a new SlideShare tab, as well as buttons for finding related material on the sharing site (for design inspiration, perhaps?) and letting you see how many co-workers, or general surfers, have checked out your shared stuff. Check out SlideShare’s own embedded presentation on installing and using the toolbar, and a video demonstration of its features, below. More »
Work
Wordpad 2009 Offers Windows 7-Like Ribbon Interface
9:30AM Gina Trapani | Windows only: Lots of folks rave about Microsoft Office 2007’s ribbon interface, but now you can have it for free in Microsoft Word’s younger sibling, WordPad. A developer over at deviantART—not Microsoft, mind you—has released “Wordpad 2009,” which offers multiple documents in tabs, Windows 7 icons, and yes, the ribbon interface. While this is yet another way you can get Windows 7 features for free right now, Wordpad 2009 doesn’t look exactly like Windows 7’s WordPad. Check out the difference. More »
Organise
9:00AM Angus Kidman | The Office Outlook Team Blog runs down how you can use keyboard shortcuts to access the various features of the Ribbon which appear when you’re composing a message in Outlook 2007. The approach (which is shared with other Office 2007 apps) is far from obvious: you need to type Alt-letter to access a particular ribbon tab, then a one or two letter code for a particular section. The abbreviations are often not intuitive (alt-H for Message, anyone?), and this afterthought approach to keyboard shortcuts is perhaps my biggest single objection to the entire Ribbon approach. Note that while the post recommends typing Alt separately to the rest of the shortcut — e.g. Alt then H then A then F to attach a file — you can still use the classic Alt-H together to begin. Doing this probably makes sense given that in other parts of Outlook (like your inbox) that’s the only way to access menus, and who wants to waste time remembering where Alt is used on its own? For more Outlook navigation tips, check our previous post on navigating Outlook panes.
Ribbon Key Tips [Microsoft Office Outlook Team Blog]
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Keyboard Shortcuts For The Outlook 2007 Ribbon
9:00AM Angus Kidman | The Office Outlook Team Blog runs down how you can use keyboard shortcuts to access the various features of the Ribbon which appear when you’re composing a message in Outlook 2007. The approach (which is shared with other Office 2007 apps) is far from obvious: you need to type Alt-letter to access a particular ribbon tab, then a one or two letter code for a particular section. The abbreviations are often not intuitive (alt-H for Message, anyone?), and this afterthought approach to keyboard shortcuts is perhaps my biggest single objection to the entire Ribbon approach. Note that while the post recommends typing Alt separately to the rest of the shortcut — e.g. Alt then H then A then F to attach a file — you can still use the classic Alt-H together to begin. Doing this probably makes sense given that in other parts of Outlook (like your inbox) that’s the only way to access menus, and who wants to waste time remembering where Alt is used on its own? For more Outlook navigation tips, check our previous post on navigating Outlook panes.
Ribbon Key Tips [Microsoft Office Outlook Team Blog]
More » 
