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Do not buy Microsoft Office 2011

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chicken
Posts: 6843 - Karma: 2,121
Quite simply, this is the worst program I have ever used, specifically excel. I can't believe they managed to make something worse than office 2008. They didn't do anything to clean up the mess, they just moved it to a "ribbons" column so it can eat up screen space in a new location

If you do buy it, just try and make a two column x,y scatter. I dare you.

It's time for a new company to step in. We need something as powerful as office, but an easy to use interface. Or at the very least just give us the damn chart wizard back.

end rant

Nov 18 2010 4:11AM
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thugaim
Posts: 2181 - Karma: 33
>implying you ever need anything more than office '04.
Nov 18 2010 7:07AM
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Mezmerize19
Posts: 6475 - Karma: 18
docs.google.com
Nov 18 2010 7:08AM
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ShredAZ
Posts: 1054 - Karma: 641

I have '03. Does all I need and more!

Nov 18 2010 7:38AM
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parkskier
Posts: 535 - Karma: 14
I actually liked 2007, haven't tried the new one yet.
Nov 18 2010 7:44AM
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chicken
Posts: 6843 - Karma: 2,121
It's ridiculous how 04 is still the easiest to use on a mac. 08 crashes the least but it's garbage.

and yeah i'm still up. I literally just spend all day fighting with excel to make things as simple as this....

Click for larger image

plus I had to save them as pictures because word has a tendency to lose them if you just put the graph straight in.

if google docs was comparable to office, why would they not release it for download. could you actually make a graph like this on google docs?

i'm going to sleep.
Nov 18 2010 7:51AM
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fujarome
Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561
openoffice is where it's at.


free, simple, and overall better
Nov 18 2010 7:53AM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
i'm very happy with 2007, making a good lay-out on texts is a blessing !
Nov 18 2010 7:54AM
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Evilchris
Posts: 2090 - Karma: 44
All i have and all i need!
Nov 18 2010 8:02AM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
i like the additional data capacity that 07 has over 03....if I'm doing a database dump, 65k rows just isn't enough sometimes. i'm not really impressed with the redesigned interface of 07, but only because I haven't used it as extensively as I have 03....I've only used 07 a handful of times, but work on 03 for 9 hours a day, 5 days a week....so when i'm on 07 at home, i always have to search to find shit where as i know 03 like the back of my hand....

what improvements did they make with the newest excel version? I'm assuming it's got more computing power so you can nest more complex formulas, increased capacity, etc.? What else? I suppose I could probably just google it...
Nov 18 2010 11:01AM
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Tasche
Posts: 5422 - Karma: 99
I hated 07, such a steep learning curve if you used previous versions. But now I am use to it, things do make a lot more sense and it is more powerful and intuitive. I had to relearn all the tricks but now it is better. Haven't tried 11
Nov 18 2010 11:08AM
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Chokolite
Posts: 1050 - Karma: 23
i agree. i thought 07 was garbage at first but after learning it i like it way better than i ever liked 03. beyond just excell though, i also thought there were significant improvements to word as well
Nov 18 2010 11:14AM
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Gnarshred
Posts: 5670 - Karma: 18
Thats what you get for putting microsoft products on your mac!

2007 is the shit. Took a while to learn but sooooo worth it! Everything is so much easier to get to and the layout makes snse. Maybe your computer just sucks?
Nov 18 2010 11:18AM
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5675 - Karma: 4,269
A lot of kids have the newer excels, and for one of my chem classes we do a lot of analytical number crunching type stuff. Their stuff is always so disorganized and it seems like such a complicated program. The problem is they have to use the newer one because if the teacher or somebody has a file saved as a newer format and they're too dumb to save it as an older one than they're screwed, I have Numbers, it was cheaper when I bought the computer and I have no problems with it.
Nov 18 2010 12:06PM
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SteveStepp
Posts: 9529 - Karma: 20,647
this
Nov 18 2010 12:12PM
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stunt_ditch
Posts: 196 - Karma: 13
Beat me to it.

Also has .docx compatibility.
Nov 18 2010 12:43PM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
You can actually open up 07 files with older versions of Excel. There is a download available from microsoft that allows you to use 03, for instance, to open up an .xlsx file (which is the standard file format for 07 excel files).

Excel is a very complex program, but I'd say it's one of the best things to happen to the electronic business world in the past 15 years. I can't even fathom having to do my job without it.
Nov 18 2010 3:36PM
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Heart
Posts: 6156 - Karma: 3,462
2007 was incredibly annoying to get used to, but once you do, its much easier to use.
Nov 18 2010 3:41PM
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Brenone
Posts: 4944 - Karma: 296
If you send someone a file from a newer version of Excel (xlsx) and they just right click, save as and drop the last x they should have no problem opening it.

I just started to master 07. Im not going to be in a rush to start using the 2011 version. I just got ordered a new desktop at work and got the Office Small Business 2010, which Im pretty sure contains Excel 07. Now Im going to have to go back and double check.
Nov 18 2010 3:51PM
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jibjunkie
Posts: 3807 - Karma: 191
stop using a mac.
Nov 18 2010 3:58PM
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Arabian.
Posts: 9667 - Karma: 443
Why the fuck would you pay for Office, anyway?

Lrn 2 Pirate and keygen you fucking noob.
Nov 18 2010 4:02PM
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rickroller
Posts: 2468 - Karma: 483
office 99 reppen
Nov 18 2010 4:05PM
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antwone
Posts: 1352 - Karma: 157
office is free whe you're in college
Nov 18 2010 4:16PM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
Good call! That's a nice little work around if it's not something that you have to do on a regular basis. I downloaded the patch so I don't have to save every file someone sends me in an email and then open it up. It's just more convenient for me since I use it so damn much.

So does anyone know what they added to the newest version of Excel? Can I now nest 4,526,385 different formulas? I sure hope so because nesting only 7 different "if" statements just doesn't quite cut it sometimes...
Nov 18 2010 4:18PM
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katie.
Posts: 2833 - Karma: 874
2007 is terrible to go digging around in but honestly, once you find out where everything is, its great. Beauuutiful title pages and graphics and such. I had 2003 for so long, just got 2007 and im not moving.
Nov 18 2010 5:13PM
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chicken
Posts: 6843 - Karma: 2,121
haha then I couldn't run any of my programs. My mac works great when it isn't running a microsoft application.
Nov 18 2010 5:18PM
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T.L.
Posts: 4729 - Karma: 3,008
03 was the 'gateway' office for me. got certified in all of them and now i'm not moving from 07.
Nov 18 2010 5:20PM
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Brenone
Posts: 4944 - Karma: 296
I use a Mac at home but have Office on it and have the same problem.

I knew to expect that though so I dont let it bother me. Plus I try not to bring too much work home with me! haha
Nov 18 2010 5:39PM
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teleTay
Posts: 2320 - Karma: 186
exactly
Nov 18 2010 6:06PM
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skier_boy26
Posts: 11295 - Karma: 502
still cruise through 2003 since that is what I use at home. school computers use 07 so i started to cruise through that. '03 is still the cleanest
Nov 18 2010 6:28PM
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Thenowhereman42
Posts: 5682 - Karma: 65
Who buys Microsoft office that shit is free all over the internet. And even if you don't pirate OpenOffice is like just as good and opensource.
Nov 18 2010 8:07PM
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Cufe.
Posts: 1950 - Karma: 262
i like note pad. .Docx and .Doc are over rated files. .txt is where it's at!
Nov 18 2010 8:13PM
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chicken
Posts: 6843 - Karma: 2,121
ok here is another example

Click for larger image

so the graph is now in word

I want to switch the legend around here. The logical thing to do would be click on the textbox and type in what I want. Nothing happens if you do that. If you right click you get:

-format data series
-format legend
-format text

NONE of these allow you to change the name.

The only option that works is to open excel, and edit the data series name itself. This really makes it a pain because on my spreadsheet i don't want to be constantly entering full text names. You should be able to simply change the legend text box on the published graph. Anyways once you have made the changes to the graph in excel, word does not automatically update the graph, nor is there a way (I am aware of) to simply update the graph. Instead I have to re copy and paste it into word, and again fix the small formatting issues that arise from it.

I know this isn't professional graphing software, but come on, this is not exactly intensive stuff here. I want to edit a textbox for gods sake.

Nov 18 2010 8:37PM
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the_moderaper
Posts: 2465 - Karma: 218
this
Nov 18 2010 8:38PM
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PeterWojnar
Posts: 3937 - Karma: 678
I just roll with iWork '09, it does the job without sucking dick. It's compatible with all files, and you can save as .doc and .docx, too.
Nov 18 2010 9:11PM
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