"Microsoft on Thursday detailed some of the new features in its forthcoming Office for Mac 2011 suite, including co-authoring tools, Web apps, and a redesigned ribbon interface more consistent with its Windows counterpart. Microsoft is a part of Macworld 2010 expo in San Francisco this week, and has used the event to divulge details on its forthcoming update to Office for Mac, expected to arrive later this year."
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Member since:
2005-07-06
Finally they are bringing the ribbon to the Mac--good for them. But wait... they're putting in the ribbon interface, but *leaving the standard toolbar*?!?!?!? This is what they call "the best of both worlds"?! The chrome on Word 2011 takes up a third of the freaking screen!!
Member since:2005-07-06
Mind you, I'm assuming it's hidable, so power users will find their way around the issue.... It doesn't change the fact that it's a ridiculous and inexplicable design decision for a target audience whose screens are often only 800 pixels high.... with the menu bar, title bar, and toolbar combined I estimate it takes around 50 pixels more vertical real estate than the Windows version.
That said, the new buttons on the ribbon look very nice and Mac-like. 
Edited 2010-02-11 22:30 UTC
Member since:2006-01-02
I wish they had left the standard toolbar, or the menus especially. I like the ribbon interface, I just don't like that it's the /only/ interface. It makes it impossible to find things that I know are there. You have to dig through layers of dialogs and the appropriate right click menus to get to them. I was never really well-acquainted with the old MS Word, so it's not like I'm just complaining about things being different.
Member since:2005-11-26
Member since:2005-07-06
True - the main reason for bringing it to the Mac was to make easy transitions between Office for Mac and Office for Windows - with end users at home who have a Mac and then go to work and do their thing. It makes little sense keeping the old model - if they are going to move to the ribbon interface then they should do it whole sale instead of this half baked compromised version.
Member since:2005-07-06
Yeap, just when you though they were going to fix the problems with Office 2008 they sabotage Office 2011 to show once again they rescued a product from successful to throw into the jaws of failure. The only saving grace is that iWork is so horrible and lacking in features not only for professionals but university students as well such as citation/bibliography manager.
Member since:
2008-11-19
I like the ribbon, but it was a bold move against hardcore users of Word and Excel to please the masses. I know I don't care, and I actually think it's a good interface (then again, I typeset in Latex and never use Excel, only ppt and Visio which just got the ribbon on 2010 ), but alot of Excel powerusers I know are bitching about the ribbon like crazy.
It's more of a radical habit change which stops alot of users than a bad design from MS tbh. Though, why can't they let people create custom ribbons? (or is it possible?)
Member since:
2009-10-22
Member since:2008-11-19
Member since:2005-06-29
Member since:2005-12-04
It doesn't bother you that when you're in a word processor you're probably typing on the keyboard and want to be able to access functions via the keyboard rather than the mouse?
If I get one more of those "keep typing your key sequence, but I won't give you a visual cue" messages in Word 2007 I'll go eat that smallpox covered glass.
Member since:2005-07-06
what functions can't be accessed with the keyboard?
http://temp.funtech.org/Office2007.png
Member since:2007-02-16
Member since:
2009-08-13
Member since:
2008-09-03
Member since:
2005-07-07
Member since:2006-01-31
Yes, it seems so...
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/02/12/office_for_mac_2011/
Member since:
2006-05-09
Actually the ribbon was designed to remove the menu bar and the toolbar providing something more "intuitive" and easier to use [that depends on who are you talking to]; but, in this forthcoming Office version, we have the Mac OS X ubiquitous menubar, a tool bar and... a ribbon?
I have a low-end MacBook and filling my little screen with menubar, tool bar and ribbon does not make sense at all; I need to have a lot of screen room to see what I am writing; so, I will continue using my OpenOffice while they will not implement a ribbon-like interface too.
Edited 2010-02-12 19:24 UTC
Member since:
2010-02-12
Member since:
2010-01-05
I've alway been mystified by the office ribbon. It's like another UI pattern but different, and worse in a few ways.
The other pattern I'm taking about is the vertically stacked tool palette with expandable and collapsable sections. This was used by Lotus extensively and also was used in Mac Office 2004 I think.
The big advantage of this system is that multiple areas can be open at the same time, and the layout is better for landscape monitors.
The big problem with the ribbon is when two sections are valid for the context (i.e. when editing text inside a table) it tries to guess the right one but cannot be sure and usually gets it wrong.