Microsoft Office 2007

Microsoft Office 2007

The good: Previously hard-to-find features now easier to explore; Word embraces basic desktop publishing tools; Excel formulas are easier to reference; PowerPoint presentations are more attractive; Outlook improves task and time management; improved integration throughout the applications; smaller application and file sizes; new file formats are easier to salvage if corrupted; document security is more straightforward.

The bad: Drastic design changes demand a steep learning curve if you're upgrading; new interface isn't always intuitive; contextual tabs and style galleries can be distracting; users of Office 2000 through 2003 must install converters to open Office 2007 files; no easy way to save work to the Web.

The bottom line: Overall, Microsoft Office Standard 2007 is a worthy upgrade if you need to make sleeker-looking documents and presentations to share with others, and Outlook is better than ever, but you can stick to your current software if you don't feel that it lacks anything.

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The good: Previously hard-to-find features now easier to explore; Word embraces basic desktop publishing tools; Excel formulas are easier to reference; PowerPoint presentations are more attractive; Outlook improves task and time management; improved integration throughout the applications; smaller application and file sizes; new file formats are easier to salvage if corrupted; document security is more straightforward.

The bad: Drastic design changes demand a steep learning curve if you're upgrading; new interface isn't always intuitive; contextual tabs and style galleries can be distracting; users of Office 2000 through 2003 must install converters to open Office 2007 files; no easy way to save work to the Web.

The bottom line: Overall, Microsoft Office Standard 2007 is a worthy upgrade if you need to make sleeker-looking documents and presentations to share with others, and Outlook is better than ever, but you can stick to your current software if you don't feel that it lacks anything.

Read editors' review

The good: Previously hard-to-find features now easier to explore; Word embraces basic desktop publishing tools; Excel formulas are easier to reference; PowerPoint presentations are more attractive; Outlook improves task and time management; improved integration throughout the applications; smaller application and file sizes; new file formats are easier to salvage if corrupted; document security is more straightforward.

The bad: Drastic design changes demand a steep learning curve if you're upgrading; new interface isn't always intuitive; contextual tabs and style galleries can be distracting; users of Office 2000 through 2003 must install converters to open Office 2007 files; no easy way to save work to the Web.

The bottom line: Overall, Microsoft Office Standard 2007 is a worthy upgrade if you need to make sleeker-looking documents and presentations to share with others, and Outlook is better than ever, but you can stick to your current software if you don't feel that it lacks anything.

Read editors' review

The good: Previously hard-to-find features now easier to explore; Word embraces basic desktop publishing tools; Excel formulas are easier to reference; PowerPoint presentations are more attractive; Outlook improves task and time management; improved integration throughout the applications; smaller application and file sizes; new file formats are easier to salvage if corrupted; document security is more straightforward.

The bad: Drastic design changes demand a steep learning curve if you're upgrading; new interface isn't always intuitive; contextual tabs and style galleries can be distracting; users of Office 2000 through 2003 must install converters to open Office 2007 files; no easy way to save work to the Web.

The bottom line: Overall, Microsoft Office Standard 2007 is a worthy upgrade if you need to make sleeker-looking documents and presentations to share with others, and Outlook is better than ever, but you can stick to your current software if you don't feel that it lacks anything.

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Microsoft Office Outlook 2007

The good: Microsoft Outlook 2007 lets you drag and color-code tasks and e-mails on its calendar; allows image editing within messages; speeds up searches; integrates with other Office software; adds straightforward e-mail security warnings; e-mails can display previews of Office files; offers new contact cards; and most commands remain in place from Outlook 2003.

The bad: Outlook 2007's new Instant Search didn't find recent content within Inbox subfolders; Outlook uses Word 2007's HTML for rendering, which leaves some formatted messages looking lopsided; expensive tech support.

The bottom line: If you work with Microsoft Outlook on a daily basis, this upgrade can make scheduling simpler and e-mailing more interesting. Still, we wish Instant Search and e-mail rendering were better.

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The good: Microsoft Word 2007 adds built-in blogging and live previews of font and image styles; better displays complex features such as those for references and mass mailing; introduces new, smaller file formats; improves document security; integrates with other applications.

The bad: Word 2007 moves all of its commands; contextual tabs and style galleries can be distracting; new Word file formats require converters in order to be opened in Word 2000 through 2003; no free way to save work to the Web.

The bottom line: If you're ready to let go of old habits from previous versions of Word and want to make sleeker-looking documents, Microsoft Word 2007 is worth the upgrade. However, less-expensive alternatives handle its core features without the clutter.

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The good: PowerPoint 2007 adds live previews of presentations and image styles; introduces smaller, less corruptible files; improves document security; integrates with other applications.

The bad: PowerPoint 2007 moves all of its commands; contextual tabs and style galleries can be distracting; converters required to open new Open XML file formats in PowerPoint 2000 through 2003; no free way to save work to the Web.

The bottom line: Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 makes prettier presentations, so an upgrade may be in order if your work is particularly image-focused and you don't mind relearning the application. If PowerPoint 2003 serves you well, however, it offers most of the same features, albeit with flatter-looking graphics.

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The good: Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007 is free; lets you manage eBay auction sales and purchases; has a clean interface; integrates with hundreds of online banks.

The bad: Some of the features within Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007 require the paid Microsoft Office 2007, which isn't available yet; requires Windows 2003 server, XP, or Vista; time-intensive installation; expensive tech support.

The bottom line: You can't argue with free, particularly when the freebie is a small-business accounting program as nicely designed as Microsoft Office Accounting Express. The Professional version is impressive too, especially for eBay users--although not stellar enough to convert QuickBooks' legions of fans.

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