Microsoft Word 2007 RTM

Microsoft Word introduces on-the-spot image editing, a colorful interface, and smaller-than-ever files. Get ready for a steep learning curve.

Instead of the old, gray drop-down menus atop the page, Microsoft's new and very colorful Ribbon clumps common features into tabs: Home, Insert, Page Layout, References, Mailings, Review, and View.

Microsoft's new word processor is most upgrade-worthy if you want to play with font styles, pictures, charts, and diagrams in addition to text.

Word 2007's new Picture Tools options let you hover over galleries of changes to preview how they'll look.

The Page Layout tab shows off galleries of watermarks and cover pages, as well as document styles and color effects.

Microsoft is foisting by default a new file format upon users; the old Word DOC files will make way for the new DOCX type in Word 2007. Prepare options from the upper-left Office button step you through inspecting a file's compatibility with older versions of Office software, as well as its metadata.

Bloggers can now compose and post blog entries in cleaner HTML without leaving Word.

The Insert menu lets you drop a table into a Word document and preview before you draw it.

Word 2007 clusters editing and commenting commands, such as Track Changes, within the Review tab.

Word Count is now located near the left edge of the screen when the Review tab is selected.

When you choose Insert Chart in Word, Microsoft opens Excel and displays both programs in side-to-side split-screen view. When you edit the chart this way, the changes will synchronize.

If you open a Word 2003 DOC file without converting it to the new DOCX format, Word 2007 will operate in Compatibility Mode.