1 of 30 Screenshots by Renai LeMay/ZDNet Australia
Pre-release software license
The technical preview of Microsoft's upcoming office suite isn't set for release until July. But it made its way onto the Web, apparently on Friday.
Sister site ZDNet Australia captured screenshots of the build by installing the leaked preview in a virtualized VMware instance on top of Windows XP Service Pack 3. ZDNet Australia's Renai LeMay could have installed the suite on top of the release candidate of Windows 7, but wanted to see how Office 2010 would work without the latest operating system sitting underneath it.
The answer, it turns out, is "just fine."
Here, you can see a fairly standard Microsoft pre-release software license.
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Installation process
The installation process is quite similar to that of Office 2007.
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Suite has grown
Office has grown over the years to encompass much more than just the standard suite of Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
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Installation time
Installing the suite--with all options selected--took about 10 minutes.
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Updates
Like Office 2007, Office 2010 updates will eventually be available through Office Online, Microsoft's support site.
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Come a long way
The starting animation for each application is suitably flashy for a new release. Office has come a long way since the late 1990s.
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Word
Word looks superficially similar to Word 2007...
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More to Word
...but there are some deeper changes under the hood. This open/save/print screen reappears throughout Office 2010. Its layout is logical and easy to get used to.
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Most options remain
Most of the options from previous versions of Office have returned.
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New document
Creating a new document in Word 2010.
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Printing
Printing a document.
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Sharing options
Multiple options for sharing content with colleagues and friends.
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More options
Some deeper options for the suite as a whole.
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Minimalist look
This yellow button allows you to hide the Office 2010 ribbon completely, for a minimalist look.
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Positive feedback
Microsoft encourages you to let it know how Office 2010 is treating you well...
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Negative feedback
...or badly.
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Outlook
Outlook 2010 feels like an e-mail software done right--slick and smooth.
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Navigation window
Here's that navigation window again, this time in a deep orange.
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Outlook options
Choosing Outlook options.
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New e-mail
Creating a new e-mail.
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Navigation box
The navigation box pops up for settings for individual e-mails.
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Full suite
The full suite when installed.
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Excel
Microsoft Excel looks fairly similar to the 2007 version but, again, there are some navigation changes under the hood.
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Excel in green
Excel's green color scheme.
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Template
Creating a new document, including from a template.
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PowerPoint
PowerPoint 2010, now in an orange color--not the same orange as Outlook, however.
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Navigation interface
The same navigation interface reappears. It gives a feel for how Office 2010 is unified.
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Presentation
Creating a new presentation.
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OneNote
OneNote receives the pink treatment.
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