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Time:
05:42 EST/10:42 GMT | News Source:
ComputerWorld |
Posted By: Julien Jay |
The next version of Microsoft Office, code-named Office 11, will be released next May, Microsoft Corp.'s Jeff Raikes, vice president of productivity and business services, announced yesterday at the PC Expo/TechXNY conference in New York. Office product manager Nicole von Kaenel said most of the details of the desktop software won't be available until the end of the summer, but she did point out four areas where Office will be upgraded.
- The user interface in Outlook, the e-mail client software that comes with the Office suite, has been changed to split its window vertically, instead of horizontally, as it is now. That way, von Kaenel said, users can read e-mails like a sheet of paper in a frame on the right side of the window. They will also be able to set their own taxonomies for how e-mails are sorted and filed.
- Office will also have better XML connectors, so users can automatically transfer data from their line of business applications such as enterprise resource planning to Office applications such as Excel. However, von Kaenel wouldn't elaborate on how exactly Office 11 has been changed to allow for that.
- She also said there would be tighter integration between Office 11 and SharePoint but again declined to offer details except to say that it will be easier for participants in online meetings using SharePoint to track and modify documents before and after the meeting.
- The final upgrade will allow users to place unstructured data, such as that from a drawing table, directly into a structured document, such as a Microsoft Word or text file.
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#1 By
61 (65.32.168.97)
at
6/27/2002 8:16:21 AM
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JDM:
You really need to learn that there are other people out there than just YOU. The world isn't centered around YOU, and what YOU want isn't what everyone else wants (or needs).
So maybe you shouldn't be trying to speak for other people, for yourself, that's fine, but don't do it for other people.
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#2 By
6859 (12.219.44.45)
at
6/27/2002 8:33:59 AM
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From what the story tells, why would we need a "new" version of Office? Couldn't all this just be put in SP2 for Office XP...that would suffice. Office XP has only been out for a little while now, and many companies (like mine) haven't moved from Office 2000 yet, so to release another version will just entrench my management from moving with the same old line "Microsoft will just release a new version as soon as we upgrade, so why bother?"
It was like pulling teeth to get them to go to 2000 from 97. I kinda wish MS would chill out on new releases for a few more years. 2003 is too soon.
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#3 By
1868 (68.9.46.160)
at
6/27/2002 9:43:55 AM
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I really triumphed the arrival of Office XP because I could see and really use many of the changes they made. We have a small pool of systems running office XP and will be transitioning to XP this summer and in the following year. I have already decided that we will skip the next cycle of Office and most likely the one after that. Really, Office XP is great and does everything we need in a very tight and clean package! Unless this **new** verison of Office is a cheap(under $100) upgrade, then I may upgrade my home office, but definitely will not deploy it en mass just becuase MS claims is the be all and end all of suites.
Really, how much better can an office suite get?(without mentioning good 99% accurate Speech regcongition)
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#4 By
37 (216.43.88.209)
at
6/27/2002 10:49:33 AM
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1. Nobody is forcing anyone to upgrade (Freedom of Choice). Your current versions of Office will work even after this is released.
2. Nobody is using the current betas, so they don't know whether or not an upgrade is worthwhile.
3. Nobody knows the pricing of the new Office 11 that is not due out until May of 2003.
4. 2 years for new software is NOT a short period of time
5. People that don't have Office will have no choice but to buy the new Office 11. So yes, people will buy it.
6. Go seek alternatives if you don't like Microsoft products. There are many to choose from.
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#5 By
37 (216.43.88.209)
at
6/27/2002 11:38:45 AM
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Realist,
Nobody IS forcing you to upgrade. There are many alternatives, AND, current versions of Office do NOT expire. So, there is no FORCEFULL upgrade.
Business' can choose to use a different Office Suite, OR they can continue to use their existing Office Suites, which don't expire, and their licenses are already paid in full or they can CHOOSE to upgrade to Office 11.
The only way businesses can be forced to upgrade is if they CHOSE to go with the subscription plan.
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#6 By
37 (216.43.88.209)
at
6/27/2002 11:40:56 AM
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#10 Realist
"That's the exact logic that forced MS into their crappy licensing. Most people are just like you and realize that Office 97/2000 does all they need."
If that were true, Microsoft would not have already sold 35 million licenses for Office XP.
"If you want to be in compliance you have to upgrade...now comply :-) "
You can stay in compliance by using your existing Office Suite.
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#7 By
37 (216.43.88.209)
at
6/27/2002 11:47:30 AM
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"Business owners are already being arm-twisted by MS into "adopting" a (new) constantly expiring Office suite"
Expires how?
"basically forcing them into renting the software, forcing them to upgrade."
Not so.
"I don't think businesses are very happy about MS "becoming" part of their purchasing unit's executive staff."
They could use a competing product. There are plenty to choose from.
"I also agree with #10 in that many businesses don't find any compelling reasons to upgrade"
I know of MANY businesses that have found it compelling to upgrade, based on their intranet use within the companies.
"I still don't like the idea of MS (or any outside company) telling my company what's in its best interests. "
Don't use them. Don't let them push you. Only the company can make the choice to spend the money on a product whether they want it or not.
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#8 By
37 (216.43.88.209)
at
6/27/2002 1:23:12 PM
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Support eventually? As does with millions of other software products by other companies. Upgrade or pay higher costs? No need to upgrade.
Cost of retraining? Hardly an issue. The other Office progams are all mocking the MS Office products.
I would like to see a list of those that don't find it worthwhile.
Actually, easier done than said.
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#9 By
135 (209.180.28.6)
at
6/27/2002 1:44:59 PM
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Office XP was quite a compelling upgrade over Office 97, and even Office 2000 to a somewhat more limited extent. Mainly what you get with XP is speed, stability and ease of use.
But as far as new features... I do have to agree that maybe Office has hit a plataeu and there isn't much more you can do with the particular product to really drive sales. The changes described in this article to Outlook sound like good ideas, but they aren't really enough to get me to spend another $450 for an upgrade.
The main competition Microsoft has is with itself and it's older products. I prefer working with the latest versions, and I would like to see Microsoft setup a pricing structure which would make it a very easy sell to have users upgrade. Having more people on the latest version would be a boon to the industry. so yes, again I'm suggesting MS lowers their prices by half.
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#10 By
2960 (156.80.64.164)
at
6/27/2002 4:25:33 PM
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"1. Nobody is forcing anyone to upgrade (Freedom of Choice). Your current versions of Office will work even after this is released."
Talk to your local corporate IT professional about this, and Microsoft Licensing 6.0. I think you'll find different.
TL
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#12 By
37 (24.196.75.92)
at
6/27/2002 8:18:33 PM
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I think just about ANY company can afford to make their product cheaper. I also think ANY company should get as much money for a product or service that they offer, as they can.
If Microsoft wanted to charge $1000.00 for their Office Suite Standard Edition Upgrade, I feel that they should be able to do so without Government intervention.
I of course wouldn't buy it for that price, but that's not the point.
Let me add hellyon, that is just of course my 2¢
This post was edited by KvalCom on Thursday, June 27, 2002 at 20:25.
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#13 By
135 (209.180.28.6)
at
6/27/2002 8:31:57 PM
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KavalCom - Oh I agree, but I still think Microsoft is being a bit shortsighted in that by selling for less a lot more people would buy it. If it's more likely people are using the newer versions of the products, that's a good thing for support and so forth.
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#14 By
37 (24.196.75.92)
at
6/27/2002 8:48:35 PM
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I agree with you as well Sodablue...in most instances.
However, with a company like Microsoft, we all know that they are not stupid. If they thought they could make more money by selling Office for less to get into MORE hands, don't you think they would have done so by now?
I mean, anyone could have thought of that idea. However, people that can't afford Office are not going to buy it. More than likely, they will pirate it some how. It's unlikely that they would even buy the closest competing product, Corel Word Perfect, as that suite is priced pretty darn close to Microsofts Office Suite.
Also note, if Microsoft REALLY wanted to not give people a choice, Microsoft Works Suite would not still be in development for the home users. I mean $100 gives you Microsoft Word 2002, Works Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Database, Money 2002, Picture It! 2002, Streets and Trips 2002, Encarta Encyclopedia 2002. Even this package is sufficient for a home user AND a small business user. And it's $100! Or, just Microsoft Works, which I saw at Best Buy on sale for $39.00.
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#15 By
1913 (68.14.48.57)
at
6/27/2002 8:54:55 PM
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#14, the company that I work for works very very very close with MS (Top 5 Business Partner of MS). In fact employess of MS works at our corporate HQ. I'm currently the team lead of our PC deployment at work, and we are deploying systems running Windows Xp w/ Office Xp, and replacing Windows NT 4.0 w/ Office 97 that was deployed 4 yrs ago.
I agree to all of you that mentioned "freedom of choice". We could have easily deployed systems with Windows 2000 and Office 2000, but HQ decided to go with both Windows and Office XP since both are available -- originally we were going to delpoy Win/Office 2000.
My point here is that MS doesn't arm-twist anyone out there to upgrade to their latest Office Suite. If a company that works with MS can skip a version of Office, anyone can.
By the way #14, Mira (Windows CE Smart Display which is officially called) is not designed for corporate network use. Smart Display are targeted for home use. MS answer to Mira is the Tablet PC which runs an enhanced version of Windows XP Professional.
This post was edited by rommels on Thursday, June 27, 2002 at 22:19.
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#16 By
37 (24.196.75.92)
at
6/27/2002 9:13:34 PM
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Thanks for clarifying the FACTS rommel. Some here FAIL to accept the facts.
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