I've been using it for a novel. So far I find it okay but some aspects are annoying. My margins are too wide so I'm trying to narrow them down to one inch. Well, supposedly all you have to do it to click the Margins box, then click Standard Margins and the entire document is changed. Not so. I am now using the ruler with those little markers, but it seems I have to do each page seperately. What a pain. And I won't even talk about tab setting for paragraph indents. Am I overlooking something? This was supposed to be an improvement on the older version, I think its worse. Maybe its not meant for such long documents?
Been using it for a while and I can't say I've had any problems with it. I like it. As far as the margins go try: Page Layout ---> Margins ---> and select the format with one inch margins all around.
What you are trying to do with the margins should be done in page setup, which makes it global for the doicument. That's the same as previous versions of Word. The new interface takes some getting used to, but you can do everything in Word 2007 you can in the older versions, and more.
I used to loathe it with the intensity of a thousand suns. They changed so much around in terms of the interface. Now, I'm cool with it. It took a lot of getting used to, though.
The old Word was good, so why fix it? Grrrr... Am getting used to it though--but still can't figure out how to do some things.
what makes it a pain for me is that i have an older word and when mentees send me docs in 2007, they don't open without a big hassle... so i've been considering upgrading, but haven't been sure if it's worth it, or if it'll be a bigger hassle to adapt to the new one... so thanks for starting this thread, ellen! cog... do you see any down side?... and is it worth the cost?
The topic is Word 2007. Do NOT turn it into "I hate Microsoft!" or the thread will be closed. Maia, it is worthwhile to me, because I must deal with current versions of Word and Word documents anyway. If you don't need compatibiliy with Word 2007 documents, you probably can hold off on upgrading. You should be able to get a separate converter to earlier versions of Word at no cost, but I haven't really looked. The new interface is here to stay, but I have heard that there ia a new version in beta that makes the new style a little friendlier.
It's okay. It's what I use. For some reason, I cannot simply open files with it. I have to open word, then open the file. If I try to open it from a file, it comes up as gibberish in notepad, and when I try to change ...open with, I chose word, but it always resets back to notepad.
Thank for all the advice. I still can't get the margins to change, I know in theory they should. I really liked the Reveal Codes command in WordPerfect, I wish there was a similar thing in Word. AM considering getting WP again.
Sounds like the file associations haven't been properly set in Windows. That coule be either because your installation of Word was interrupted, or you somehow changed te file associations after you installed Word. Your best bet is probably to reinstall Word - if your intsallation was interrupted, you may have other problems as well. File associations are what tell Windows what program to use to open a file witj a particular extension, in this case .doc. It sounds like you set up Notepad as the default program for opening those files. Everyone else: Sorry for the off topic post.
I use word 2007 and must say I love it. Mainly because I am used to it, and I love stylish interfaces, but I guess that's just me. It has all the functions of previous editions as well, so when you get used to it, it's fantastic!
I've been a computer technician for 5+ years formally, and lost count of how long informally. So I have few things to comment: You can get a convertor that allows 2003 to view 2007 documents. Google it. It's free. Cog is right, it will be a file extension default issue, and you will generally change this in the control panel. Google your version of Windows + default extension for some tutorials. However, you should note that using the open with option should automatically change default. I get the sneaky suspicion you are on Vista or 7, and not set at the administrator. Things to be aware of when you're troubleshooting. The reason that 2007 files won't open is 2003 is because the default save extension in 2007 is docx, not doc. If the person you are receiving files from is kind enough, they could just save as --> ms word document 97 - 2003 which will save the file as .doc. You will then be able to work with the file as normal.
Is it okay if I type with a font of my choosing or do I have to write it in Courier New, point 12? Like, could I do Calibri, point 12? I find that looks very professional on MS Word 2007.
I've been using it since Beta, and I still hate it with a vengance. They've made things vastly harder for power users in order to simplify it for novices. I particularly dislike the way my most common keyboard shortcuts have become a lot longer, and are far less mnemonic than they used to be. That means I have to keep taking my hand from keyboard to mouse and back, which slows me down. I also think that the ribbon is fundamentally flawed. Presumably if the person who came up with that idea can't find stuff in his kitchen drawers and cupboards, he empties all the drawers and cupboards and piles the lot up in the middle of the floor :-(
Now personally, I don't have any issue with 2007. However, that description is hilarious, and so accurate. I will add though, it has helped novice's quite a bit. I work with a lot of them That doesn't make your description any less accurate, and I'm not sure my n00bs don't do just that, at home, in their kitchen.
thanks, cog!... oddly enough [though not for me], just yesterday a local comp-geek came and upgraded my system and ms word, so i now can open mentees' 2007 docs with ease, though the new 'look' threw me for a loop at first... if you want to be seen as a pro by those you submit your work to, stick to courier 12 for mss, tnr for all else...
No I don't like Word 2007. In my opinion it is terrible. I'm writing my novel in ink. I will type it up, but probably use some other software, as you could probably set out layout and margins with in seconds and with no defaulting back or jumping around in it. Word 2007 Docs are the most feared in my office at work. I don't mind Microsoft as a brand though. JUST WORD 2007.
Being a poor student and unwilling to pay money for a package that has far more features than I need, no. I didn't like the ribbon much, either. It seemed far less clear to me than the traditional menu system in Word.
I liked Word 2007, but it seems my version wasn't a valid one so I no longer have it on my laptop. I did prefer Word 2003, but unfortunately, the process for getting that to work on Vista is impossibly complicated, and I simply don't have the patience for it.
It occurs to me that the issues I have with Word 2007 are for my day job, writing complex technical documents with lots of diagrams, cross-references and other such arcana. If you are getting frustrated setting margins and tabs in Word then I suggest you stop it! You're supposed to be writing, not getting bogged down in displacement activities!
Well, it does help to start with a document template or settings suitable for manuscript submission. Ellen appears to be trying to make it conform on the fly, using local formatting. If she starts the document out correctly margined, with default paragrapph text settings suitable for manuscript, she can pretty much ignore the formatting tweaks from then on. It's not a bad idea to run through a couple starting tutorials for Word 2007 on Microsoft.com, just to acquaint you with the new UI and to make sure you understand the basics of the program. I wasn't too proud to do so, and I've worked with Word and other word processors for decades.
I agree with Cogito. The first thing you should do is get acquainted with the stuff inside the word processor, learn how each of them work before you do anything serious or else you'll just be met with frustration.
