Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 (complete package, 79G-00871)

Pros: Prettier graphics, sometimes easier to navigate

Cons: Loss of menus and customizations made me uninstall and go back to Office 2003

Summary: I've always kept up with the latest Microsoft Office releases, but this one is an exception, as it slows down my work significantly. I spend 4-8 hours a day crunching numbers in Excel, and tnere are certain procedures and commands that I use constantly. I have customized the toolbars of Excel 2003 to the point where 90% of the operations I do are launched by a single click on an icon. In Office 2007, it is not possible to create toolbars specific to my tasks and my way of working; instead I am forced to use the ever-changing ribbon. The result is horrible--many things that took one click before now take 5 or 6, as I go through the relevant parts of the ribbon structure. Even when I know where to look, I spend much more time getting things done in this new version. After a few days, I uninstalled the whole thing and went back to Office 2003.

A new user that doesn't really know just what to do might find the new interface easier to use, as most of the features are eventually accessible through the ribbon, and there is some guidance provided. However, for me, I know what I want to do, and Excel 2007 slows me down enormously.

Possibly some clever soul will come up with an add-in that will allow me to regain my customization in the future, and then I will probably try again, for for the moment, no thanks!