If Microsoft is putting as much thought into Vista as they’ve been putting in the new Office 12 UI, than the competition is screwed. Seriously screwed.
Office 12’s new UI is awesome. Now that I’ve used… Err, read about it, it is awesome. I can tell you that. It may look odd at first sight, but wait until you’ve used… Err, read more about it. OpenOffice: be afraid. Be very afraid.
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You asking it for it, Thom. People have varied tastes with UIs. I dont like the looks Office 12 myself but I’ll have to use it, sooner or later.
Comment by Chris — November 26, 2005 @ 5:30 pm
Yes, people do have different tastes with UI, but there is always a common denominator of what is bad and what is good, mostly because most people’s brains work on the same way, more or less.
Microsoft does do some good job with software, they are No1 for a reason. OOo, just like the rest of the Linux related apps, it just follows behind, usually a few years behind in terms of same feature-set. Only on the server side Linux is able to get on par with Windows.
Miscommunication and drive are the main reasons for Linux’s follow-up rather than “running afront” situation.
Comment by Eugenia — November 26, 2005 @ 7:29 pm
I have a much simplet explanation of why the new Office 12 UI rocks, and will succeed in what its intended for (reducung clutter, making Office easier to use): the fact that Microsoft even *considered*, let alone giving it the green light to, this redesign says enough, really.
Why would they do something as revolutionary as this to their biggest cashcow? That can only mean it must be really good, or at least better than the current UIs.
Comment by Administrator — November 26, 2005 @ 8:17 pm
Testing AWeb in AmigaOS 3.9. .. … ….
I think it works :).
Comment by Thom Holwerda — November 26, 2005 @ 9:21 pm
Unfortunately, it’s something I’d have to see to beleive.
Microsoft’s definately made huge improvements when it comes to stability (in 4 years of using XP on various computers, I’ve had the OS crash once, due to a cheap stick of RAM dying), but I’ve got trouble grasping the concept of Microsoft getting anything UI related right!
Guess I’ll see in about a year if you’re right, or on glue ;^)
Comment by Trent Townsend — November 27, 2005 @ 2:07 am
Those at Microsoft were probably more receptive to the idea of changing the whole UI because of what it would do to OpenOffice. They know that even if the OO team started now to make changes to bring their software in synch, it would take them ages and the transition period would be.. less than inspiring.
Either OO stays as it is and Microsoft can point and laugh at how ‘outdated’ it is, or they try to update and look like a clumsy half-breed for a long time.
Comment by Tom — November 27, 2005 @ 1:39 pm