One reason why I like Apple...

[howesey]

I had a demo of the new Microsoft Office by somone from Microsoft. It has a new user interface, it will be strange to almost every user to say the least. The new Office has a new menu and buttons system. If you havn't seen the UI, it's totally different. He then said "the average user will find it hard to get to grips with, but they will find the functions after a few hours, and after a few weeks they will start to feel comfortable with it". I then thought of Vista and it works totally differently. If you were to make a new OS and a new Office, why not make them work and look the same.

I like Apple because they specify how apps will look and work, so the user does not have this learning curve.

Just think of all the productivity that will be lost by people using the new Office.

 

[Epicurus]

Lets hope that the Universal Binary version of MS Office doesn't stray too close to that new Windows design. This is one of the few times where I actually hope Microsoft copies Apple designs (in the limited scope of Office 2006 for Mac). It would be supremely ironic if Office for Mac was more user friendly than Office for Windows!

 

[PlaceofDis]

even office 2004 for Mac is easier to use than the Windows versions. Why are MS overhauling the UI? well because its a way for them to try and convince people to upgrade.

 

[CoMpX]

Lets hope that the Universal Binary version of MS Office doesn't stray too close to that new Windows design. This is one of the few times where I actually hope Microsoft copies Apple designs (in the limited scope of Office 2006 for Mac). It would be supremely ironic if Office for Mac was more user friendly than Office for Windows!

I agree. In my opinion, the software that Microsoft makes for the Mac is BETTER than some of the software they make for themselves. Ironic.

 

[ldenman]

exluding internet explorer, of course...

 

[bousozoku]

You've got me thinking about MS Word 6 and how Windows-like it was, since they used the same codebase for both Macintosh and Windows. I really hope they're cleaning up the interface since it's gotten to be so cluttered.

Of course, they really need to fix a lot of things so that it would be nice and light again but version 4 was the last one I thought was great. Then came Windows.

I like the interface that Pages uses but it's not very flexible but Word is so flexible, it's like a free-for-all with the user being the loser.

 

[Damien]

The new office GUI does fit into the Vista GUI

 

[Epicurus]

I like the interface that Pages uses but it's not very flexible but Word is so flexible, it's like a free-for-all with the user being the loser.

One benefit of the open GUI design of Word and Excel is that you can correct for some of the deficiencies Microsoft's out-of-the-box GUI has. They could benefit from a more closed design, but I don't really trust MS to do a good enough job at it. If they made it easier to transfer customized interfaces (customized rearrangements of the GUI elements) from one computer to another, MS might be able to get a feel for what layout is best recieved by the public. I could see MacRumors as a place where such GUI templates could be exchanged and debated. There probably is a way to do this now, but it isn't very self-evident.

If MS really wants to rip on Apple's styles there's no sneakier way than to get an online community of Mac fanatics to design the interface for them.

 

[Bern]

I agree. In my opinion, the software that Microsoft makes for the Mac is BETTER than some of the software they make for themselves. Ironic.

Except for Media Player, Messenger and Internet Explorer.

Pages fulfills my needs and I'm sure as Apple develops the iWork suite it will just get better and better. Word is just too bloated and complicated these days.