Microsoft Office Professional 2007 UPGRADE Review

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(More customer reviews)Normally I might wait to install a new software upgrade, but I just got a new laptop and thought it would be best to use Office 2007 with the new Vista operating system. I was wrong.
You would expect that a multi-billion dollar company like Microsoft could put out a powerful and bug-free piece of software. But after a month of using Office 2007, you get the distinct impression that this software is not ready for public release. Microsoft should be ashamed.
I don't know the root cause of my problems, but I have to stress that I am running a clean install of Office 2007 on Vista, so there shouldn't be any software conflicts or issues.
So what are my issues? The list is long:
-- My biggest concern is that MS Word constantly hangs and stalls. It can making editing a document very painful. I suspect the problem is when I put images or Visio diagrams into a document. But that is something the old MS Word was able to do without an issue. Oddly, if I have a colleague open the document and save it out in Word 2003, the problem goes away! What?! It's killing my productivity.
-- When ever I cut and paste from an old document, Word hangs for 15 to 20 seconds. And often the formatting and margins in my new document go haywire. I keep having to spend a ton of time fixing things. This never happened in the old Word. This is another time killer.
-- Every few days, Outlook 2007 starts telling me that it cannot display my email folders. Uh oh! I have to completely restart my computer to see my email again.
-- Outlook 2007 breaks many graphic emails that people send -- they look like a mess. It is because Outlook 2007 does NOT render HTML correctly since it uses the Word engine, not Internet Explorer to display email. I have no idea why Microsoft did this, but they have got to fix it.
-- Many of the issues in the old Word 2003 still haven't been fixed. If you place an image, it can often be hard to get it to appear correctly. Why can't they solve this one?
-- While most Office programs have the new ribbon interface (which I like), some programs like Visio 2007 do not. So you have to remember how to use two interfaces. Couldn't Microsoft find the time and money to update ALL its programs? Give me a break.
-- On a few occassions in Visio 2007, my files have failed to save correctly. At first I thought this must have been my fault, but it's happened to me a few times and can't be a coincidence. A few times I've gotten an error message and lost my work. Ug.
-- Word and Excel 2007 use a completely new file format. So anyone you send a document to has to have 2007 installed (which isn't likely the case). To get around this, you can save it down to a 2003 file format, but then you end up with two files on your hard drive -- one in the new format and one in the old format. What a pain! Also, there definitely seems to be an issue with Office 2007 opening older Office 2003 files. Could be the cause of many of my problems, but there is no way I can avoid using old files. They should have worked harder on compatibility.
There are good things about the new 2007. I do like the new interface design and the new features in Outlook 2007 are amazing for organizing tasks and sharing your calendar.
But I don't think it's fair that Microsoft released a product so full of serious, serious bugs that have cost me hours and hours of extra work. I didn't spend hundreds of dollars on a beta product and don't think the public should have to suffer. Surely they can afford to do better!
NEW ADDITION TO MY REVIEW:
Today I discovered that I can no longer paste Excel charts into Word like I used to. When I try, the chart goes in, but any bars/lines disappear.


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Office Professional 2007 is a complete easy-to-use suite of productivity and information management software to help business professionals save time and stay organized. Powerful features centralize customer sales and project information in one place so users can respond more quickly to opportunities. Enhanced tools help create professional-quality business and marketing publications documents and presentations in-house.GeneralCategory:Office applicationsSubcategory:Office applications - office suiteLicense Type:Version upgrade packageLicense Qty:1 userLicense Pricing:StandardDistribution Media:CD-ROMPackage Type:RetailHeader / Localization:EnglishPlatform:WINSystem Requirements / OS Required:Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or later Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or laterSystem Requirements Details: Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or later - 500 MHz - RAM 256 MB - HD 2 GB; Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or later - 500 MHz - RAM 256 KB - HD 2 GB.UNSPSC CodeUNSPSC Code:43231513Product IDUPC:882224263603Manufacturer Part:269-11093

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Build In Time Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I came across this game because I liked the build-a-lot series, but was slightly bored with them after a while. Well, not with this one!! It has many similarities such as building up the neighborhood, having goals you need to meet, etc... but is not as tedious and is slightly more fast-paced. It's somewhat of a time-management game. You have so much time to build up all the lots in the game, and your customers show up on the left with their orders. But it's not just simply houses you build here. You have garages, parks, and different paint colors. So it's more detailed than the first build-a-lot game. I loved it and highly recommend it!!

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SendStuffNow Premium 1 year Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If you have ever struggled with WinZip or FTP programs that require both parties to be knowledgeable, `SendStuffNow' solves your problems. The interface is simply set up where you `browse' from your data base and collect your data and send it to the other party. It remembers emails as well, making that part a breeze.
The program is limited to 2GB at a time, which takes a while to upload, but takes the recipient nothing more than a click to open. Here is an example: I had 75mb worth of data to send; (about 4% of what could be sent). After selecting the file(s), I clicked SEND. The data was compressed in less than a minute. The next step uploads it to your server. That took 21 minutes. This is all shown on the screen with a bar that states, "Your file is being uploaded to the server. Please wait". Underneath is another bar that shows the `Overall Progress'. So you can load, send and walk away.
`SendStuffNow' stores your data for future use or you can delete it. Unfortunately, you are limited to a monthly data usage of 40GB. For home use, this probably isn't a problem, but a small business would have trouble. This information is shown in two bar graphs at the bottom of the screen. I can easily see how 'SendStuffNow' would be invaluable for "Powerpoint" presentations.

There is no proof that 256-bit encryption is necessarily more secure than 128-bit encryption, but you have the option of requiring the recipient to use a password given by you, if the material is highly sensitive. Most home users don't need to worry about this.
You can imagine that taking 21 minutes to send 75mb of data is not bad, but imagine how many hours it would take to send almost 2GB! The bottom line is you are able to send large files without danger of `undeliverable mail'. That in itself is worthwhile. However, the real drawback is the price. I think it's set a bit high and will eventually come down, but if that's not an issue, you'll like being able to send large chunks of data knowing it will all go through. Also, times will vary depending on your server and the time of day.


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Why rely on unsecure, legacy solutions to manage mission-critical file transfers?
Today's competitive business landscape requires practical communication solutions for a media-rich world. Studies have shown that, in a typical organization, nearly one-third of all emails sent include attachments and that 20-percent of these files are usually greater than 5MBs in size.

Unfortunately, email is often an unsuitable tool for the exchange of electronic documents. Most email systems have strict limits on the size of file attachments. For many end-users, the only solution is to find ad-hoc work-arounds.

For an IT department, several problems arise. On the one hand, large file attachments are a significant burden, interfering with efficient corporate email server performance. On the other hand, the adoption of "rogue," third-party file transfer solutions beyond administrative control creates a serious security risk.

But even under the best of circumstances, typical business email applications attachments suffer from several other shortcomings:

Email attachments offer inadequate document security during and after file transmission.
The transmission of email attachments may break down across various computer and mobile device platforms.
To be shared again, email attachments must be sent again from the originating computer in their entirety.

Introducing SendStuffNow, the Secure, Managed file Delivery Service
SendStuffNow makes it easier than ever to manage all the large files you need to share. Spanning documents, presentations, applications, images and more, SendStuffNow supports all file types. The web-based dashboard provides detailed information about each file you've sent, who the recipients were, and whether the files were successfully accessed. And SendStuffNow strikes the ideal balance between upholding file security and maintaining an optimal user experience.

User Benefits
Easy to use
SendStuffNow's streamlined user-interface ensures that sending a file is quick and easy whether using the Microsoft Outlook add-in or the service's web portal from a PC or mobile device. No special training required.

Saves time
With built-in compression, you can eliminate the hassles of waiting for large attachments to be sent. Forget about "undeliverable" messages.

Peace of mind
Users will value SendStuffNow's ability to clearly indicate whether a sent file has been downloaded by the invitation's recipients.

Secure
With SendStuffNow, your files and their metadata are 100-percent protected via AES 256-bit encryption. You can even password-protect your downloads for increased security.

IT Benefits
Reduces Email Costs
Deploying SendStuffNow protects your current email solution investment while adding a secure managed file delivery platform. All your large file traffic can be offloaded to either Smith Micro servers or your designated corporate server. Related IT infrastructure expenses will be reducedas you alleviate the overall burden on your corporate Exchange server.

One central place to manage and secure it all
A web-based management portal provides a single control point from which IT administrators can monitor and manage employee activity.

Enforce your corporate IT policies
Because your users will no longer need to turn to ad-hoc solutions to overcome email limitations, you'll be able to monitor and control the outbound flow of all large documents.

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Microsoft Office Groove 2007 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After struggling with shared folders, Intraspect, FTP and file synchronization, I've come to the conclusion that Groove is simply a better idea. It works best when you have a group of users who need to interact frequently around a set of topics. Groove workspaces make it easy to share files, to hold threaded discussions, to manage task lists and calendars, and to chat with colleagues in the same workspace.
The technology is peer-to-peer - that means there's a copy of everything on the machines of every user invited to participate in a workspace. This has many advantages - automatic backups, and the ability to work offline are two of the most important to me.
When I started working with Groove (beta), I was in the UK, with a colleague in Bangalore and one in San Jose (CA). We were all able to stay in sync without sending documents by e-mail. Groove is intelligent in that it automatically synchronizes files using an encrypted link.
Because of the peer-to-peer nature of the system, you do need to be online at the same time as your colleague in order to sync. The Groove server may eliminate this requirement - I haven't used it.
Groove appears to be secure, but I am no expert in that - Microsoft has lots of information on the subject.
Another great use for Groove is when you have multi-vendor projects - for example using an agency to do graphic design. You can use Groove to communicate securely through your firewalls. The communications are limited to the content of your Groove workspaces, so it's not intrinsically a risk.
However, from a corporate perspective, there is a risk. Groove makes it easy to invite "outsiders" to access potentially private corporate information. This means that a malicious user could transfer information to a third party in ways that may be difficult for their employer to detect. Of course there are many ways to do that, but this will probably be a concern to some IT organizations.
In summary, Groove has encouraged open and frequent communication across three continents, and has allowed effective sharing and backup of key documents without cluttering our e-mail. Five stars!

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Office Groove 2007 is a collaboration software program that helps teams work together dynamically and effectively, even if team members work for different organizations, work remotely, or work offline. Working in Groove workspaces saves time, increases productivity, and strengthens the quality of team deliverables. Office Groove 2007 is just one example of how the 2007 Microsoft Office system helps teams and organizations collaborate more effectively.

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Microsoft Visio Standard 2010 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This has several useful upgrade features but its main downside is the price, and there is no upgrade alternative.
PROS:
1. It is now fully compatible with Office 2007-2010
2. Added features allows for improved graphics
3. Some down-loadable features provide added scope.
4. Ease of integration with Office 2007 and 2010.
5. Can deliver somewhat compatible displays with Powerpoint
CONS
1. Price
2. There is a serious problem with certain bluetooth add-ins. When I first loaded it I had a Broadcom add-in and it caused crashes. I Googled the issue and found that you had to removed them totally. I could not remove the add-in since Visio denied access so I had to remove the software package. Then all worked well.
3. It lacks the vibrant styles available in Powerpoint and Word. The designs are rather simplistic and some are confusing given the color sets. It takes some time to get used to them.
As with most Microsoft products you must find the solutions to problems via Google. It is a shame that Microsoft has not made their problem resolutions easier. For example the bluetooth problem seems pandemic but Microsoft just seems to ignore it. It was not their problem as a cause so they just seem to drop the issue. Overall it has added value and ease of use, but again it is quite pricey for what it does.


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Visio Standard 2010 offers modern and intuitive diagramming tools to transform complex ideas into aha moments and get everyone on the same page with less time and effort. A diverse set of pre-drawn shapes, pictures and templates and new automatic drawing tools make visualization easier than ever.

Simplify Complexity With a Diverse Set of Intuitive, Professional Diagramming Tools
Jump-Start Diagramming Meet your diagramming needs for IT, business, process management, and more with modern pre-drawn shapes and intelligent templates.
Find and Access the Tools You Need Quickly Every step in creating a diagram is more intuitive, with logical groupings of features in Ribbon tabs, an enhanced Shapes window for easy access to shapes, and a new status bar that helps you move more efficiently within and between your diagrams.
Draw Diagrams Faster Whether you're creating a diagram from scratch or modifying an existing one, Visio 2010 helps you add and align shapes easily and accurately with features such as the Quick Shapes Mini Toolbar, Page Auto Size, and Auto Align & Space.
Simplify Large and Complex Diagrams Add clarity to diagrams using Subprocesses and Containers to group related shapes visually and logically.
Make Your Diagrams Professional-Looking and Appealing in Seconds Take advantage of a range of formatting tools and design options, including modern shapes and visuals, a rich gallery of themes, and Live Preview.
Model and Monitor Sharepoint Workflows Create and monitor SharePoint workflows more easily with a new, advanced template that contains SharePoint workflow rules, and supports exporting and importing workflows between Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2010 and Visio 2010.
Ensure Consistency and Accuracy With Diagram Validation Check for common errors and support diagramming standards across your organization using diagram validation. With one click, you can validate a diagram against a set of rules to make sure it's logical and properly constructed.
Bring Your Diagrams to Life With Dynamic, Data-Driven VisualsGaining a clear and complete view of information that matters to your business requires both a high-level perspective and detailed data. With just a few clicks, Visio 2010 helps you see the entire picture by showing meaningful information and data graphically in a single, always up-to-date diagram.
Easily connect your diagrams to one or more data sources including Microsoft Excel, SQL Server, and SharePoint Services, using the Data Selector and Automatic Link wizards.
Display real-time data right within diagram shapes, based on conditions you define, using expressive graphics such as color, icons, symbols, and data bars. Then, add a legend to explain the meaning of your data-linked graphics.
Keep the linked data in your diagrams up-to-date effortlessly using Automatic Refresh, which can refresh data automatically at specific time intervals you set.

Share Dynamic, Data-Linked Diagrams With Others Through Their Browser
Share Diagrams With Others on the Web Sharing your interactive, refreshable, data-linked diagrams with others is easier than ever. With just a few clicks, publish your diagram to SharePoint Server. Users can see your real-time information in their browsers at a high level, right on the diagram, or delve into the details--even if they don't own Visio.
They can pan and zoom in the online diagram, follow hyperlinks in shapes, and refresh the data. Diagrams can be rendered in Microsoft Silverlight (high-fidelity) or in PNG format for those who don't have Silverlight.
Create Visual Mashups Using Visio Services Create visually compelling, interactive dashboards for your audience by combining Visio diagrams, real-time data, and different applications in SharePoint Server. Visio Services and SharePoint Server 2010 integration support visual mashups of actionable data and diagrams for an information-rich visual experience.
Which Version of Microsoft Visio 2010 is Right for You?

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