Microsoft Office XP Standard Upgrade [Old Version]

In keeping with Microsoft's much-ballyhooed .NET strategy, Office XP introduces several features that utilize the vast infosphere inhabited by the 21st-century desk jockey. Smart tags beckon underneath recognized objects like misspellings or symbols, offering a stock quote here, a synonym there, or "Would anyone care to configure my auto-correction list?" The task pane looks similar to Microsoft Internet Explorer's Explorer Bar, and acts like an open tool chest pulled up alongside each application in the suite, providing readily configured searches for information or multimedia files. Putting up a team Web site that tracks projects and serves as an information hub requires only the use of one of the included templates, ready to be customized and uploaded to the server.

The Send for Review feature further streamlines the collaborative process by allowing the sender to view revisions made by multiple parties within the framework of the original document. Outlook now features a color-coded calendar and easier meeting management, along with instant messaging and variable e-mail account access. All user system errors can be tracked globally, and then network security settings modified remotely while anti-virus and debugging IT resources are diverted accordingly.

After firing up Microsoft Word, typing "Dear Somebody," and hitting the Enter key, we made a startling discovery. Up popped Clippy, Microsoft's publicly pink-slipped office assistant. Clippy might have aptly announced, "Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated," but instead predictably observed, "It looks like you're writing a letter." Once the groans of disbelief had subsided, we quickly right-clicked and banished Clippy to the silicon ether, presumably forever. --Dominic Johnson

Amazon.com Review
After the most painless installation yet of a Microsoft product, Office XP Standard immediately starts to make a favorable impression. Not only does tighter code mean faster startup and shutdown times for each program, but many smaller tweaks have been introduced to improve functionality across the board.

The focus of this release is on making Office smarter, by providing better collaboration tools for organizations and more customization tools for individual users. The new smart tags are a clever way of automatically matching data in documents to tasks, such as inserting an address when you're writing a letter in Word, or copying and pasting data in Excel. This is extremely welcome, as is the ability to customize AutoCorrect (i.e., choosing which errors you want the program to correct automatically). Also new are task panes, which are essentially a cross between a wizard and the Help system. Using the drop-down menu format, these panes make relevant commands easily available, thus achieving faster results.

In addition to cross-product improvements, each application in the suite has had an overhaul. Outlook has seen many tweaks that improve usability and productivity, notably, AutoCorrect works as you type, and improved ease in setting up mail accounts. Outlook 2002 also includes support for Hotmail, so you can manage this account in the same place as your other e-mail accounts. PowerPoint contains a plethora of enjoyable new effects, including some useful new applications like the organization chart creator. Word and Excel make good use of smart tags and task panes. Some other useful new features include a merge function in Word for incorporating other users' changes, a word count display for those late-night essays, a drop-down menu in Excel with commonly used functions, and an extremely easy-to-use set of diagram creators.

Office XP Standard will improve productivity and results across the entire application suite. The improved functionality, especially with smart tags and task panes, will save users considerable time in creating quality documents. --Colin Neal

Amazon.com Product Description
Microsoft Office XP Standard puts the features you need within easy reach at all times. New context-sensitive smart tags pop up with options you need--right when you need them. No more digging through menus. Tasks that once required multiple steps are just one click away with the new task pane. The new version of Outlook in Office XP Standard condenses all your personal and professional e-mail into one central location, even your Web-based e-mail accounts like Hotmail. With AutoRecover, your work is saved at regular intervals while you work. PowerPoint includes animation effects and custom slide transitions. An editable print preview assures that your printed slides and documents come out right the first time. Office XP Standard also includes Word 2002 and Excel 2002.

I went to the university bookstore at my school to see if I could get any kind of discount on it. Thank goodness Indiana University has a contract with Microsoft!

About the program now that I've complained about the cost enough...

WORD
This is the program I use the most because for being a word processing program, it is very versatile. I can write term papers and what not with it, but I can also credit news letters complete with graphics. I have also used it to create invoices with neat graphics.

FRONTPAGE
I know HTML (one of the languages webpage makers write webpages in), so I pretty much only use this program when I'm trying out something new, like frams. I have also used it to figure out HTML codes for colors, frames, and tables. I had a college instructor who used it to do her entire webpage and it looked pretty good.

EXCEL
I used Excel to keep track of the money I was spending on gas for 6 months, how many miles I was traveling, where I was traveling, and the cost of gas. I know it sounds like of nerdy, but it really helped me save some money on gas, knowing exactly where to stop when I was on a trip. I also has how many miles I was putting on my car in that 6 months (10,000+ miles), which explained the wear and tear.

POWERPOINT
I am just beginning to learn this. I didn't realize what a valuable program PowerPoint was until people in some of my college classes gave presentations with it. Man, my poster board presentation was nothing compared to theirs. It is actually a pretty easy program to learn, but the 'little extras' like the animation and extra graphics can take a bit of time.

OUTLOOK
I use this program to check my school e-mail because I have AOL at home. I like not having to go to the university's website, navigating my way to the mail page, signing it, and going through at least one more link, just to get to my e-mail. This program goes straight to my mailbox with no links, no navigating.

ACCESS
When I tried to use access to create a database of my CDs, I had a lot of problems. It is probably the only program in this software suite that I think is a total waste of disc space. I have had to use it before, but for me, I can just use Excel to make lists, it is much easier to use.

I am really glad that I have Microsoft Office. It has made school a lot easier. I can e-mail documents to my school account, download them, and know they will work with the school software. That saves me from having to reformat the assignment whenever I want to work on it at school.