Expert: Jean Mornard - 7/27/2009

Question
Hello:  I need to decide if I should upgrade to Word 2007 from 2003, which I am most comfortable with.  I tried 2007 (free) for a few days and didn't feel comfortable, as there was much I didn't know how to do in that program. For someone who frequently handles variety of documents, what would you say are the main advantages that Word 2007 offers?  Are they worth the $ cost of the program and the time/effort investment it will take to learn to use it properly?  I have a new computer (64-bit) with Vista.

Answer
Hi Lily,

The transition from 2003 to 2007 is not an easy one.  I've been using 2007 for about a year now and there are still many things that I don't know how to do.  However, that having been said, I actually like the new version better. It's a lot more visual and they've pulled some of the menu options up onto the "Ribbon," as they call the new toolbar, making them a little easier to find (once you know where to look).  There are also some new formatting features that are kind of fun to use.  Ultimately, I think it really comes down to personal choice.  I imagine that Microsoft will continue to support 2003 for quite some time so it's not imperative to change, and if you don't want to have to face that steep learning curve, I'd say stick with 2003 so long as it works and plays well with Vista.  At the very least, you can wait until a convenient time to switch.

Feel free to follow up with any more specific questions you might have.  I hope this helps a little!

sincerely,
Jean