Microsoft Office 2003 or Microsoft Office Proffessional Plus 2007

ITILLITERATE

I am doing an ecdl course and am finding using open office on my laptop a bit confusing. I am considering buying microsoft office 2003 as it appears to be the version used at the school where I'm doing the course and probably also what my kids use at school. However software for students have a good deal on Microsoft professional plus 2007 - my kids are always nagging me for 'publisher'. My dilemma is whether 2007 version is going to cause me as much confusion as open office when working through ecdl at home. Can anyone please advise?

vix2000

Like everything else, its a case of getting used to it. New programs are always slated at first. My philosophy has always been that you cant use an old program forever, and if you can upgrade as they come out and get used to each one it will be easier than missing a few then trying to adjust from, say, 2000 to 2007, rather than 2003 to 2007. 2007 is set out very different, and its taken me a while to find my way around, but it does the same as the other microsoft office packages. Publisher is great if you haven't had it before, and Outlook. At first I was constantly using help to find things, but now I hardly ever need to. If you can get the 2007 I would go for it.

Just to add, if your school uses 2003 there is an option in 2007 to save documents/worksheets in 2003 format so they would be compatible.

isofa

Obviously there are great deals on current versions for students, especially www.theultimatesteal.co.uk (yes it's legit, yes it's run by Microsoft!). Value for money wise, this would be the best bet (although there are student editions of 2003 around, and if you can't buy direct from retails, try powersellers on eBay).

However if you need to work and use with 2003 in your classroom environment (and to match that at your children's school), 2007 is radically different, the difference between Office 97 and 2000, Office XP and 2003 are all negligible in the grand scheme, but the move to 2007 is vastly different, swapping all menus for "ribbons", I've seen inexperienced users hunt for menu commands.

Many large companies still use 2000 or 2003, so I don't think you'd be putting yourself at a massive disadvantage using 2003 at present. (In fact I work with several large corporates that still use Office 2000, but will probably move to 2007 in the next 12-24 months, skipping 2003 altogether).

Personally I find Publisher atrocious, but I speak from a professional publishing background, don't expect to use it and gain a grounding in professional DTP/pre-press. (For that look around for education deals on Adobe InDesign or Quark XPress.) However for home users, it's more than adequate.

ITILLITERATE

Thanks for the useful information. I think I will try and get 2003 version and will consider upgrading to 2007 once I have this course completed. I take the point about upgrading gradually.

isofa

Also don't forget they will always be student offers for the latest version, so you can take advantage of those at any time.

timbim_2

If you can't get your head round openoffice, 2008 will probably confuse you even more. 2008 is so radically different from 2003 that advice is virtually useless if it's for the wrong platform.

superscaper

timbim wrote: »

If you can't get your head round openoffice, 2008 will probably confuse you even more. 2008 is so radically different from 2003 that advice is virtually useless if it's for the wrong platform.

2008? There is no Office 2008 unless it's on the mac. Definitely right about the "wrong platform"