Office 2010 - The Real Startup Guide

As I have said on occasion, I rely heavily on Woody Leonhard’s Office Watch for all things Microsoft. 

I recently downloaded (for the piddling sum of $9.95; $16.95 if you are not a subscriber) their 400 page book “Office 2010 - The Real Startup Guide.” This is one of a series of books they publish in PDF format. When you buy one, there is a footer in big red letters “This copy for John Heckman only.” As usual, some of the most useful items deal with the Office “gotchas” and warts. (The predecessor of these books was a series about 10 years ago entitled Office / Outlook / etc. annoyances. Thus:

“Microsoft tends to design for the ‘lowest common denominator’ in other words the users with the least computer skills... Microsoft has always positioned toolbar buttons with an eye to impressing people during software demonstrations [as opposed to maximizing productivity - JH]”

A large part of the book is devoted to individual users – how to get Office cheaper, various configuration options, etc.  Two of the sections that I find most useful are the ones on configuring the Quick Access Toolbar and the Ribbon bar. I have blogged about the QAT a year or so ago in relation to Word 2007. The functionality in 2010 is the same.

What is new is the ability to partially customize the Ribbon Bar. While you can’t actually edit the default Ribbon Bars, you can (a) hide certain items you don’t want, and (b) rearrange the items to make them more productive.

To do this, click on File | Options and then Customize Ribbon. Select the Ribbon you want to customize, then the tab you want to change or move. You cannot remove entire boxes in the Ribbon, but if you click on the check box to the left of the item, it will not appear. You can remove individual items in the box by selecting them and clicking “Remove” in the middle on the screen. To move an item left or right on the Ribbon bar, click on the item you want to move and use the up and down arrow to move it left (up) or right(down).

If you want to get fancy, the book also explains how to create entirely new ribbon bars and groups.

If you are frustrated with Office 2010, this is a must read.