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redman042
11/18/09

In reply to Microsoft Office 2010 Beta Is Now Available
The ribbon would be far easier to get used to if they added a "quick search" feature like they have in the Start menu on Win Vista and Win 7. Imagine if you couldn't remember where the "show header and footer" command was, but you could just start typing "header..." and get quickly taken to the command.
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SigmundTheSeaMonster
11/18/09

In reply to Microsoft Office 2010 Beta Is Now Available
..if its the best selling software...why does it need a new version! /sarcasm
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Edited by SigmundTheSeaMonster at 11/18/09 12:02 PM

Noobs-R-Us
11/18/09

In reply to Microsoft Office 2010 Beta Is Now Available
I hate ribbons! Whoever came up with that at MSFT should be shot.
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FezDaStanza
11/18/09

@Noobs-R-Us: I think the ribbon is the most productive thing Microsoft has ever done (thats original, atleast). For me it made word as, if not more, powerful than Publisher in design and the formatting options (so easy to use) make everything stunning.
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Noobs-R-Us
11/18/09

@FezDaStanza: Holy crap! You're the first person I have ever heard say that they actually like ribbon. R u sure you're not a MSFT employee?I can't find seem to find the functions that I want with it buried in different boxes.
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SnusBeorn
11/18/09

@Noobs-R-Us: I guess I'll be the second person then, because it's difficult for me to imagine a scenario in which I'd willingly return to using the old (IMO clunky and non-intuitive) menu system. I've been using the 2010 technical preview for a few months now, and despite the glitches that remain in Outlook, the same is true for the ribbon implementation in that part of the suite. And in Excel and PowerPoint for that matter.
I use this software a lot (every day, except for PowerPoint, which is more like once every couple of weeks), and the ribbon has not only made my usual tasks easier to perform, it's also allowed me to make regular use of features that I'd either forgotten about, didn't know how to use, or didn't even realize were there. With the ribbon I find it easier to apply conditional formatting to cells in Excel, for example, or to create a table of contents in Word, or even to access EndNote commands when I'm compiling research citations. The addition of Quick Steps to the Outlook 2010 ribbon is also extremely handy--I can apply a complex set of rules and actions to a message that I'm reading by clicking a button I've created on the ribbon. I have one button and a keyboard shortcut to email all of my students (I'm a college instructor), others to email all students in an individual course or section, and another that opens up a reply to the current message, then categorizes and sorts the original.

And no--I have no stake whatsoever in Microsoft's success (or failure), except as an end user of their products. I just really like the ribbon interface.
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Noobs-R-Us
11/18/09

@SnusBeorn: I guess I'm the only one here it seems. Weird.

I guess am I the only one who hates the new Fred Flintstone start menu when it transitioned in XP? I've been running every OS after that with the classic start menu so it looks more like the 2000.

Am I wrong to assume that if you like the ribbon that you also like the new Flintstone menus?
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SnusBeorn
11/18/09

@Noobs-R-Us: I'm not sure what you mean by "Flintstone" but you could probably call me indifferent about the Start menu. In general, I prefer clean and shiny to cluttered and grey, but I don't experience a significant difference in usability with the Start menu set either way. And while the new menu may be "shiny" it doesn't really meet my definition of "clean" looking.

FWIW, you are far from the only person who likes the old menus better. The #1 thread on the 2010 technical preview discussion board has been made up largely of posts asking for a way to revert to the old system--and it's been that way for months. So far, MS has categorically refused to provide such an option, pointing out that the endeavor would make Office much larger than it already is, would likely require reworking parts of the ribbon interface, and would duplicate functionality already available from third-party software companies.
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crackel
11/19/09

@Noobs-R-Us: Microsoft did not invent the ribbon. [kdedevelopers.org]
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Noobs-R-Us
11/19/09

@SnusBeorn: Flintstones, as in big, chunky, kindergarten looking icons. Makes me feel like someone who rides the small bus to school and not a wall street exec.
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Edited by Noobs-R-Us at 11/19/09 10:05 AM Noobs-R-Us was starred Noobs-R-Us was unstarred

Bokusatsu_Tenshi
11/10/09

In reply to A.W.E. Robotic Wall Automatically Creates The Workspace You Need
Almost like buying a robotic arm to move my coffee cup to the other side of the keyboard when I have to put a magazine or book on the table. #awe
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DeLarge
11/10/09

In reply to A.W.E. Robotic Wall Automatically Creates The Workspace You Need
How about chairs, coachs, tables, etc.

"Hey!!! This is cool!!!, lets change to conf #6, its automatic!!!, now we just have to move this table to the corner and drag the 200 lbs. coach over here... hell yeah!!!" #awe
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met2art
11/10/09

In reply to A.W.E. Robotic Wall Automatically Creates The Workspace You Need
I suppose the marketing department recommended the name change. The original name, Absurdly Wasteful Engineering, probably wouldn't sell very well. Of course, showing the product doesn't help matters much, either, I'm sure. #awe
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Gary_7vn
11/10/09

In reply to A.W.E. Robotic Wall Automatically Creates The Workspace You Need
Open the pod bay doors please A.W.E. #awe
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Gary_7vn
11/10/09

In reply to A.W.E. Robotic Wall Automatically Creates The Workspace You Need
Can it make coffee?
Fail. #awe
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Hello Mister Walrus
11/10/09

In reply to A.W.E. Robotic Wall Automatically Creates The Workspace You Need
This is just the sort of device that the machines will use to crush us once the internet becomes sentient. #awe
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anexanhume
11/10/09

In reply to A.W.E. Robotic Wall Automatically Creates The Workspace You Need
So when I fart, it deploys a fan and rutter to direct it to my least favorite co-worker, correct? #awe
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Curves
11/04/09

In reply to Welcome To The Company, Here's Your 1980s Cubicle
That same boombox was left in a cube by a former employee and now jams out the 80s in my garage. #oldschoolcubicle
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OMG! Ponies!
11/04/09

In reply to Welcome To The Company, Here's Your 1980s Cubicle
Best hazing ever. The only way to make it better is with a TV Guide for the week of November 2, 1985, a half-used can of Aqua-Net and a pack of Bubblicious in the top drawer.
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Edited by OMG! Ponies! at 11/04/09 7:18 AM OMG! Ponies! was starred OMG! Ponies! was unstarred

Pope John Peeps II
11/04/09

In reply to Welcome To The Company, Here's Your 1980s Cubicle
Hahaha. Oh wow! As the acting deputy manager for human resources, I can tell you that cubicles like this are what separates our company from all the other faceless high tech companies. You've really made the right choice here. This inoffensively lame prank is specifically designed (by committee) to not offend anyone regardless of cultural origin, and our design team promises that by mocking the past we will both date our employees, enforcing their age, and make our workers feel like they're still young and hip enough to engage in "shenanigans" (yes, I'm specifically referencing that youtube clip. Yes, my assistant did explain to me that it would make me relevant again).

But let's be honest, would any other high tech company out there so brazenly make fun of the eighties? How cool are we?! We deliberately foster this atmosphere of cool! We hire kids studying "graffiti arts" in a private school in the suburbs to come in and paint a specific, specially designed "mural wall" on the outside of our building. Our cafeteria is stocked with "orangina" and every day we have a different ethnic food. Our employee base is accurately diversified to reflect the ethnic heritage of America, although to be sure, we recruited them all from top league schools.... It's great to have a mexican on board, but let's be clear about this... a Stanford mexican.

Well okay folks we've been enjoying this "shenanigans" time for about 12 minutes now, which is 2 minutes more than I had allotted for it this morning. So let's all get back to work. And remember how totally unique our high tech company is. This 80s cubicle is nothing like the 80s cubicle at Apple and Microsoft. Theirs has a Voltron figurine in it. We couldn't get one. All right, back to work.

Oh and dave, you're fired. #oldschoolcubicle
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adaorardor
11/04/09

@Pope John Peeps II: 10 minutes allotted to shenanigans in the morning? that's about a solid half hour more than i get at my current job! sign me up... #oldschoolcubicle
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AmphetamineCrown
11/04/09

@Pope John Peeps II: Just beautiful...

I laughed. I cried. I clicked on the heart. #oldschoolcubicle
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borjo
11/04/09

In reply to Welcome To The Company, Here's Your 1980s Cubicle
i had one of those TOMY robot hands when i was a kid! #oldschoolcubicle
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OMG! Ponies!
11/04/09

@borjo: It's called Armitron, dammit! We do not take kindly to not know who Armitron is. #oldschoolcubicle
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borjo
11/04/09

@OMG! Ponies!: google sez it was called ROBO1
i was too young to care (or remember).
if you are referring to the general category of objects then i did not know that and stand corrected #oldschoolcubicle
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qbrad
11/04/09

@borjo: Google is FUCKING WRONG!!! It's an Armitron. #oldschoolcubicle
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qbrad
11/04/09

@qbrad: Oh, and the hoses did nothing. Not even push air like my Digger Dan Construction Set piston operated machines. #oldschoolcubicle
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skywalker24
11/04/09

In reply to Welcome To The Company, Here's Your 1980s Cubicle
I love the Hang in There poster and the picture from the Maxell commerical. So 80s...

What is that from the second picture though? The thing looks exactly like the thing you drive around in Mass Effect. #oldschoolcubicle
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SQLGuru
11/04/09

@skywalker24: Big Trax.....programmable control, even (buttons under a lid would let you do LOGO-like steering). #oldschoolcubicle
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