Comments on: My Rant on the ‘Ribbon’ http://peter.upfold.org.uk/blog/2009/11/19/my-rant-on-the-ribbon/ My personal site and blog Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:59:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Sam Boswell http://peter.upfold.org.uk/blog/2009/11/19/my-rant-on-the-ribbon/comment-page-1/#comment-132250 Sam Boswell Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:12:56 +0000 http://peter.upfold.org.uk/blog/?p=820#comment-132250 True - but users fresh to the system that I've seen pick it up a lot faster than old office interface. The people who struggle most I think, are more hardcore users, who knew where *everything* was, and now feel a little cheated that the effort gone into learning a system has gone out the window a little? True – but users fresh to the system that I’ve seen pick it up a lot faster than old office interface. The people who struggle most I think, are more hardcore users, who knew where *everything* was, and now feel a little cheated that the effort gone into learning a system has gone out the window a little?

]]> By: Peter http://peter.upfold.org.uk/blog/2009/11/19/my-rant-on-the-ribbon/comment-page-1/#comment-132248 Peter Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:24:45 +0000 http://peter.upfold.org.uk/blog/?p=820#comment-132248 I have to admit to not having used the Ribbon or Office 2007/2010 extensively. I would get used to it with exposure and pick it up, like any other UI change. You say the ribbon is useful to you - but it is that much more useful than the existing menu structure where you probably knew roughly where everything you needed was? Is it really worth the massive overhaul for something that is merely useful and doesn't seem to provide you massive benefit? The other key issue is that many less techie users find themselves needing retraining to use the new interface - and this can be extremely frustrating, particularly if they are switching between machines using the old UI and the new UI, or only just became comfortable with the old system! I have to admit to not having used the Ribbon or Office 2007/2010 extensively. I would get used to it with exposure and pick it up, like any other UI change.

You say the ribbon is useful to you – but it is that much more useful than the existing menu structure where you probably knew roughly where everything you needed was? Is it really worth the massive overhaul for something that is merely useful and doesn’t seem to provide you massive benefit?

The other key issue is that many less techie users find themselves needing retraining to use the new interface – and this can be extremely frustrating, particularly if they are switching between machines using the old UI and the new UI, or only just became comfortable with the old system!

]]> By: Sam Boswell http://peter.upfold.org.uk/blog/2009/11/19/my-rant-on-the-ribbon/comment-page-1/#comment-132247 Sam Boswell Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:20:14 +0000 http://peter.upfold.org.uk/blog/?p=820#comment-132247 I have to say - I use office 2007 on a pretty regular basis, and I do find the ribbon useful, and pretty nice to use. However office 2010 - is fugly :p I hate the massive "File Menu" drop down, in 2007, it was the big ball in the top left, now when you click it - it fills the screen. office 2007 was good, and worked well, and still does. 2010 makes me want to set Rachel McCrindle onto the developers :p I have to say – I use office 2007 on a pretty regular basis, and I do find the ribbon useful, and pretty nice to use.
However office 2010 – is fugly :p I hate the massive “File Menu” drop down, in 2007, it was the big ball in the top left, now when you click it – it fills the screen. office 2007 was good, and worked well, and still does. 2010 makes me want to set Rachel McCrindle onto the developers :p

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