Well done, Microsoft

So my work computer was recently upgraded to Office 2010. (If you're about to tell me that Microsoft sucks or that I should be using Open Office or Google Docs or that I upgraded too early/late or I should use some other random thing, I don't want to hear it. This is a work computer, I don't get a choice in these matters, and I do in fact like using stuff that's compatible with what everyone else in the business world is using, whatever its flaws.)

It's been taking me a little while to find everything, but I've been pleasantly surprised so far. They've done a nice job of getting rid of lots of little things that used to annoy me and streamlining things in general. There are dozens of little touches that aren't perhaps critical but that I'm really appreciating. The automatic word count in Word for example. The wide array of colors available, including themes, in Excel. The fact that I can see my day's task list and my calendar while I'm in my mail pane of Outlook. The vast, vast improvement to the photo manipulation tools in Power Point (which won't keep me from doing real graphic design stuff in Adobe, but will make me stop tearing my hair out when I have to make presentations). All the core competencies are basically unchanged, but there's a lot of little details that makes my life easier and expands my options. And pretty much everything I used to use is still accessible.

(I've been using 2010 a little longer at home, but I don't have nearly so many demands there. I need to write documents and add numbers, and don't usually give a damn about formatting.)

It's exactly what an update is supposed to be. Thanks, folks!