Microsoft Office 2010: A Sneak Peek

The Office 2010 applications show new stylings and usability improvements, including a more smoothly integrated Outlook.

By Randall C. Kennedy, Infoworld

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Word 2010 ribbon bar

Word 2010 sports the updated ribbon bar as well as the new Application button in place of the orb of Office 2007. Read the full report.

Word 2010 Application menu

This alternative view, accessed via the Application menu, provides details on document properties and provides quick access to system-level functions. Read the full report.

Excel 2010 ribbon bar

Excel 2010 of course also sports the updated ribbon bar look and feel. Read the full report.

Excel 2010 Application menu

And Excel 2010 has its own variation of the Application menu view. Read the full report.

Access 2010 default view

Even Microsoft Access doesn’t escape the 2010 treatment, with a new default view that is far less confusing and cluttered than the 2007 version. Read the full report.

Access 2010 design tools

In addition to the prerequisite update to the 2010 look and feel, Access 2010 also sports an expanded set of design tools. Read the full report.

Outlook 2010 ribbon bar

Outlook receives by far the more comprehensive overall, with the 2010 version sporting a sleek new Ribbon Bar for the main application window. Read the full report.

Outlook 2010 reading pane

The new Outlook 2010 reading pane shows even deeper integration with Word, including the latter’s zoom slider control. Read the full report.

Outlook 2010 Application menu

Outlook 2010 uses the Application menu view to provide access to account settings and mailbox maintenance functions, among others. Read the full report.

Outlook 2010 main window

The newly “ribbonized” Outlook main window does a good job of exposing otherwise hard-to-find items, like the option to disable the reading pane. Read the full report.

Outlook 2010 message options

Individual Outlook message items receive their own Application menu view treatment. Read the full report.

Outlook 2010 variations

Unlike the Ribbon Bar in other Office applications, Outlook’s Ribbon Bar features multiple, context-sensitive variations -- for example, a different Home icon set for the Calendar function. Read the full report.