what are the drawbacks of microsoft office?

Question

all versions..just generally

Answer 1

I've come across at least a few bugginess issues in my time.
Major drawback - cost.

When there are programs like Open Office out there, I can't see any good reason to use MS Office.

http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/software/page4765.cfm
http://software.newsforge.com/software/05/06/14/2137222.shtml?tid=152&tid=93

Answer 2

There aren't many drawbacks, but a couple spring to mind:

1) $$$. It costs about $65 whereas other variants are completely free.

2) Proprietary formats. Files made in Microsoft Office can only be opened with Microsoft Office or the occasional other Microsoft program. This shouldn't be a problem unless you want to give a Powerpoint presentation to your friend who has a Mac.

Answer 3

Cost, space requirements.

Answer 4

there really arent any. its a very supported system.

Answer 5

In every new release of Microsoft Office, Microsoft has responded to information workers continued requests for improved software functionality and ease of use. In some cases, such improvements have required changes to output file formats. For example, Microsoft Office 97 features such as Shared Workbooks in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications-supported macros in Microsoft Word, and saving as HTML in Microsoft PowerPoint required modifications to the Office 95 file formats. Thus, customers using Office 95 programs together with any later versions must manage the support of multiple file formats.

In addition to file format support, customers must also manage changes in the use and support of enhanced program features. Feature support may be related to, or independent of, file formats. For example, corporate customers planning to use Office 2003 together with earlier versions must take into account some file-sharing considerations even when file formats are identical.

This document presents an overview of Microsoft Office 2003 file formats, examines file-migration and file-coexistence strategies, defines information-sharing options, and provides references to additional resources.

Throughout this document, references to specific Office 2003 programs include the 2003 modifier, e.g., Microsoft Office Word 2003, Microsoft Office Excel 2003, Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003, and Microsoft Office Access 2003.

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Overview of Office 2003 File Formats
File formats for Word 2003, Excel 2003, and PowerPoint 2003 have not changed since Office 97; therefore, information workers upgrading from Office 97, Office 2000, or Office XP do not need to convert files from these programs.

Some advanced features and formatting specific to Office 2003, Office XP, and Office 2000 files are not visible when they are opened in an Office 97 program. In most cases Office 97 preserves the underlying data, keeping it intact for when the file is opened again in Office 2003, Office XP, or Office 2000. Companies using Office 97, Office 2000, or Office XP can thus migrate to Office 2003 efficiently, with seamless sharing of information among those using any of the four versions. Note, however, that Office 95 includes programs whose file formats are not natively compatible with Office 97, Office 2000, Office XP, and Office 2003 formats.

Access 2003 continues to use a file format introduced in Access 2000 that accommodates Unicode support with the Office worldwide executable. Organizations upgrading to Access 2003 thus do not need to convert Access 2000 or Access 2002 databases. Workers using Access 2003 can continue to use the existing databases with no loss of functionality.

In Office 97, Microsoft gave information workers the ability to save their Office 97 files in HTML format. Workers could then publish a snapshot of the file and post it on a Web site. As with Office XP, Office 2003 programs offer HTML as a companion file format to the binary format. This functionality means that information workers can work with HTML documents in the same way that they work with binary documents today, and all the rich Office content is retained—even if it isn’t directly supported by todays browser technology. Furthermore, these HTML documents can be opened again in the Office 2003 program, allowing full re-edit capabilities. This added functionality makes putting a document onto an Internet or intranet Web site as easy as printing to a printer.

Office 2003 also introduces support for XML as a native file format in Word 2003 and Excel 2003.

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Preparing for File Migration to Office 2003
During the upgrade to Office 2003, information workers might need to share files created within earlier versions of Office. Through careful preparation, desktop administrators can maintain compatibility among those using different versions of Office programs during the migration process so that productivity is not interrupted.

Note: For an overview of general file migration issues, including upgrading files to Office 2003 and macro conversion support, as well as how those using Office 95, Office 97, Office 2000, and Office XP share files with those using Office 2003, see Appendix A: Upgrading from Previous Versions of Microsoft Office.

The first step is to take inventory of the companys current desktop application environment and determine which file formats are currently in use.

The following guidelines apply when multiple generations of Office file formats are in use:

• Office 4.x and Office 95 programs share the same file format. For example, an information worker using Word 6.0 can open, read, and edit a document saved as a Word 95 file, and vice versa.

• Office 97, Office 2000, Office XP, and Office 2003 file formats are compatible. For example, an Excel 97 or Excel 2002 user can open, read, and edit a workbook saved as an Excel 2003 file, and vice versa. Please note that although advanced features and formatting specific to Office XP and Office 2000 files are not visible when opened in the Office 97 program, in most cases Office 97 will preserve the underlying data, keeping it intact for when the file is opened again in Office XP or Office 2000.

• Access 2000 and later versions of Access use a new file format to accommodate the Unicode support with the Office worldwide executable, although it does read and convert Access 97 files.

• Please note that Office 97, Office 2000, Office XP, and Office 2003 can natively open, read, edit, and save files created with Office 4.x and Office 95 programs.


If everyone in the company is currently using Office 97, then all files (except Microsoft Access files) from Office XP, Office 2000, or Office 2003 will be compatible with the existing system. However, if the company is using Office 4.x, Office 95, or a business productivity suite from another vendor, desktop administrators should decide proactively on a file coexistence strategy. Having a plan will ensure that those using different Office versions will be able to share files with one another during the migration process.

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Examining the Options for File Sharing
Once you identify the need to adopt a strategy for file format coexistence between previous versions of Office and Office 2003, you must consider what options are available for all workers needing to share files. You should also examine the options for those who simply need to view Office 2003 files. Finally, you must consider how to choose and implement these options.

Providing read/write access for those using an earlier version of Office or another business productivity suite
Information workers expect to be able to share information with one another without worrying about what program created it or what is needed to view it. To make available this type of information sharing, you can choose from the following three options (in order of preference):

• Dual file save lets information workers save files in a format compatible with both Office 2003 and a previous version of Office, so that those using Office 2003 and those using earlier versions can open and read the same file.

• Converters give workers using Office 95, Office 2000, and other business suites full read-write access to files created in another program.

• Down-revision saving (also known as down-rev saving) enables those using Office 2003 to save their files to earlier file formats.


Option One: Dual File Save and Rich Text Format

Dual file save was designed specifically for companies that are gradually migrating to Microsoft Office 2003. Excel 2003 and PowerPoint 2003 include a file format that allows the information from the Office 97, Office 2000, Office XP, or Office 2003 version and from the earlier version to be saved into one file. For example, if a Microsoft Excel 2003 user chooses to save a file in the Microsoft Excel 97-2003 and 5.0/95 format, two data streams are created for a single workbook file: one for version 97-2003 and one for version 5.0/95. When a worker using Excel 97 or later opens the file, she will access the 97-2003 data stream. Although this dual file will be larger, using it may ease coexistence. After Office 2003 has become the standardized version, the file format can be changed back to the native Office 2003 file format.

While Word 2003 does not save in dual formats, it does provide the option to save in Rich Text Format, which preserves most features and allows users of Word 5.0/95 as well as Word 97-2003 to work with the document.

The following sections describe benefits and limitations of dual file save in Excel 2003 and PowerPoint 2003, and of saving in RTF format in Word 2003.

Saving Microsoft Word 2003 documents in Microsoft Word 97-2003 and 6.0/95–RTF format

• Benefits: All Microsoft Word users can open and edit the documents. Microsoft Word 6.0 or Word 95 users do not need to install additional software.

• Limitations: Document file size and save time will increase. If a Word 6.0 or Word 95 user saves the document, features specific to Word 2003 might be lost.


Saving Microsoft Excel 2003 workbooks in dual Microsoft Excel 97-2003 and 5.0/95 format

• Benefits: All Microsoft Excel users can open and edit the workbooks when the files have been saved as dual files. Microsoft Excel 5.0 and Excel 95 users do not need to install additional software. No data is lost because two data streams are created for the workbook file: one for version 97-2003 (including Excel 98, Macintosh Edition) and one for version 5.0/95.

• Limitations: Workbook file size and save time will increase. When workers using Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 open the file, they are prompted to open the workbook as read-only (but they can choose to open it read/write). When workers using Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 save the workbook, features and data unique to Excel 2003 may be lost. Similarly, if a Microsoft Excel 2003 user saves the file in Microsoft Excel 2003 binary format, the Microsoft Excel 95 data stream will be lost but will be regenerated if saved as dual file in the future.


Saving PowerPoint 2002 presentations in dual PowerPoint 97-2003 and PowerPoint 95 format

• Benefits: Information workers using PowerPoint 95, PowerPoint 97, PowerPoint 2000, PowerPoint 2002, and PowerPoint 2003 can all open the presentations when the files have been saved in dual file format. PowerPoint 2003 users can edit and save all presentations. No data is lost because two data streams are created for the presentation file: one for version 97-2003 (including PowerPoint 98, Macintosh Edition) and one for version 95. Additionally, those using PowerPoint 4.0 can use the existing PowerPoint 95 converter, while those using PowerPoint 95 can read the file natively.

• Limitations: Presentation file size and save time will increase. Those using PowerPoint 95 must open the file read-only. If a PowerPoint 95 user saves the presentation, all PowerPoint 2003 features and data will be lost. Conversely, if a PowerPoint 2003 user saves the file in PowerPoint 97/2003-only format, the PowerPoint 95 information will be lost but will be regenerated if saved as dual file in the future.


Recommendation

Microsoft recommends that customers use the dual file save option instead of converters and down-rev saving. With this strategy, workers using previous versions of Office are supported natively without needing to install additional components such as converters. Full Office 2003 fidelity is preserved because files are saved as Office 2003 format. Additionally, workers sharing files outside the company may not know what programs will be used to open them. Saving documents in dual-file format maximizes compatibility with external users.

However, using the dual file format doubles the size of the file being saved and increases the time required to save the file. Companies that view these as critical drawbacks might prefer installing converters or implementing down-rev save. If only read access is needed, implementing the HTML file format or using viewers may be an attractive option.

Option Two: Converters

To let Office 95 users open and edit Office 2003 documents, Microsoft provides utilities to convert the Office 2003 files into the native Office 95 format. Workers using previous versions can view, edit, and save these files as the previous version. Those using Office 2003 can take full advantage of new features in the Office 2003 programs. The following sections present benefits and limitations of converters for Word, PowerPoint, and other business suite programs.

Opening Word 2003 documents using the converter for Word 6.0 or Word 95

• Benefits: All Word users can open, edit, and save the documents. Sharing files through this converter provides the best results overall because full file fidelity is preserved.

• Limitations: Workers using Word 6.0 and Word 95 must install the converter for Word 6.0 or Word 95 and cannot save documents in Word 2002 format. Also, password-protected Word 2002 documents cannot be opened (even when the password is known to the Word 6.0/95 user). Word 2002 features and formatting that are not supported in Word 6.0/95 will be lost.


Opening PowerPoint 2003 documents using the converter for PowerPoint 95

• Benefits: All PowerPoint users can open, edit, and save the documents.

• Limitations: Workers using PowerPoint 95 must install the converter for PowerPoint 2003 and cannot save documents in PowerPoint 2003 format. PowerPoint 2003 features and formatting that are not supported in PowerPoint 95 will be lost if the PowerPoint 95 user saves changes to the file.


Other business suite programs

For those using Office 2003 who want to share files with workers using other productivity programs, Office 2003 incorporates several file converters in its programs. Users of these programs can also install the appropriate converters to open, view, and edit Office 2003 files.

Recommendation

As stated previously, Microsoft recommends that when possible, customers use the dual file save option instead of converters and down-rev saving. However, converters offer an attractive solution for preserving Office 2003 file formats when file size will be an issue. Conversion overcomes the disadvantage of file size doubling that occurs when using the dual file save option. More than any other option, converters also allow larger documents with embedded graphics and OLE objects to retain their properties. However, to implement the converter solution, everyone using programs earlier than Office 97 must have the appropriate converters installed. Otherwise, productivity will suffer until the appropriate converter is located to open and read an Office 2003 file. A further potential disadvantage is that remote workers may not have an easy way to download the appropriate converter.

If neither dual file save nor converter options are appropriate for your company, down-rev saving might be the best option.

Option Three: Down-revision Saving

Down-rev saving lets the author of an Office 2003 file save files in an alternate file format. Information workers using earlier Office versions do not need to modify their existing desktop to collaborate with workers using Office 2003. When Office 2003 has become the standardized version, the file format for all information workers can be changed back to the native Office 2003 file format.

However, although down-rev saving enables file sharing and collaboration, some of the enhanced functionality from the Office 2003 programs may be lost (because the earlier versions do not support the new features). For example, if an information worker using Excel 2003 creates a file that includes a Web Query, and then saves this file as a Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 file, the Web Query will no longer work in the spreadsheet because this feature is not supported in Excel 5.0/95.

The following sections outline benefits, limitations, and other considerations for down-rev saving in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other business suite programs.

Saving Word 2003 documents in the Word 6.0/95 format

• Benefits: All Word users can open, edit, and save the documents. Those running other programs that can read the Word 6.0/95 format, such as Adobe PageMaker or WordPerfect, can also open, edit, and save the documents.

• Limitations: Features not available in Word 6.0 or Word 95, such as character borders, character shading, and password protection are lost when the file is saved in Word 6.0/95. If the down-rev-saved document is subsequently reopened in Word 2003, the features unique to Word 2003 are not recovered.


Saving Microsoft Excel 2003 workbooks in Microsoft Excel 5.0 or Excel 95 format

• Benefits: All Microsoft Excel users can open, edit, and save the workbooks. The file sizes are very similar to the Excel 2003 format size.

• Limitations: Those using Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 cannot take advantage of features unique to more recent releases of Excel, such as data validation. Furthermore, because not all Microsoft Excel 2003 features are supported in earlier Excel versions, some data or formatting might be lost when you save to this format.


Saving PowerPoint 2003 presentations in PowerPoint 95 format

• Benefits: Those using PowerPoint 95, PowerPoint 97, PowerPoint 2000, PowerPoint 2002, and PowerPoint 2003 can open, edit, and save presentations. Graphic fidelity is preserved in the conversion.

• Limitations: Some features unique to PowerPoint 2003 (and to PowerPoint 2002/2003) are lost, including hyperlinks embedded within objects.


Other business suite programs

For information workers using Office 2003 who want to share files with workers using competing products, Office 2003 can save files into these competing versions. (Examples of competing products include WordPerfect and Lotus 1-2-3). Office XP can also open, view, and edit files from a wide range of competing products including AmiPro, QuattroPro, and Harvard Graphics.

Recommendation

The down-revision saving option is most appropriate when losing key Office 2003 features is not a concern. Saving down also helps ensure basic file compatibility when workers share files with outside companies running earlier Office versions. Companies should take advantage of System Policies to ensure that information workers are consistent in saving Office 2003 files in the earlier versions during software migration. When migration is completed, there should be a mandated and centrally controlled change back to the Office 2003 file formats.

For further detailed information, Appendices B through F listed below describe new features in Word 2003, Excel 2003, and PowerPoint 2003 that might be lost with down-revision saving.

Providing read-only access for workers who do not use Office
Information workers not using Office can still share files with those using Office 2003. However, they can only open, read, and print the Office 2003 files using one of two options:

• Save as HTML lets workers using Office 2003 save any file as HTML and post it to a Web site, where documents can be viewed by any browser.

• Viewers let workers open, read, and print files created in another program.


Option One: Save as HTML

Microsoft has improved the native features preserved when files are saved as HTML. With support for this file format standard, information can be easily created, distributed, managed, and viewed on the Internet or an intranet. Furthermore, Office 2003 provides full, reversible interchange (round-tripping) so that documents saved in HTML can be brought back into the program in which they were authored without loss of functionality.

Information workers using Macintosh, DOS, and UNIX systems can view Office 2003 files through their browser. Rich Office XP formatting is preserved and can be viewed by all workers over the Internet or an intranet.

Option Two: Viewers

For workers using 16- or 32-bit Microsoft Windows without Microsoft Office, viewers let anyone open, view, and print Office 2003 files. Formatting is not hampered because files are viewed in the exact format in which they were created. The following examples explain the benefits and limitations of viewers.

Using the Word viewer to open Word 2003 documents

• Benefits: All Word and non-Word users can open, view, and print documents.

• Limitations: Those using the viewer cannot create or edit Word documents, and the viewer must be individually installed on all Word 6.0/95 desktops.


Using the Excel viewer to open Excel 2003 workbooks

• Benefits: All Excel and non-Excel users can open, view, and print workbooks.

• Limitations: Those using the viewer cannot create or edit Microsoft Excel workbooks, and the viewer must be individually installed on all Excel 5.0/95 desktops.


Using the PowerPoint viewer to open PowerPoint 2003 presentations

• Benefits: All PowerPoint and non-PowerPoint users can open, view, and print presentations. Disk space is saved because PowerPoint 2003 files are smaller than PowerPoint 2000 and earlier PowerPoint version files because of file compression.

• Limitations: Those using the viewer cannot create or edit PowerPoint presentations and the viewer must be individually installed on all PowerPoint 95 desktops.


Using Access Runtime version to open Access 2003 databases

• Benefits: All Access and non-Access users can open, view, print, and edit data. Like the Word, Excel and PowerPoint viewers, the Access Runtime version can be freely distributed.

• Limitations: The runtime version will only work on 32-bit desktops. Those using the runtime version cannot make any design modifications to the database or create queries, forms, tables, or similar objects.


Issues to consider

You need to determine whether information workers need full read and edit access to all files. Viewers are a good solution if workers do not need to edit documents. However, documents that need to be modified require read/write privileges, making either the installation of converters or down-rev saving a more viable option in such cases.

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Implement the File Share Options
Dual file save
The following discussion illustrates how desktop administrators should implement dual file saving throughout their organization.

• Default Save. Office 97 introduced the Default Save setting in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, allowing information workers to set the default file format in which a document, workbook, or presentation is saved. Although workers can set Default Save options themselves, administrators can set the default for a group by using either System Policies or the Office Profile Wizard. System Policies. By using the Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 9x, or Windows NT 4.0/Windows 2000 System Policies, the Default Save can be set to a specific file format every time someone logs on to the network. Desktop administrators can control which file formats are supported through System Policies for either a single user or a group of users. Once everyone has migrated to Office 2003, you can use System Policies to switch the Default Save setting back to the original Office 2003 file format. The default takes effect the next time the worker logs on to the network. In this scenario, the administrator never has to physically touch the desktop. System Policies are therefore an effective intermediate solution for sharing files.

• Office Profile Wizard. As an alternative to System Policies, the Office Profile Wizard can be used to define the Default Save setting for a number of Office 2003 users. The wizard works by copying a machines customized Office settings and saving them as a file for other machines to use. This scenario does not require touching the desktop and will work in any network infrastructure, thereby saving time and resources. However, a potential disadvantage of this method, compared with using System Policies, is that it is a one-time setting. If the information worker changes the Default Save setting, you cannot automatically reset it to the organization standard.


As a general principle, companies running multiple versions of a program should set the Default Save setting to the earliest file format in use. This will establish one common file format with which every information worker in the company can share files.

Converters
• Microsoft Office Converter Pack. This tool lets administrators create a package of converters that can be easily installed without end-user intervention. The installation point for the batch converters can be a network point or a URL sent through e-mail: The information worker simply clicks the link and lets setup do the work. Once installed, converters can be used to open and edit the appropriate Office 2003 files. Companies can also use network management software including Microsoft Systems Management Server to deploy converters from a centralized location. After information workers migrate their desktops to Office 2003, a batch file can be run to remove the converters at the same time that Office 2003 is being loaded, or the converters can simply be left on the machine.

• Network File Converter Location. Office 97 programs can determine whether a file being opened was created in a newer version. If needed, converters can exist on a shared network location or on a Web page and be downloaded automatically to the information workers local machine. A registry entry tells the programs where to look for additional converters. Administrators can use a template to modify user System Policies to specify or change the location of the converter.


Down-revision saving
Down-rev saving is an alternative to dual file saving and can be implemented in the same way, by using System Policies or the Office Profile Wizard.

Save as HTML
Saving as HTML is an alternative to dual file and down-rev saving and can be implemented by using System Policies or the Office Profile Wizard.

Viewers
Some viewers, such as the PowerPoint 2003 viewers, are included in the Microsoft Office Converter Pack. Others can be installed on a network drive to be downloaded by using either a push or a pull strategy, or information workers can connect to the Microsoft Web page and download them individually.

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Additional Resources
The following resources offer assistance during the Office 2003 migration process.

• Microsoft Office 2003 Resource Kit. The Office XP Resource Kit is the administrators technical guide to Office 2003. It provides details about sharing Office 2003 files with workers using competing products, including additional converter information, a list of file formats supported in Office 2003 programs, and general support for macro conversion.

• Microsoft Office 2003 Developer Edition. The Office 2003 Developer Edition is designed specifically for professional developers and contains all the resources needed to create, manage, and distribute Office solutions quickly. Macro conversion support is offered to help ease the transition from custom-built programs to Office 2003 and to ensure a faster overall migration to Office 2003. For more information about this product and the Office Developer forum, visit http://www.microsoft.com/officedev/.

• Microsoft Solution Providers. Third-party companies provide assistance with converting larger, more complex Office files that contain macros, specialized graphics, and extensive charts and tables. For a listing of qualified solution providers, visit https://partner.microsoft.com/global/40014052.

• Microsoft Technical Services. All Microsoft products are backed by an award-winning Technical Support group that provides information about all known problems and solutions on the Microsoft technical support Web site. For additional developer or premium support, personal assistance is also offered with a variety of packages to fit customer needs. For more information on the packages available, or to query about existing issues, visit the Support area on the Microsoft Web site at http://support.microsoft.com/.


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Conclusion
New Office 2003 features, new operating systems, and other information resources provide IT administrators with tools for developing appropriate desktop rollout strategies. Options such as dual-file saving, converters, down-revision saving, HTML, and viewers give administrators choices for file coexistence during migration. Administrators can implement the chosen strategy with centralized control over desktops and seamless information sharing, regardless of the Office version they currently use.

For more information:http://www.microsoft.com/office/

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Appendix A: Upgrading from Previous Versions of Microsoft Office
This section describes how those using Office 95, Office 97, Office 2000, and Office XP will share files with those using Office 2003. File formats among Office 2000, Office XP, and Office 2003 files are fully compatible with no conversion required. However, Office 2000, Office XP, and other earlier versions of Office do not fully support some functional attributes of Office 2003 programs.

General issues
Can files be converted when needed, or should they be converted up front? Companies tend to overestimate the number of files to be converted. Preparing standard document templates and addressing only active files and programs reduces the number of necessary conversions. Many documents are created, used just once, and kept on file in case they are needed in the future. Archiving and converting files only when needed can help expedite the migration process.

How well do files convert up to Office 2003? Most files written in pre-Office 2003 versions of Microsoft Office can be opened directly in Office 2003. Files that use advanced features such as page breaks, indexes, custom templates, and macros, may require additional effort to ensure that features fully migrate to Office 2003. One approach is to open and print the document in the older version, then open the same file in the Office 2003 program and compare the results. Elements missing or requiring modification will be apparent and action can be taken.

How well do macros convert to Office 2003? Files containing plain text with no advanced features can be opened directly in Office 2003. Some files containing macros might not convert as easily. The following describes considerations for upgrading files containing macros to Office 2003:

Word. Word 6.0 and Word 95 WordBasic macros will run in Word 2003 in most cases. If you open a Word 6.0/95 template containing WordBasic macros in Word 2003, the WordBasic code is converted to the equivalent Visual Basic for Applications code.

Excel. As a result of architectural changes introduced in Excel 97, some Visual Basic for Applications macros written in Excel 5.0 might not perform as expected in Excel 2003. Excel 2003 fully supports Excel 95 Visual Basic for Applications macros. Changes to the Excel architecture, however, might cause some problems with macros written in Excel 95.

For more information about macro conversion support, see the Office Developers Edition listed in the Additional Resources section of this document.

Sharing information with Office 97
Office 2003 file formats are compatible with Office 97, Office 2000 for Windows, and Office XP. To exchange documents between these versions, simply save the file in the default Office 2003 file format.

The following table illustrates how those using Office 97, Office 2000, Office XP, and Office 2003 can interact with one another.

Those Running Can
Microsoft Word 2003
Read and write a Word 97 – 2002 file.

Microsoft Excel 2003
Read and write an Excel 97 - 2002 file.

Microsoft PowerPoint 2003
Read and write a PowerPoint 97 – 2002 file.

Microsoft Outlook 2003
Import all data files that were used in Outlook 97 – Outlook 2002.

Microsoft Access 2003
Use Access 2000 or Access 2002 files with no action required.

For Access 97 files, export data, convert to new format, save in native format, and modify so that newer version can read (but not design), and old version can still read and design.

Word 97, 2000, or 2002
Read and write a Word 2003 file.

Excel 97, 2000, or 2002
Read and write an Excel 2003 file.

PowerPoint 97, 2000, or 2002
Read and write a PowerPoint 2003 file.

Outlook 97, 2000, or 2002
Import data files that were used in Outlook 2003, except for the new Unicode file format.

Access 97
Not natively read an Access 2000 or higher database.

Access 2000 and 2002
Import data and tables that were used in Access 2003.


Sharing information with Office 95
Office 95 uses a file format that is different from the format used in Office 97, Office 2000, Office XP, and Office 2003.

Those Running Can
Word 2003
Read and write a Word 95 file using converters built into Word 2003.

Excel 2003
Read and write an Excel 95 file using converters built into Excel 2003.

PowerPoint 2003
Read and write a PowerPoint 95 file using converters built into PowerPoint 2003.

Access 2003
Export data, convert to new format, and modify so that the newer version can read but not design, and old version can still read and design.

Word 95
Read and write a Word 2003 file using a supplied converter. Please see online help on the converter for specifics about what functionality will be lost when saving to the Word 2003 file format.

Excel 95
Only read an Excel 2003 file using a supplied viewer. No converter is available to write to an Excel 2003 file. The file must be saved as an Excel 95 file in order for someone using Excel 95 to have write capabilities.

PowerPoint 95
Read and write a PowerPoint 2003 file using a supplied converter.

Access 95
Not natively read an Access 2003 database.


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Appendix B: Office 2003 Features Not Supported in Office XP and Office 2000 Format
Office 2003 file formats are compatible with Office XP and Office 2000. Office 97 programs can open any Office 2003 file without a converter. However, certain capabilities and features available in Office 2003 will not round-trip because Office XP and Office 2000 do not recognize these features. The following tables describe many of the major Office 2003 features that are not fully supported in Office 2000.

Word 2003 features not supported in Word 2002 and word 2000
Word 2003 Feature Word 2002 and 2000 Result
XML tagging – custom schema
Can open documents of type DOC (not XML). Document is viewable, but saving removes XML tagging and detaches schema. Content is retained.

Smart document
Document is viewable, but saving removes XML tagging, detaches schema, and detaches smart document solution. Content is retained.

Shared document*
The link to the Microsoft Windows SharePoint Server shared workspace will be lost. Content will be retained.

Editing Restrictions**
Feature is not supported, so anyone can edit the document.

Style Lockdown***
Feature is not supported, so Style Lockdown is not enforced.


* Shared Document in a Shared Workspace: affects Windows SharePoint Services, Word 2003, Excel 2003, and PowerPoint 2003. This feature allows information workers to collaborate "almost live" on a file. It works by stamping the file with the location of a SharePoint Server copy. Synchronization keeps the collaborators in sync with the server copy. In older versions of the Office programs, the file stamping will not be understood, so the information worker will not get the "almost live" synchronization.

** Word 2003 has the ability to protect ranges of a file so that only specific people have access to certain parts of a file. This feature did not exist in older versions of Word, so the behavior of older versions of Word (i.e., everyone can edit the document) persists.

*** Word 2003 makes it possible to specify a set of styles that can be used in a document. When in place, Style Lockdown prevents anyone from applying a different style within the document.

Excel 2003 features not supported in Excel 2002 and 2000
Excel 2003 Feature Excel 2002 and 2000 Result
Custom list
List is viewable but modifying the list destroys the list structure, which would also affect any other spreadsheet or Windows SharePoint Services site linked to the list.

Excel 2003 list posted to Windows SharePoint Server site
Filter is not available by default, but an information worker could put a filter on the data range and interact (like any other data range in Excel).

New Subtotal function
Function does not exist in previous versions, so Excel will display #NAME?

Improved statistical function and random number generation
Saving or recalculating will yield results based on the old functions. The value will be different.


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Appendix C: Office 2003 Features Not Supported In Office 97 Format
In addition to all the sharing limitations between Office 2003 and Office XP/2000 described above, Office 2003 has other features and formatting options that Office 97 does not recognize. The following tables describe many of the Office 2003 features that are not fully supported in Office 97.

Word 2003 Features Not Supported In Word 97
Word 2003 Feature Word 97 Result
Nested tables
Converted to tabbed text in the parent cell

Floating tables
Placed in a frame

Table autofit
Column widths preserved when document is saved

Table cell spacing and cell padding
Lost, except left and right cell padding, generally preserved as cell gap

Text around graphics in table cells
Graphics inside cells with text wrapping turned on will move above the table

Page breaks in table cells
Lost

Image properties
Settings not supported in Word 97, such as vertical from line, horizontal settings, overlap disallowed, and absolute vertical positioning lost

Text wrapping break
Becomes line break

Borders and Shading
3-D border styles appear as single line borders

Underline
Decorative underline become single underline and underline color becomes the color of the text

Pixels and percentage of page as measurements for images and tables
Measurement preserved when document is saved

24-bit color
Closest match; applies to font, border, and shading

WordArt as an inline object
Remains inline and still editable to an extent, though much functionality is disabled

Inline horizontal lines
Remain inline and still editable to an extent, though much functionality is disabled

Frameset
Frame properties lost but individual documents saved

FE font formats (document grid, emphasis marks, colored underlines)
Closest match (for example, colored underlines become the same color as the font, enclosed characters are preserved) but grid is lost

BIDI formats (right-to-left paragraphs)
As with a Word 97 BIDI doc, unsupported properties such as r-t-l text will be eliminated and the text will be l-t-r.


Word 2003 can disable certain features that are not applicable by selecting the Disable features introduced after check box and then selecting Word 97 (Click Tools, Options, Save). These features are also disabled when the information worker saves a document in the older format or if the default Save format is the older format. They are:

• Nested tables (Table menu)

• Frames (Web-style, Format menu)

• New Decorative Border styles (from the Borders and Shading dialog box)

• New Character Underline styles (from the Format Font dialog box)

• Underline color (from the Format Font dialog box)

• Text Wrapping Break (from the Insert Break dialog box)

• Horizontal in Vertical (Tatenakayoko, from the Format menu when FE UI is enabled)

• Two Lines in One (Warichu, from the Format menu when FE UI is enabled)

• In addition, several procedures that cannot be done when using this scenario:

• Draw a nested table

• Drag a text-wrapped picture or object into a table cell


Excel 2003 features not supported in Excel 97
Excel 2003 Feature Excel 97 Result
External data ranges
Auto-refresh, column formatting, filtering and sorting do not work

Indented format PivotTable reports
If edited, reports change to nonindented layout but maintain character and cell formatting

OLAP PivotTable and PivotChart reports
Appear as read-only

PivotChart reports
Appear as regular charts; multiple level category labels are modified, and value axis display units convert to literal values.


PowerPoint 2003 features not supported in PowerPoint 97
PowerPoint 2003 Feature PowerPoint 97 Result
Animated GIF pictures
Appear as static images without animation

Automatically numbered lists
Appear as bulleted lists, not numbered lists

Graphic or picture bullets
Appear as regular font-based bullets

Tables
Appear as a single grouping of shapes

Voice narration
Bullet point animations are not synchronized to the voice narration; there is a long gap in the audio between slides.


Top of page
Appendix D: Word 2003 Features Not Supported in Word 6.0/95 Format
Because not all Word 2003 features are supported in Word 6.0 or Word 95, saving documents in Word 6.0/95 format might result in loss of data or formatting. The following sections describe many of the Word 2003 features that are not fully supported in Word 6.0/95. Note that these features are in addition to the features described in Appendices B and C.

Note: When saving to Word 6.0/95 format, the only features actually lost are Visual Basic for Applications code and forms, and Versioning. If someone using Word 6.0 or Word 95 subsequently makes changes to the file and saves it, the following features will then be lost because the earlier program does not know how to save them.

Word 2003 table features not supported in Word 6.0/95
When this Word 2003 feature is saved in Word 6.0/95 format
Vertically merged table cells
Merged table cells are exploded into unmerged cells.

Vertically aligned text in table cells
Vertically aligned text is reformatted so that the text aligns at the top of the cell.

Vertical text in table cells
Vertical text is reformatted as horizontal text.


Word 2003 formatting features not supported in Word 6.0/95
When this Word 2003 feature is saved in Word 6.0/95 format
Outline and heading numbered lists
Outline numbered lists and heading numbered lists are converted to normal text but retain their appearance. In Word 6.0 or 95, use the Bullets and Numbering command (Format menu) to format lists.

Multilevel bullets
Multilevel bullets are converted to regular text but retain their appearance. In Word 6.0 or 95, use the Bullets and Numbering command (Format menu) to format lists.

Page borders
Page borders are not converted.

Character shading
Character shading is lost.

Character borders
Character borders are lost.

Paragraph borders
Paragraph borders and shading unique to Word 2003 are lost.

Animated text
Animated text formatting is lost.

Embossed and engraved characters
Embossed and engraved character formatting is lost, and the text converts as white text. To change the color, select the text, click Font (Format menu), and then click Auto or Black in the Color box.

EMF, PNG, and JPEG graphics
Graphics are converted to WMF format, which does not support graphics compression, thus increasing the file size of documents containing graphics.

Floating pictures with wraparound text
Floating pictures are converted to WMF format in frames.

Floating OLE objects
Floating OLE objects are converted to OLE objects in frames.

Highlighting
Highlighting is preserved in Word 95 but lost in Word 6.0.


Word 2003 workgroup and Internet features not supported in Word 6.0/95
When this Word 2003 feature is saved in Word 6.0/95 format...
Password protection of documents
All document protection is lost. In Word 6.0 and Word 95, you can reapply document protection by clicking Save As (File menu), clicking Options, and then selecting the options you want on the Save tab.

HYPERLINK field
The last value of the HYPERLINK field is retained as plain text, but the field itself is lost.

AUTOTEXTLIST field
The last value of the AUTOTEXTLIST field is retained as plain text, but the field itself is lost.

Tracked changes for properties, paragraph numbers, and display fields
Tracked changes for properties, paragraph numbers, and display fields are lost, but other tracked changes are retained and displayed with revision marks. (In Word 95 and Word 6.0, tracked changes are called revisions.)

Document protection for tracked changes, comments, and forms
All document protection is lost. In Word 6.0 and 95, you can reapply document protection for tracked changes, comments, and forms by clicking Protect Document (Tools menu) and selecting the options you want. (In Word 6.0 and 95, comments are called annotations.)

New document properties introduced in Word 95
New document properties are preserved in Word 95 but lost in Word 6.0. Use the Properties command (File menu) to store information about the document, such as title, subject, author, manager, company, and so on.


Other Word 2003 features not supported in Word 6.0/95
When this Word 2003 feature is saved in Word 6.0/95 format
Visual Basic for Applications macros
All macros created with Visual Basic for Applications in Word 2003 are lost.

ActiveX controls on forms
ActiveX controls can be used but not modified.

Unicode characters
Unicode characters can result in data loss. Unicode characters (two bytes per character) are mapped to corresponding ANSI code or are converted to question marks (?). Foreign language characters are the most likely to be affected.

DOCPROPERTY field
The DOCPROPERTY field is retained in Word 95. In Word 6.0, the field appears as "Error! Bookmark not defined."

Embedded fonts
Embedded fonts are lost, and Word 95 or Word 6.0 assigns the closest font available.

WordArt drawing objects or drawings created using the tool Drawing bar
Basic shapes such as lines and boxes are retained. WordArt drawing objects and shapes that are grouped together are lost.


Top of page
Appendix E: Saving Workbooks in Microsoft Excel 5.0 or Excel 95 Format
Microsoft Excel 2003 can save workbooks in previous formats, though not all Excel 2003 features are supported in previous versions. Because of changes to the Excel file format, saving an Excel 2003 workbook in a previous version can result in lost data and lost or changed formatting. This section describes features which are not fully supported in Excel 5.0 or Excel 95. Note that these features are in addition to features described in Appendices B and C.

Microsoft buy to boost server efforts
The company is acquiring some assets of Connectix, including an unreleased server program and software that permits Windows to run on a Macintosh.
By Ian Fried and Joe Wilcox
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

Published: February 19, 2003, 2:11 PM PST
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update Microsoft is acquiring some assets of Connectix, including an unreleased server program and software that permits Windows to run on a Macintosh.

Connectix is best known for its Virtual PC software, but has been trying to recast itself as a maker of server virtualization software, which lets a single machine perform like several independent machines running their own operating systems.


Microsoft, which plans to announce the deal Thursday, declined to comment on financial terms. Some Connectix employees will join Microsoft, although the company did not provide details.


The two companies had been in talks for many months, said Kurt Schmucker, vice president of Mac products for Connectix.


The future for Connectix, and for the products that Microsoft did not acquire, is somewhat unclear. For the next six months, the company's main focus will be the "graceful transition" of the virtualization products to Microsoft, although Schmucker said the company will still support and sell its other products, such as RAMDoubler.

"After six months, we don't know yet," said Schmucker, who is among the many workers joining Microsoft.

Members of the quality assurance, development and product management units are joining Microsoft immediately, while other employees may make the switch after the transition period. San Mateo, Calif.-based Connectix has about 100 employees, Schmucker said.

Connectix has been focusing on its development of the virtualization products over the past year, Schmucker said, adding that the bulk of the company's current revenue comes from its Virtual PC for the Mac software.

"Connectix will continue to exist after the post-acquisition phase," said Jim Hebert, general manager of Microsoft's enterprise server business. "Connectix has been around for a long time and has had a variety of successes in a number of marketplaces. They're really creative guys. I expect they'll do something interesting."

The Mac factor
Representatives of the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant said Virtual PC for the Mac will continue to be sold and that Microsoft plans to continue developing the software, which has more than 1 million active users. A Microsoft executive said the company did not purchase the software to kill it, nor does Microsoft plan to stop developing its native Macintosh software, such as the Mac OS X version of Office.

"Mac OS X applications (are the) best solution for heavy access to applications (like Office)," said Tim McDonough, director of marketing for Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit. "Virtual PC just takes that to the next level--you can now be compatible with applications that only run on the PC."

In a statement, Apple praised Microsoft's move.

"Adding Virtual PC to its product portfolio is yet another example of Microsoft's continued commitment to the Mac platform," said Ron Okamoto, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. "Virtual PC has helped people who want to own a Mac but need to run legacy PC applications. We're glad to see Virtual PC go into such good hands."

Microsoft also is interested in a server virtualization product that Connectix is developing.

VMware, Connectix's main rival in the server virtualization arena, has the early lead with a product that has been on the market for several years. VMware is profitable and plans to offer a new product next quarter that enables two-processor virtual machines instead of just single-processor models.

Microsoft is important to VMware, Chief Executive Diane Greene said in an interview. Microsoft is VMware's biggest customer, and other customers most frequently run Windows in conjunction with VMware, she said.

Dividing servers into several independent "partitions," each with its own copy of an operating system, was pioneered with mainframes and now is common on Unix servers. Intel servers running Windows are beginning to catch up.

Partitioning is useful for consolidating several lower-end machines onto a single larger machine, a cost-saving measure. It's also good for responding to spikes in processing demands because a partition under a heavy load can quickly be assigned more computing resources than a comparatively idle one. If Microsoft incorporates Connectix's virtualization technology into Windows, the software could profit from these abilities.

As recently as the past few months, Microsoft executives said the company wasn't focused on partitioning. Rather, the company's plan involves using a single operating system on each server but placing limits on how much of a computer's resources, such as memory, a specific application can use.

One analyst praised the purchase and pointed out some wide-reaching implications.

"I think it's a great move for Microsoft," IDC analyst Al Gillen said. He noted that Microsoft had been "noticeably absent" in the virtualization arena. "I would think this is the start of a bigger effort in this space for Microsoft," he said.

Gillen said that, surprisingly, Microsoft would continue to offer non-Windows support provided by the Connectix technology.

"Microsoft told me that they would continue to have as a feature the ability to host a Linux guest operating system running on your Windows server," he said. "A lot of Linux proponents would not approve of that, but a lot of people who are not biased in that respect would not be opposed to using that for some workloads."

Gillen says that support is important as Microsoft seeks to extend its corporate reach. "This is really a heterogeneous play," he said. "You could put NetWare on (Windows server), you could put OS/2 on it."

The Connectix server software supports Linux partitions, but VMware places a high priority on Linux support. "Our belief is that although our customers predominantly are using our software to run multiple instances of Windows, they really do care about having the choice what operating system to run," Greene said.

NT 4 gambit
Initially, Microsoft plans to target the Connectix server technology at its large installed base of Windows NT 4 customers. The company on Wednesday estimated that about 35 percent of Windows customers still use Windows NT 4, making them the leading candidates to move first to Windows Server 2003, which Microsoft plans to launch on April 24 in San Francisco.

Microsoft is so concerned about the large number of customers using Windows NT 4 Server that the company in January extended security and hot-fix support through the end of 2004.

In the interim, Microsoft wants to make moving to Windows Server 2003 as easy as possible for those customers still using 7-year-old NT 4. Initially, the company plans to offer the Connectix technology for partitioning servers running the newer software to support applications from the older one.

"We're going to be able to offer our NT 4 installed-base customers an incremental set of migration tools that make it very straightforward to move an NT 4 application stack over to a modern operating system like Windows Server 2003 on a new piece of hardware," Hebert said.

"What this does," he added, "is make it possible to partition a single processor into multiple subprocessors--i.e., you share a single processor with multiple NT 4 application stacks."

For now, Microsoft will focus more on server consolidation than more-traditional partitioning schemes used on Unix servers and mainframes. But Hebert did not discuss future plans for the Connectix technology.

"As these older machines reach the end of their life...there is a place for them to go that doesn't require much effort on the part of IT organization to keep them up and running," Hebert said.

An enterprise business moving an NT 4 application to Windows Server 2003 might use only 5 percent of the processing power. Consolidation of multiple application stacks would make better use of the hardware, Hebert said.

The consolidation process using the virtual machine technology offers customers other advantages, such as continuing to use existing applications but on a newer operating system with better security.

David Shaw, chief technologist for Simsbury, Conn.-based Genesis ii Associates, said that "NT 4's aging security model" will be one of the major factors driving customers running the operating system to Windows Server 2003.

Still, running the consolidated applications has some drawbacks. "This (technology) is really most useful for applications that are low-throughput and are not generally thought of as critical-response-time applications but are still important for many enterprises to run their businesses," Hebert said.

Microsoft expects the server product to be available for downloading in the middle of the year and to officially ship by the end of the year. Connectix has been beta-testing Virtual Server, and before the Microsoft deal had expected the final version to ship in the first quarter.

"There's pricing in place for the (existing) Connectix products, and I don't believe we have any plans to change those," Hebert said. "I don't think we've priced the server product," adding that the price would likely be "modest."

Microsoft-SAP Mendocino project has opportunities, drawbacks

By Matt Danielsson, Site Editor
06 Jun 2005 | SearchSAP.com



Integrating SAP and Microsoft Office will cut down on time wasted switching windows and copying and pasting between different applications.


Going forward, you should not expect any significant delay between a new Office release and accompanying Mendocino support.
Chris Caren,
general manager of Office business applications, Microsoft




But the initial rollout of the joint product is limited to five SAP processes and may result in being locked into older Office releases, according to some industry analysts.

SAP has been touting its partnership with Microsoft, introducing the joint Mendocino project at its recent Sapphire user conference Copenhagen and again to users in Boston. Mendocino will integrate SAP with the Microsoft Office suite.

Despite 15 years of cooperation, this is the first product to come out of the SAP-Microsoft partnership.

Mendocino is a concrete step toward the service-oriented architecture-based vision SAP is touting, according to Dennis Moore, general manager of emerging solutions at SAP in Palo Alto, Calif. The marriage of enterprise applications and user productivity tools is just the kind of benefit that will result from the Enterprise Services Architecture (ESA) strategy, Moore said.


"A product like Mendocino would be very, very difficult to do without ESA," Moore said. "By service-enabling the back-end functionality of mySAP, we're now able to connect it to different types of front ends, such as Microsoft Office."

In addition, Mendocino allows regular users to jump right into the new functionality with little training. This is made possible by sticking with the familiar environment they work with every day, simply adding more options that allow them to take shortcuts.

Users can actually see right away that they're saving time by eliminating redundant clicks to open various SAP applications.

Initial opportunities, potential drawbacks

Mendocino also allows end users to access a broad set of SAP processes and SAP data directly through Microsoft Office products, such as Outlook and Excel.

This focus on employee self-service functionality opens up SAP to a lot more users and takes the load off existing power users, said Chris Caren, general manager of office business applications at Microsoft.


SAP processes included in Mendocino:
• Time management

• Budget monitoring

• Leave management

• Organization management

• Report distribution

Source: SAP




"You can access processes, such as submitting vacation requests, file work times for different projects to different cost centers, update and access employee HR files, pull SAP data straight into Excel and so on," Caren said. "This also helps make sure the data you work with on your desktop is in sync with the data on the server."

While mostly positive about the product, Gartner analysts Yvonne Genovese and Betsy Burton have raised concerns about Mendocino's workflow and process integration. In their research brief to customers May 2, "'Mendocino' Next Step Toward Integrated Contextual Workplace," they point out that Mendocino is somewhat limited in scope because it only enables five SAP processes.

"[Mendocino] does not, however, deliver true knowledge worker (that is, workflow or process) integration, which would require a significantly higher investment level from both parties," the analysts said.

The Gartner analysts also said the product could also result in getting locked into older Office releases.

"Customers may have to remain with the version that offers them the strongest integration," the analysts said.

While Mendocino won't integrate all SAP processes in its first release, later versions may include integration with other applications, Caren said. The first release of the product, which will be made generally available in the second half of 2006, will support Office 2003, which is Microsoft's latest version.

"Going forward, you should not expect any significant delay between a new Office release and accompanying Mendocino support," Caren said.

A small selection of SAP and Microsoft customers will receive Mendocino in late 2005. Candidates for the early release will receive an invitation. The price for this product has not been determined.

Product integration

Integration complexity depends largely on the degree of software customization currently in place at an enterprise, Moore said.

"Many scenarios will work with no additional work needed," Moore said. "It should be a matter of hours to be up and running with Mendocino functionality."

To prevent implementation hiccups, SAP and Microsoft plan to have a joint support structure in place, resulting in one telephone call for help with any Mendocino headaches.