Office Applications

Microsoft asks: Why start from scratch -- or, worse, buy some other brand of software -- to tackle a project such as HR recruiting or bringing your company in line with Sarbanes-Oxley or Six Sigma standards? The new Office Solution Accelerator program helps businesses streamline tasks by working within Office System 2003 applications.

Image isn't everything, but easier reading and comparison viewing are just two of the on-screen improvements in this fall's new edition of Microsoft Office. Patricia Fusco fills you in on the new features coming to the world's most popular word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation package.

Most of the new features in this fall's Microsoft Office 2003 -- excuse us, the Microsoft Office System -- are unabashedly aimed at the enterprise, from back-end database integration to corporate workgroup collaboration and document distribution. But the software giant says it's committed to satisfying 1- to 49-employee businesses, too. Here's our first impression of the latest beta-version bundle.

Want to launch Word or Excel without opening a blank document or workbook by default? Did you know you can create a new Outlook contact, appointment, or sticky note without actually opening Outlook? The secret's in the switch -- startup switches you add to custom desktop shortcuts or Start menu items. Here's how.

That Excel budget table would look good in your Word report, and the accompanying chart is just right for your PowerPoint presentation -- but merely cutting and pasting them may not be your best move. Office expert Helen Bradley explains the uses of (and vital differences between) Object Linking and Embedding, and how OLE can bring your documents to life.

Adam Noabe says that Windows ME didn't come with all parts working and he's pretty upset about what's missing and doesn't work. WinPlanet shows you how to check for the missing files and how to fix what's broken.

Here are some handy tips that will make installing Office XP less of a chore and help you get up to speed faster.

Ready or not, here they come: the first wave of Office XP books is hitting the stores.

This is the Final in a series of reviews of the Microsoft Office 2000 Premium applications. This time we look at Access, PowerPoint and the Small Business Tools.

This is the second in a series of reviews of the Microsoft Office 2000 Premium applications. This time we look at Publisher, FrontPage, and PhotoDraw.