Chapter 1. Time for Something New

What you’ll find in this chapter:

• The changing way we work

• The evolution of the Microsoft Office system

• Meeting today’s work challenges

• The 2007 Microsoft Office system—tools for today

• The new 2007 Microsoft Office system versions

• Benefits of upgrading to the new release

In this world, there always seems to be a tension between the old and the new. Businesses, schools, religious institutions, and even governments feel the future pulling them forward and the roots of tradition pulling them back. We as individuals feel it too. We lean forward into our futures, eager to see what’s coming, to make things better, to further our careers, and to accomplish our goals. But we remain grounded in our history—what we’ve learned, where we came from, what we value, who we are.

That also is the story of the new 2007 Microsoft Office system. What makes the 2007 release so exciting is that it represents the best of that forward-leaning future while staying connected to the roots of functionality and core values that have made the program the dependable, powerful mainstay it is today. Throughout this book, you’ll see how the 2007 Microsoft Office system has been designed to help you respond to the very real challenges we face in getting our work done in an effective, efficient way that actually enables us to feel that we accomplished something at the end of the day. Straighten out the clutter, establish your priorities, and step out into the future. The Microsoft Office system will keep pace right alongside.