download microsoft office words for free

And thankfully, Microsoft killed Clippy, the cartoonish helper. Pull-down menus of fonts, color themes, and images let you preview changes on the page before making them. Microsoft placed a lot of emphasis on the wow factor of Office's galleries of graphics, which share the Aero look of Windows Vista and are found throughout the Office applications. Although we sometimes mixed up the placement of commands within the Review and References tabs, those features were still easier to find than in Word 2003.

From the View tab, now you can simply check a box to see a ruler or gridlines, or click the Arrange All button to stack various open Word documents atop each other. For instance, the new interface better presents page view options that used to be a hassle to get to. While it's a challenge to upgrade, those learning Word for the first time may find its features easier to stumble upon than they would have with Word 2003. Alas, there is no 'classic' view to help you make the transition to the 2007 version. To insert a comment in Word 2007, for instance, you must look under the Review tab instead of the Insert tab. We had the hardest time locating commands from Word 2003's Editing and Tools menus.

Clicking the Office 2007 logo in the upper-left corner drops down a menu of staple functions-such as opening, saving, and printing files-that were under Word 2003's File menu. At first, you'll need to wander around to find what's moved from prior versions of Word. Some tabs don't show up until you might need them for example, you must select a picture to bring up its formatting tab. Instead of the old, gray drop-down menus atop the page, Microsoft's new and very colorful Ribbon clumps common features into tabs: Home, Insert, Page Layout, References, Mailings, Review, and View. Once you have Word 2007 running, you will notice a completely redesigned toolbar, now known as the Ribbon, with many familiar commands in new places. Our reviews of Microsoft Office 2007 detail the installation process and the ingredients of each edition. You'll have to be online to access services later, such as Help and How-To as well as Clip Art and document templates. Our installation of various Office suites on Windows XP computers took between 10 and 20 minutes, which was quicker than prior editions of Office. It's easier to get a handle on document security, but those who only need basic typing features may not want to relearn the interface or deal with the new file formats. Bloggers and researchers may also benefit. New picture-editing tools help you deck out documents and play with fancy fonts. With this update, Microsoft Word 2007 becomes a more image-conscious application. Microsoft Word 2007's document types, interface, and some features-very nearly every aspect of this word processor-have changed.

Download microsoft office words for free