subject: Microsoft Word 2010 - New Features in MS Word 2010 [print this page] Microsoft Word 2010 - New Features in MS Word 2010
Microsoft Word 2010 remedied some of the shortcomings of Word 2007: the FILE menu returns to the Office ribbon (which is now customisable) for example. However, it also introduces some nice new ideas. This article lists some of the main new features, and considers whether you should upgrade or not.
The Return of the File Menu
We like the Office 2007 ribbon, but Microsoft clearly got bad feedback about the Office button, and have reinstated the File tab on the ribbon (a menu in all but name).
Customisable Ribbon
Likewise, Microsoft probably went a step too far in buttoning down the quick access toolbar in Word 2007, and have now provided the ability to create new ribbons and customimse existing ones.
Easier Ways to Find Text
When finding text in Word, the software now highlights every instance of the Word that you are seeking in your document, and makes it much easier to move between search strings.
Screen Shots
In common with the other MS Office applications, you can now take a screen shot in Word (you've always been able to do this by pressing ALT + PRTSCREEN, but it wasn't very flexible).
Artistic Effects
Picture editing is much more extensive in Word, although we hope Microsoft don't lose sight of the fact that it's meant to be a word processing package. One particularly nice feature allows you to remove part of the background of any picture.
There are a fair few other minor features, but these are the ones which caught our eye.
As to whether it's worth upgrading - we'd have to say no. If you're happily using Word 2007, you're not really missing much, unless you work with pictures in Word all the time. And at this point we have to confess that we still write all of our courseware in Word 2003! Luddites? Us?
