Amazon.com Review
Microsoft Office XP's empowering document design tools, integration of voice recognition functionality, and impressive network- and Web-based sourcing capabilities should be enough to convince those interested in saving time and consolidating effort to take the leap.
In keeping with Microsoft's much-ballyhooed .NET strategy, Office XP introduces several features that utilize the vast infosphere inhabited by the 21st-century desk jockey. Smart tags beckon underneath recognized objects like misspellings or symbols, offering a stock quote here, a synonym there, or "Would anyone care to configure my auto-correction list?" The task pane looks similar to Microsoft Internet Explorer's Explorer Bar, and acts like an open tool chest pulled up alongside each application in the suite, providing readily configured searches for information or multimedia files. Putting up a team Web site that tracks projects and serves as an information hub requires only the use of one of the included templates, ready to be customized and uploaded to the server.
The Send for Review feature further streamlines the collaborative process by allowing the sender to view revisions made by multiple parties within the framework of the original document. Outlook now features a color-coded calendar and easier meeting management, along with instant messaging and variable e-mail account access. All user system errors can be tracked globally, and then network security settings modified remotely while anti-virus and debugging IT resources are diverted accordingly.
After firing up Microsoft Word, typing "Dear Somebody," and hitting the Enter key, we made a startling discovery. Up popped Clippy, Microsoft's publicly pink-slipped office assistant. Clippy might have aptly announced, "Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated," but instead predictably observed, "It looks like you're writing a letter." Once the groans of disbelief had subsided, we quickly right-clicked and banished Clippy to the silicon ether, presumably forever. --Dominic Johnson--This review refers to Office XP Standard Edition
Product Description
Microsoft Office XP 2002 Professional. Microsoft Office XP 2002 Professional includes: Word XP; Excel XP; Outlook XP; PowerPoint XP; Access XP. The most significant version of Office ever released, Microsoft Office XP Professional integrates productivity innovations throughout its programs to transform the traditional Office suite into a smarter overall work experience. By simplifying productivity, enabling collaboration for everyone, and extending Office beyond the desktop, Office XP Professional streamlines how people work with information and one another, making it easier for everyone to create, share, and analyze important data. In addition to the core Office XP programs - Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint - Office XP Professional includes Microsoft Access 2002, the Office XP database solution that helps users store, access, and analyze their data. Whether you're working on your PC, company intranet or the Web, new context-sensitive Smart Tags pop up with the options you need - right when you need them. No digging through menus! Now tasks that once required multiple steps are just one click away. The secret? The new Task Pane. The bottom line? You'll use more of the software features in Office XP, to get more done in less time. Relax. Your work is safe with Office XP because AutoRecover saves it at regular intervals while you work. Prone to sudden power outages? Relax again. Document Recovery is designed to save your PC's work-in-progress. Microsoft Office XP 2002 Professional System Requirements; Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me), Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 6 (SP6) or later, Windows 2000, or Windows XP or later. 24 MB RAM if using Windows 98, 32 MB RAM if using Windows ME or NT, 64 MB RAM if using Windows 2000...
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