All about Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, Microsoft 365, Office 2021 and earlier versions.
Sending a Christmas email
It’s too late for Christmas cards but not too late for a simple Xmas Email.We’re the first to admit that sending a Christmas email isn’t the most traditional method but it can be done with good cheer and grace. Here’s just one example from a friend and some tips from the writer and designer of […]
Word for Mac can’t print backgrounds
Workarounds for a curious omission in Microsoft Word for Mac. Eileen B writes: “I designed an awesome certificate, but the background won’t print. I’m working on a Mac.” Eileen has been using the tips and supplied certificates in our popular ebook “Creative Certificates with Word“. This includes sample certificates like this one, made in Word […]
Office 2003 ‘protected’ documents bug
A new Office 2003 bug that stops you opening documents. There’s a new Office 2003 bug but it doesn’t affect most users and almost certainly not home or small business customers. If you have Microsoft’s Rights Management Service (RMS) in your organization then documents protected with that system might not be openable in Word 2003, […]
Making a Workspace in Office Live workspace
What to watch for when making a place for your documents. Once you’re setup Office Live Workspace you have to create one or more workspaces to put documents in. Before creating a workspace it’s worth keeping in mind a big limitation of Office Live Workspaces – sharing permissions are only available at the workspace level, […]
Office Live Workspace – the setup
How to get started with Office Live Workspace – assuming that you want to. Microsoft’s Office Live Workspace (OLW) is a free file sharing and online storage service. In the workspace you can create, save, access, edit and share documents with Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, etc. It is something similar to Google Documents […]
How NASA Runs Microsoft Outlook From Space — and Why It Works
When the Space Shuttle Atlantis orbits Earth, its crew checks email using something you probably have on your own desk right now: Microsoft Outlook. NASA runs a stripped-down version of Outlook 2003 on standard laptops in orbit, powered by Exchange Server, but with a twist that no office on Earth would recognize. Instead of a […]
Clever Outlook Contacts on Kindle
Our popular Outlook guide is now available for Kindle device and Windows software. We’re delighted to announce the release of our Clever Outlook Contacts book on Amazon for worldwide distribution on your PC or Kindle device. It’s the same ebook as we’ve sold to thousands of people over the years, complete with full color images […]
A preview of Office Web Application demos
Beware, we’ve seen a live OWA demo and it has the usual Microsoft fudging. If the demo of Microsoft Office Web Applications (OWA) that we’ve seen is any guide, the audience will have to be very careful to pick truth as it edges into lies. A favorite trick in the OWA demos will be to […]
Christmas Cheer with Office – Premium edition out now
A new yuletide e-book for making cards, letters etc with Microsoft Office. Christmas Cheer with Office – PREMIUM Edition, is the new yuletidee-book from the makers of the Organizing Outlook Email, Eye-Catching Signs with Word and the Office Watch newsletters. Office Watch head honcho, Peter Deegan has teamed up with professional graphic designer, Maryjane Almer […]
Microsoft Office – statistics reality check
Redmond boasts about MS Office are excessive or merely what you’d expect. As part of the Office 2010 hype, Microsoft has given some numbers to the reach of their Office suite. But as usual, these numbers need a reality check. They seem to be either excessive or merely what you’d expect given Microsoft’s promotion of Office. […]
The new OWA
Microsoft has two products called OWA – which one is which? Microsoft has two browser-based products with the same acronym. Anyone who has worked in an organization with Exchange Server will know about ‘Outlook Web Access’ – it’s a way to get to your email from a browser instead of needing Outlook. It’s great for […]
Windows Live login – get one now
Prepare for Office Web Applications – get a Windows Live login. A prerequisite for using the public version of Office Web Applications (browser versions of Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Onenote) will be having a Windows Live login. We’re suggesting that you get a Windows Live login now, before you decide that you want to try […]
Office Web Applications – half measures for now
If you get access to Office via your browser, what’s on offer now? Only half. Microsoft is gradually rolling out browser-based versions of Word, Excel, Powerpoint and OneNote. If you have a Windows Live / Hotmail login you might receive an invitation to join the pre-release trials. If you accept the invitation, what do you […]
Zune HD features for Office users
Microsoft offers nothing for Office users in their new Zune Microsoft has released its new Zune HD in the USA and it’s hard to get at all excited about it compared to the Apple iTouch. It really is amazing to see the Zune stumble from version to version in a closed world of its own, […]
Microsoft to stop selling Word & Office? – don’t think so
A court has ordered sales of Word to cease – but it won’t happen. A judge in Texas has decreed that Microsoft has to stop selling Word within 60 days, as part of losing one round in a patent dispute. If it went ahead, that means Microsoft would have to stop selling not just Word […]
Windows 7 coming – should Office users bother?
You can buy Windows 7 soon – should Office users bother? Windows 7 is now ‘RTM’ Released to Manufacturing which is Microsoft speak to say that all the programming and testing is done – now they make the DVD’s and boxes as well as fully unleashing the marketing mavens. We’ve been using Windows 7 through […]