Searching for Office solutions

The switch from previous versions of the Microsoft Office Suite to Office 2007 is fraught with training troubles. The new Ribbon interface is a sea-change from the previous menu structure, and finding a command in the new version can prove troublesome. I had trouble again just this week finding a command for working with Headers (it is under the "Insert" tab, not the "View" tab, on the ribbon). Microsoft has (finally) admitted that maybe there really is a problem with the new UI. And they've decided to address this one, rather than how they're dealing with Vista's slow uptake.

There is now an new Microsoft-sponsored (and SharePoint driven) website called Office Labs. The site appears to focus on various tools that might make Office more user-friendly, and this seems to fit the bill.


Image from Microsoft

The Search Commands bit adds itself as a tab to Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The search is super fast and supports type-down, so the results get more specific the more you type. Even better, it not only puts the buttons on the results pane for you to use, it also tells you where you can find it next time, even if it is five clicks deep.

Developments like this make Office 2007 significantly more usable, especially for folks who are apprehensive to the change it entails. If nothing else, it should help cut down on help desk calls.