OT: Office XP Small Business

[Ragnarok]

I searched high and low and cannot find what software is bundled with Office XP SB. Does anyone here know what is included with it? One of our employees here at work is looking for a computer and he is asking for certain programs and I would like to know what is included with OXPSB.

Thanks for the help.

[Will]

Well, quick searches on Microsoft's site yielded cryptic information... they're more concerned about telling you about the wonderful document workspaces http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif than what actual software you get.

But, from experience, I would assume that it would include Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Visio, and Publisher. They might still be including FrontPage, if anyone would actually WANT to use that.

[Ragnarok]

Originally posted by Will:
Well, quick searches on Microsoft's site yielded cryptic information... they're more concerned about telling you about the wonderful document workspaces http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif than what actual software you get.

But, from experience, I would assume that it would include Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Visio, and Publisher. They might still be including FrontPage, if anyone would actually WANT to use that. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yeah, I couldn't find anything worthwhile on Microsofts site. They were more then happy to lend out information regarding Work Suite, but the information for OXPSB was as you said, cryptic. But thanks for the information, I was guessing it would include those programs, but I just wanted to make sure before I told anyone else. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[ January 14, 2004, 20:59: Message edited by: Ragnarok ]

[Atrocities]

Originally posted by Will:
Well, quick searches on Microsoft's site yielded cryptic information... they're more concerned about telling you about the wonderful document workspaces http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif than what actual software you get.

But, from experience, I would assume that it would include Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Visio, and Publisher. They might still be including FrontPage, if anyone would actually WANT to use that. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">what would you recommend other than front page?

[Katchoo]

I checked out the Staples website and found this description of MS Office XP for SB:

http://www.staples.ca/products/catalog/skuset.asp?SuperCategoryId=3&skusetid=17599

It's an upgrade copy, but it should give you the details you need.

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Fyron]

Originally posted by Atrocities:
what would you recommend other than front page? <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Notepad? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif www.editplus.com (http://www.editplus.com) has good formatting stuff for color-coded tags. Macromedia has a Dreamweaver program that is similar to Frontpage IIRC, but would definitely be better. What exactly do you use Frontpage to do? If just writing HTML code, then a super-notepad program like Edit Plus 2 is all you would need. If you want the ability to just graphically move stuff around without having to write the actual HTML, I think Macromedia Dreamweaver can do that. Google is your friend. Sometimes your enemy as well, but usually friendly. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[Thermodyne]

Here you go, quotes on request http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif


Office XP 2003 SB

- Word 2003
- Excel 2003
- Outlook 2003
- PowerPoint 2003
- Publisher 2003
- Microsoft Outlook 2003 With Business Contact Manager

Word 2003

Microsoft Office Word 2003, the latest Version of the best-selling word processor, takes customer experience and feedback to deliver innovations you can use to create impressive-looking documents and help you work better together.

Excel 2003

Microsoft Office Excel 2003 enables you to turn data into information with powerful tools to analyze, communicate, and share results. Excel 2003 can help you work better in teams, and help protect and control access to your work. In addition, you can work with industry-standard Extensible Markup Language (XML) data to make it easier to connect to business processes.

Outlook 2003

Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003 provides an integrated solution for managing and organizing e-mail Messages, schedules, tasks, notes, contacts, and other information. Outlook 2003 delivers innovations you can use to manage your communications, organize your work, and work better with others—all from one place. Outlook 2003 uses an advanced Junk E-Mail Filter, a Trusted Senders List, and other features to better control the junk e-mail Messages—or spam—you receive.

PowerPoint 2003

Microsoft Office PowerPoint® 2003 includes new tools to help you create, present, and collaborate on presentations that have more impact.

Publisher 2003

Publisher 2003 is the marketing materials solution that helps you create professional publications for print, the Web, and e-mail—in-house. Start easy, finish fast, with familiar Microsoft Office System menus, toolbars, and features.

Or there is Pro

Microsoft Office 2003 Professional Includes:

- Word 2003
- Excel 2003
- Outlook 2003
- PowerPoint 2003
- Access 2003
- Publisher 2003
- Outlook 2003 with Business Contact Manager 2003


Word 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft Office Word 2003, the latest Version of the best-selling word processor, takes customer experience and feedback to deliver innovations you can use to create impressive-looking documents and help you work better together.


Excel 2003

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft Office Excel 2003 enables you to turn data into information with powerful tools to analyze, communicate, and share results. Excel 2003 can help you work better in teams, and help protect and control access to your work. In addition, you can work with industry-standard Extensible Markup Language (XML) data to make it easier to connect to business processes.


Outlook 2003

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003 provides an integrated solution for managing and organizing e-mail Messages, schedules, tasks, notes, contacts, and other information. Outlook 2003 delivers innovations you can use to manage your communications, organize your work, and work better with others—all from one place. Outlook 2003 uses an advanced Junk E-Mail Filter, a Trusted Senders List, and other features to better control the junk e-mail Messages—or spam—you receive.


PowerPoint 2003

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft Office PowerPoint® 2003 includes new tools to help you create, present, and collaborate on presentations that have more impact.


Access 2003

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft Office Access 2003 provides a powerful set of tools that are sophisticated enough for professional developers, yet easy to learn for new Users. Now everyone in your organization can create or use powerful database solutions that make organizing, accessing, and sharing information easier than ever.


Publisher 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Publisher 2003 is the marketing materials solution that helps you create professional publications for print, the Web, and e-mail—in-house. Start easy, finish fast, with familiar Microsoft Office System menus, toolbars, and features.

[Thermodyne]

Office XP 2004 is out, but no deals on it yet. Also, Frontpage is a stand alone product.

[JayBdey]

Why would you WANT Microsoft Office? Open Office is free and is less bloated.

http://www.openoffice.org/about.html

[Will]

Originally posted by JayBdey:
Why would you WANT Microsoft Office? Open Office is free and is less bloated.

http://www.openoffice.org/about.html <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Because damn near everyone in the business world already has Microsoft Office, gets MS Office files from other people/divisions/companies/etc. and the support for the MS file formats were lacking Last time I checked Open Office (can open basic documents, but if you start to get freaky with the comments, track changes, columns, tables, etc, like most business people I've met like to do, Open Office chokes). Because there are a lot of people that are computer illiterate, and only understand MS Office because of a 20-hour certification class -- any other software, even if it does the same thing, will confuse these people. And because a lot of companies still don't trust free/open source software.

Open Office is doing a good job so far, but they're still going to be a niche application suite for the more technically-inclined in the near future.

[Instar]

Originally posted by Atrocities:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Originally posted by Will:
Well, quick searches on Microsoft's site yielded cryptic information... they're more concerned about telling you about the wonderful document workspaces http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif than what actual software you get.

But, from experience, I would assume that it would include Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Visio, and Publisher. They might still be including FrontPage, if anyone would actually WANT to use that. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">what would you recommend other than front page? </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">This may sound crazy but I have started using Visual Studio .NET 2003 to edit HTML pages. The code it makes is amazingly clean for an WYSIWYG editor, and you can flip between source and design quickly. The editor does lack a lot of cool features that I had in Dreamweaver though, but I got the VS .NET for free, Dreamweaver probably costs a bazillion dollars.

[Ragnarok]

Originally posted by Instar:
The editor does lack a lot of cool features that I had in Dreamweaver though, but I got the VS .NET for free, Dreamweaver probably costs a bazillion dollars. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I think to buy Dreamwaever as standalone (not in any package deals with Fireworks, etc) is around $350.00 . One of the employees bought it here at work for his own personal use. It is a rather steap price to pay for a program.

[rdouglass]

Originally posted by Instar:
...This may sound crazy but I have started using Visual Studio .NET 2003 to edit HTML pages. The code it makes is amazingly clean for an WYSIWYG editor, and you can flip between source and design quickly... <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">That's nice to hear since I just got my Version and have yet to install it - all 7 CD's worth! I admit it; I'm a FrontPage user but I use it primarily to maintain sites and structure and rely very little of FP's WYSIWYG or 'bot capabilities. I write all my DB conn's by hand, etc. but FP does have some nice plug-in capabilities that do come in handy for 3rd party add-ins.

I got VS.NET 2K3 Pro primarily to assist in build COM objects for .NET since I'm needing to port many of my "things" to Data Grids, etc. (You got it for free! I paid $511 US for it!!!)

And to all those "hardcore" HTML writers that insist on using only notepad (and you know who you are .. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif ), I do agree NotePad (or even vi for you old-time UNIX afficionadoes) has its place and will never leave my toolbox. Sometimes a basic text editor and a good grasp of HTML just can't be improved on.

Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your point of view, MicroSoft still does a few things OK once in a while; in fact, somethings are downright easy and good... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif Not ALL things but SOME things. I just seem to get a lot more work done lately using MS products (and I have tried many other products and platforms - been doing this since '81 which is pre-Windows!!!)

...and of course what will says about the business world being MS-oriented. It would be nice if I could do my own thing with my own "free" tools, but working in the business world, I do have to interface with said world. Hence the MS bag-o-software...

Just my $.02

[Karibu]

Yes. Dreamweaver would be my choise for HTML editor. I use it and I like it.

[Will]

I've worked a bit with Dreamweaver, and like it. Plus when I look at the code, I am not overcome with the sudden urge to run away screaming. FrontPage, Last time I saw it used, just made me increadibly pissed off when I viewed the code. What made me run away screaming was a webpage that a friend of mine "made", in Word. With the save as HTML option. Ugliest thing I've seen in my life, and that includes the time I had to go through some C source code that was stripped of all whitespace.

But yeah, I do everything in a plain-text editor. The one I use is called Metapad, makes things a bit easier by having the option to save as ASCII or Unicode, in both DOS and UNIX formats. Plus a few other things that make my life a bit simpler. Only other thing I might want is syntax highlighting, but I can always just telnet in and use EMACS for that http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

And Instar, I think you've been having a bit too much fun with VS.NET. Look what programming COBOL has done to you! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Fyron]

Yes, COBOL is an evil mistress. But Visual Studio is the best IDE on the market...

[Ragnarok]

Thanks for the information Thermodyne, that will come in handy. And thanks to everyone else for their help as well.
Dreamweaver MX 2004 is the best WYSIWYG editor out there, but I still prefer to do all my HTML coding by hand as Dreamweaver tends to mess some code up to old standards at times.