Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003
Software Review by Lee RiceDuring installation I was given a choice of Add/Remove features; Reinstall/Repair MS Office 2003 to original State or Uninstall MS Office Professional 2003.
I elected to install 2003 over Office XP and it updated XP in a matter of minutes but then began wondering how it could have accomplished all that upgrading in such a short time. So I uninstalled Office XP and did a complete install which took ten to fifteen minutes. I immediately went to Office 2003 Update, searched for updates that occurred after production of the boxed version, which I installed. No need to restart the computer after the installation.I opened MS Word 2003 as I have used it several years and am always excited to try all the new features Microsoft dreams up each year. I am never disappointed because they just continue to make it better and better. Some of the new features are Improved Readability, Support for XML Documents, Ink Devices, Document Protection, and Compare Documents Side by Side, and on and on. I even had the opportunity to use the language translation from English to French. Wow!
MS Excel 2003 is a program I have also used extensively. As an example set up a spreadsheet that automatically calculates the mileage, amount of gas and cost per gallon on my car from the time I bought it. It is interesting to see the different mileage you get according to the type driving done. It is especially helpful when using various charts to display your data in pretty much whatever way you desire. Another thing I like is the ease in transferring between the MS applications. Flexibility for data exchange is a major benefit to using Excel.
I had not used MS Outlook 2003 till now, but am very impressed by what I’ve seen thus far. I especially like the Calendar where I entered appointments, meetings, birthdays, etc. I like the fact you have complete control as to how long you wish the item to display, frequency, such as yearly (good for birthdays), and you may select any day or days of the week for reminders. Example – you go to gym Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7Am, but on Tuesday and Thursday you go at 9AM. You have the option of setting these up as well as several others.
Additionally, MS Outlook 2003 provides multiple calendars side-by-side that are inside the Outlook Calendar Window. All the calendars are color-coded. Nice.
The Junk E-Mail Filter is pretty neat. I like the fact I have the ability of selecting various factors, content, etc and that messages meeting the criteria are automatically directed to the Junk E-Mail Folder for later viewing.
I had no trouble moving my Outlook Express addresses, e-mail messages, or my Provider’s setting. I simply went to File/Import/Chose the Action/cleared unwanted boxes, then selected the data I wished to be imported. There it was! In a great format, considerably better than in Outlook Express. I love it! So much more info and data just a couple key strokes away.But then I hit a snag…I installed the program on my laptop and everything worked just fine except - MS Outlook 2003 would not work! After trying several times to resolve the problem, I called Microsoft Support and was very pleased with the assistance they provided. About an hour later Outlook was working smoothly on the laptop.
I only glanced at MS Access 2003 but have plans to make full use of the many new features. Reading some of the "Help" sections I can see that data storing and retrieval, design solutions, information sharing, etc. are a snap to implement. I’m anxious to input data and begin using the enhanced features available to me.
MS Publisher 2003 offers the ability to merge data sources using images and text, offers 45 design master sets you may use to design your own web site, and connects to product databases. Step by step guidance is provided, allowing you to set your web site goals by choosing from several selections. There are so many new features it is exciting trying them. I did note that compatibility only goes back to Publisher 2000.
Outlook Business Contact Manager is an application that offers features for Small Businesses for generating customer reports and e-mailing customers.
Office 2003 is a worthy upgrade for many users, especially persons still in an existing Office 97 or 2000 user base. The tools it provides offers a powerful productivity experience that makes information accessible, controllable and connected for you the user.
Minimum requirements: 260 MB Free Disk space, 128 MB RAM ,Windows® 2000 with Service Pack 3 or Windows® XP or later, Intel Pentium, 233 MHz, and Super VGA (800x600 pixels),
Retails from MicroSoft for $499 with a $100 mail-in rebate coupon included in the box, though checking on line I located it for $299.99 with free shipping. But always check locally as bargains are to be found.
MS Office Professional 2003 is a great tool both for small businesses and the home user. I love having so much to select from. I could never be satisfied with anything less. You can see I highly recommend MS Office Professional 2003.Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6399
425-635-7222
http://www.microsoft.com/office