Getting Started with Office 2007
One of the first questions users ask when working with the new Office 2007 versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint is "how do I save my document?" The other question is "what happened to the Menu Bar?" This tip will address these key questions by introducing users to the Microsoft Office Button and the Ribbon.
Remember, if you have ideas for the Computing Tip of the Week, please send them to Pat Fellows.
Also, the new training web site is located at: http://www.uwex.uwc.edu/it/instruct-support/training.cfm . There users will find links to many useful Office 2007 training documents, videos, and web sites. We encourage you to check out this site first when you have questions about Office 2007.
A quick update regarding last week's tip, two of our ITS staff sent me another method for sending documents to Public Folders. Check out the updated tip online at: http://www.uwex.uwc.edu/outlook/tips/?file=2008-09-12.
The Microsoft Office Button
The Microsoft Office Button is found in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access in the new interface. Outlook will look a little different when you log in, but users won't see the new interface, including the Microsoft Office Button and Ribbon, until an item like a mail message is opened.
The Microsoft Office Button 
is found in the upper left corner of the application. This is an example of the button in MS Word:
Knowing about the Button is key because many tasks we use often are found on the menu of the MS Office Button. The image below is a bit busy, however it shows users where the Save and Print buttons are located. These are the two items new users can't locate when first using Office 2007. These buttons along with other useful tools are marked by red stars.
In addition, notice there is a button to get to Word Options. It also has a new look. Commonly, users will go to Word Options to set options for how Word should behave. Examples include the default location where documents are Saved. It also allows the user to Customize Toolbars (this will be covered next week) and much more. A CTOW will be dedicated to explaining the Word Options dialog box.
The Pins 
located on the right side of the menu allow users to "Pin" a document to the Recent Documents list. If there is a document that is used regularly or is a current project, Pin it to the Recent Documents list.
Finally, the Exit Word button is located in the lower right corner of the menu. Users can also click on the X in the upper right corner of an MS Office application to close it, as was the case in previous versions.
The Ribbon
As was already mentioned the Ribbon is a key part of the new interface in MS Office 2007. There is a great handout located at http://www.uwex.uwc.edu/it/instruct-support/MSOffice2007/Office2007UserInterface.pdf . What follows is a basic overview of some of the Ribbon's features.
Office Button: See description above.
Quick Access Toolbar: Access common commands. This toolbar can be customized by adding other buttons to the toolbar. One example might be to add a "Quick Print" option. The Quick Access Toolbar can also be moved so it is visible below the Ribbon.
Tabs: Click on the various Tabs to access groupings of Tools and Commands. In MS Word, the Tabs include: Home, Insert, Page Layout References, Mailings, Review, View, and more.
Groups: Related tools and commands that are grouped on a tab. For example, all the tools and commands related to Fonts are in a group, including font types, size, color, bold, italics and more.
Dialog Boxes: When a arrow like this one: 
is shown in a Group, a user can access Dialog Boxes that will look almost identical to the Dialog Boxes in Office 2003. These Dialog Boxes provide users with more tools.
Lists and Galleries: Arrows like these two, a list arrow - 
and a gallery arrow - 
will give the user access to a List or Gallery like these:
The really COOL new feature in Office 2007 allows the user to highlight text and then hover of items in lists or galleries and the look of highlighted text will change to the item the user hovers over. It is isn't acceptable, then move on to the next option. The item will continue to change it looks until the user clicks on one or clicks back on the main page of the document. Try this with the font or color of the font. It really is a nice new feature.
This is a great start to understanding the Ribbon and MS Office Button. There is more, but these are the first tasks to master.
As always, suggestions are welcomed and Computing Tips are appreciated. Send them to Pat Fellows.