2010 offers some great improvements over Office 2007: Customizable ribbons and the File tab instead of the silly MS Button (which confused everyone), combined with improved graphics and font options are fantastic!! Office 2010 combines the best of older versions (2003, etc.) with the best of 2007. It would be a real winner except . . . .
Microsoft's decision to throw loyal customers under the bus in favor of "simplified pricing" means upgrade costs are prohibitive! Don't be duped into buying the "activation key" card, thinking of it as an upgrade path. The "Activation Key" version can ONLY be installed on one computer - Ever!! It cannot be transferred if you upgrade or change primary work systems - Doesn't even sound like it be reinstalled if you have to reinstall the OS for some reason. Given increasing competition from online apps and a tight economy -- Microsoft needs to seriously reconsiders its pricing structure!!!
Others are buying Office 2007 - thinking they can simply download and install Office 2010 as an upgrade - but I believe the same restrictions as the "Activation Key" will be in effect. Microsoft Office Home & Business 2010 Product Key Card
This is like an OEM version - only one installation and one activation. Forget about installing it on more than one computer like the disc/retail version. Also, forget about moving it to another computer and getting it activated again (legally anyway).
I'd stay away from this unless you are absolutely sure that you will only be installing it and activating it on one computer AND that you will never want to move it to another computer in the future. Otherwise, pay a little more and get the non-PKC version that lets you install it on a desktop and notebook computer and move the license to another computer if you ever need or want to.
For a little more money, the non-PKC version is a much better value for many.
I am writing this after multiple conversations with Microsoft Tech Support.
Bottom line: Although Business Client Manager was included in Office 2007 Small Business, you have to purchase the Standard or Professional Version with multiple licenses before it is part of Outlook 2010.
For small business owners who owned Office 2007 Small Business, this is a major take away. Home and Business is in the same price range as 2007 Small Business was. 'Business' is in the name of both, so I assumed that it would have the same components. Now that it's installed, it would be major upheaval to try and go back to the previous version. We're talking hundreds of dollars more to purchase their minimum.
Nothing in Amazon's description states that BCM is there, nor does it warn you that it has been removed.
I told the Microsoft rep that, although I am not an attorney, the way this has been done might be opening themselves up to a class action lawsuit.
Buyer beware.
For $40 more, you can get 2 licenses to install on 2 different PC's by buying the disc version. However, this is a great productivity package, see my review of it here: Microsoft Office 2010 Home & Business (Disc Version).
This just isn't a good deal if you have a 2nd machine you could use the suite on.
Will not load up. "Support" is a hellish "run-around" between infinite voice options which never connect you to a person, but untimately only shove you off to a web site where you can leave frustrated e-mails. Then microsoft "doubles down" by trying to sell those (like me) who purchased a valid "product key car" a supplemental CD for $14 + tax and shipping.
This is unconscionable neglect for a product touted as the "greatest office suite in the world".
I bought a key card copy from Staples and it worked just fine. You can download a "backup" copy from Microsoft and then install. I did so and it was a very easy process (I was installing on a fresh Windows 7 PC). From what I can tell, it is re-installable again and again, just only for one PC. I think there have been some reports suggesting that it is a "one install only" setup. I'm pretty sure that's incorrect. If someone has experience with that, please let me know, but everything I can see says that I can reinstall someday.
I think the key card fills a niche that is certainly there.
I didn't like that there was no upgrade possibilities, but if the idea for Office is to start fresh, i'm all for it.
I regret wasting my money on this product.
I had a computer built to my specs as a Christmas present to myself and every cent of the $2000 was worth it EXCEPT buying MS Office 2010 Home and Business. Only Congress could have jammed so much pork on the front page of Word and Excel and still expected people to navigate or even understand it. Most people use the SAME FEW buttons over and over in Word and Excel. The 2003 version had the MOST used buttons front and center and the 2010 version shoves those off to the side or hides them in favor of the complicated buttons most people don't use and never even heard of. It takes an hour of navigation to type a simple Word document and more using Excel.
I DESPISE this MS 2010 version tremendously. It is THE WORSE PRODUCT I have purchased in 15 years.
They attempted to make the search engine easier and failed at that also.
Just found another problem with MS office 2010 that I NEVER had with MS office 2003 in all the years I used it- Their excel hangs up. I use excel a lot when I research things. Under Office 2003, I NEVER ONCE got a "Excel not responding" message but under 2010 which I have had only for a few weeks it has happened several times and it is a WORK STOPPAGE. You get a message that says Excel is not responding and it gives you one of 3 choices to click. I clicked try to find out what happened since I didn't save the info I last posted on it so I didn't want to close it. Minutes tick by and I hit CLOSE it and instead it said it was "researching why Excel wouldn't respond". GRRRRRRRRR tick tock tick tock tick tock wasting my time. DO NOT BUY MS Office 2010.
WARNING: Microsoft EXPORTED their customer service to the Philippines which is only one step up from the dreaded India exported customer service.
NOTE: I called Microsoft ITSELF and spoke with the CEO's secretary who took my name/number and said someone would call me back. A tech from the company did and HE SAID the front page could NOT be changed in any way. I could not suppress or move any of the icons. This was the same thing that was said earlier by the Microsoft's out of country "Manila" customer service representative AFTER 3 hours on the phone being transferred around.
_________________
February 2010 UPDATE:
Suddenly my Excel will not open. WTH? When you CLICK on a previously saved Excel 2010 folder, EXCEL opens the document but the words do NOT appear. This happened yesterday so I GOOGLED it. Low and behold, LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS ISSUE. Here is Microsoft's fix. There is no OPTIONS under file drop down list and under TOOLS where there is an OPTIONS choice and there is a GENERAL choice under that BUT there is no option for clicking the IGNORE OTHER APPLICATIONS. We paid good money for this software and should NOT have to go through this.
Excel opens with an error or without displaying a workbook
800-642-7676
Microsoft Excel 2010
1. Click the File tab, and then click Options.
2. Click Advanced, and then click to clear the Ignore other applications check box in the General area.
3. Click OK.
WORSE, I have ALWAYS had problems with Excel not being able to open more than one or two files at a time or it shuts down. In Googling how to FIX the above non-opening Excel issue, I found out Windows 7 is the culprit on this issue and it is also very common. I have windows 7 64bit with MS 2010 Home and Business. Below is the copy paste fix to THIS ISSUE.
Microsoft customer service. 800-642-7676 Keep asking for agent and customer service and ignore the press 1 etc.
Not able to open MULTIPLE EXCEL files at the same time Fix.
Got this from an outside source and thought I would share :)
In Windows 7 you have to edit the registry to remove DDE completely. This should work for Vista too. Check the "Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)" box in Excel -> Excel Options -> Advanced This alone might work for you by itself - didn't for me, I got an error every time I double-clicked on an excel document. BACK UP your registry.
Open regedit, browse to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Excel.Sheet.8\shell\Open Delete the ddeexec key, (or just rename it if you are worried - i just renamed it and it worked) Then click on the "command" key and replace the /e on the Default and command string in that key with "%1" Quotes around %1 are important. NO QUOTES MEANS NO WORKIE!!!!
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Excel.Sheet.8\shell\Open\command should look like this: (Default) REG_SZ "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12\EXCEL.EXE" "%1 command REG_MULTI_SZ vUpAVX!!!!!!!!!MKKSkEXCELFiles>tW{~$4Q]c@II=l2xaTO5 "%1"
Do the same for Excel.Sheet.12 Now Both .xls and .xlsx should open in new windows with no errors.
I have confirmed that the same problem occurs in Office 2010x64 (32bit probably also) when checking the dde option. This should fix All vista and windows 7 problems with opening excel in seperate windows :) Enjoy! - Office 2007 - Word - Ms Office 2007 - Excel'
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