Geeky Gates on Office 12
p2p news / p2pnet:- Microsoft’s overall revenue for fiscal year ended June 30 was $40 billion, the crowd at the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference learned yesterday as Bill Gates unveiled his plans for the new Microsoft Office, Office 12.
During the dog and pony show, The multibillionaire also poked fun at his geeky image, drawing laughs from the crowd for his role in a video skit featuring actor Jon Heder reprising his uber-dweeb character from Napoleon Dynamite, says the Seattle Times.
The skit had Dynamite turning to Gates for help in making his uncle’s business more efficient. At one point, Gates handed him a box for the revamped Office suite of software. `Dang!` Dynamite said, nodding his head. `This thing has all kinds of new stuff. Sweeeet`.”
The previews of Windows and Office focused on their use of graphics to give consumers more, and easier, ways to manage information on the computer screen and, “We need to make it easier for people to visualize information that comes from different directions,” the story has Dynamite Gates saying.
Office 12 is a cash cow for Microsoft, even as it ventures further into areas such as Internet search and video games and because of that, Bill and the Boyz will, try to anticipate users’ tasks. With this in mind, Microsoft designers developed the system by tracking – with permission, the Times hastily points out – every keystroke of some Office users.
The idea is part of an industrywide trend toward personalizing technology. For example, Microsoft rival Google recently updated its desktop-search capability to present relevant information based on a user’s Web-surfing habits.
And to achieve this, manufacturers need direct access to users` systems, with all that implies.
Microsoft plans to release Office 12 in the second half of 2006, the same deadline as Windows Vista, says Reuters.
It`ll make the myriad of features in its family of programs, such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access and Outlook, more accessible to users with the new interface.
And, Driving new growth in Office is a key goal for Microsoft, since it – along with Windows – drives most of the Redmond, Washington software giant’s revenue, adds the story.
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See:-
Seattle Times – Office to be easier, Gates promises, September 14, 2005
Reuters – Microsoft previews next version of Office, September 13, 2005
September 14th, 2005 at 7:30 pm
I use openoffice. I use it for a reason. There are no fees to pay, no upgrades to deal with and pay yet again for, and the practice of Microsucks to charge such high fees for their inferior products leaves me feeling that I got robbed at the end of a gun.
With this sort of invasiveness will come all sorts of security issues and oppurtunities for hackers. Since security has been on the downside and seems to be an afterthought to Microsucks, I have no need of such programs and upgrades. Microsucks could have long ago developed a more secure OS and applications but have chosen not to do so. It is the openness of the software that allows Microsucks to gain more money by those that want to know what you do and where you go and this interests interfers with security issues.
Thanks but no thanks…
September 14th, 2005 at 9:26 pm
Office 12? Not moi. I won’t ‘open wide’ and let Bill and the Boyz down to the Pharm! My furrows not gonna be plowed, my strokes not gonna be counted nor logged nor whatever. ‘Scuse me, but if they can log it, then they know what it is, and if they know what it is they know what you is, if you take my meaning. Gosh Billie, I didn’t know your Uncle was a voyeur. Oh wait, your Uncle would dearly love to see that data, now wouldn’t he. How dumb can you get, or should I perhaps say “How dumb do they think we are?” Open wide, boys and girls, while I stick this in your…………. (Pick any words you like, they’re all pretty rude, but likely somewhat applicable in this situation, IMHO) I can think of lots of holes in this sort of thing. Having your office software phoning home every keystroke would let a lot of data go flopping around the ‘Net, and where it may go, NOBODY knows.
September 15th, 2005 at 2:04 am
I use openoffice also, it’s much nicer than MS office even if it is written in java. I have it installed on xp and my gentoo linux partition
To be honest, for atleast the last 3 versions of office have been wildly overcomplicated and burdened with features and options. I think they forgot what we actually want with wordprocessor/spreadsheet.
Unbloated, simple and focused. Thats what we want from an office suite, not all these bells and whistles that bombard us with options and choices.