The familiar "File, Edit, ..." menus were first laid by the Macintosh UI in 1984 (the earlier Apple Lisa had a different arrangement) and they have been faithfully used the same way on Mac and Windows since then. Since then toolbar usage has grown so we have menus and toolbars (I have always found it a little strange to click a 'save' button vs using a menu or a shortcut but that's just me).
I have been a critic of the way in which we're stuck in the file/folder metaphor - I have always struggled with paper filing so figured it was a bad choice to model it on a computer but what alternative did we have? Actually treating the file system like a big-bucket is in my view a better approach and then using keywords and meta-data to extract them would be preferable. It's how I am operating using DevonThink Professional (Mac OS X only).
The late to market Windows Vista lost the new file system features which could have addressed that sort of filing system so I guess we're still 5-10 years away from being able to a radical rework of our 'file systems' - perhaps given the legacy of the last 20+ years of modern PCs we may not be able to easily break the metaphor.
Meanwhile back to where I started ... Microsoft in Office 2007 have changed the intrerface so that instead of 'File, Menu..' there's a dynamic ribbon containing the most relevant features you need. Despite seeing myself as progressive this is not a change I am welcoming (not sure it will be coming on a Mac). Is this change worth the relearning? In many ways the market will decide but realistically how much choice will many businesses have? Before long Microsoft will stop selling the old so you will need to have the new or switch to OpenOffice. In that sense this is a gamble and we should congratulate Microsoft for being willing to have a go. Let's hope the change is worth it.
Here's a comment from the Wall Street Journal [via SlashDot]
Carl Bialik from WSJ writes "Office 2007, coming out Jan. 30, is a 'radical revision,' writes the Wall Street Journal's Walter S. Mossberg. 'The entire user interface, the way you do things in these familiar old programs, has been thrown out and replaced with something new. In Word, Excel and PowerPoint, all of the menus are gone — every one. None of the familiar toolbars have survived, either. In their place is a wide, tabbed band of icons at the top of the screen called the Ribbon. And there is no option to go back to the classic interface.' He adds, 'It has taken a good product and made it better and fresher. But there is a big downside to this gutsy redesign: It requires a steep learning curve that many people might rather avoid.'"
Meanwhile over on LifeHacker you can see for yourself screenshots of the new interface.
Gina at LifeHacker says
I've only played with Office 2007 for a day or two, and my first impressions of the extreme interface changes is that they're clunky, distracting and bloated. However, others say it's a bold upgrade which is better - after you get used to it. Check out a few screengrabs of my most oft-used Office products - Excel and Word - all dressed up in their new 2007 version after the jump. (Use the "previous" link to click through the photos backwards - sorry all.) — Gina Trapani
