Microsoft Office XP Standard [OLD VERSION]
by Microsoft Software

	List Price: $399.99 Category: Software See more product details and other editions

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Software Reviews of Microsoft Office XP Standard [OLD VERSION]

Customer Review: Computer Fools
Summary: 5 Stars

I am currently running Windows XP Professional, and love it. It is true that Office XP is not that much different than 2000, or 97 for that matter, but I would recommend it to somebody who doesn't have Office at all.

As for those people who think that Microsoft is an oppressive monopoly, why not use something else? I also run RedHat Linux and BeOS, they are both extremely capable operating systems. RedHat is packaged with StarOffice which is a very robust office suite. The reason why you don't choose non-Microsoft products is because, bottom line, they make the best software. Nothing comes close to the compatibility and functionality of the new Microsoft products. XP is just the beginning of more great products from Microsoft.

Customer Review: Comprehensively Useful
Summary: 5 Stars

You do need Word and Excel, and occassionally, PowerPoint. Learn basic word processing and spreadsheet usage. Shine in meetings with PowerPoint.

It lacks Access, but most people don't need the database strength of it, and will survive nicely with just Excel.

For e-mailing documents and files to coworkers, you can be confident they'll easily open Office files... there is a good chance they use it themselves.

Outlook is one of those highly underrated, but enormously useful applications to help you organize your contacts, schedule and tasks easily. You can use it as an e-mail reader as well, though that feature has been vulnerable to viruses.

Word is a huge program which can do far more than you'll need, but it will allow you versaility and simplicity that WordPerfect has yet to pull off.

Excel is a basic spreadsheet with incredible math functionality. I don't need most of the math tools, other than minor budgets and such. I find it handy for tracking my poetry submissions; I can see which magazine I sent which piece to when, and how and when they replied.

PowerPoint makes those cool slideshows with the text that can be animated on the screen. With the templates, you can look good without requiring a graphic design degree.

I fully recommend "Microsoft Office XP Standard." It is the business and home office standard. You need it, it is easy to learn, and the price is right.

Anthony Trendl

Customer Review: Waste of Money
Summary: 1 Stars

Pass on this one unless you, like me, have money to burn!

Customer Review: Buyer Beware!
Summary: 1 Stars

1: General Exclusivity

Manufacturers are requested to submit your drivers directly to Microsoft for approval before you try to peddle them to consumers.

2: Media Player 8

MP8 might lock out other codecs like MP3 and not allow them to make copies of their own music that they can play from their own hard drives. It is not so much about what MP8 can do, it is about what it can prevent us from doing with music and video that we already paid for.

3: Missing Features

Are we going to have a backup program like we did in the old days? Are we going to get dual monitor support in the home version like Windows 98 SE has? Are we going to get back the basic fax functionality we used to have? In order to get those features, we will have to buy a "Plus Pack" of some kind for another 50 dollars. They stripped those features from the home version and are forcing us to pay an extra 100 or 200 dollars to get the professional version.

4: Bundling Restrictions And Excessive Integration

Many of us feel uncomfortable that we are forced to use IE instead of Opera or Netscape browsers. We don't want all of that internet bloat-ware bundled into the basic operating system. We want to be able to uninstall IE and Outlook Express whenever we feel the urge. Not that we will necessarily, because both of those products are actually pretty good in their 6.x versions, but we want the option. What it boils down to is that we just want control over our Internet experience and our own applications. Is that too much to ask?

5: Security

We all know how insecure Outlook and IIS have been, but there are now concerns about changes in the XP Home Edition (and possibly other versions) that will provide support for unrestricted, full raw sockets. This is VERY scary.

6: Product Activation

This is a system designed primarily to prevent casual piracy. You know how you had to go buy a full copy of Windows 98 SE at the store because all your new computer came with was some stupid restore disk? You know how you went ahead and installed that copy of Windows 98 SE on your original machine as well as on the new one you just bought? Well, this technology will stop you from doing that. Why all the fuss? Because in part, people do pirate operating systems on a casual basis. They hate that they are forced to pay upgrade fees for what they consider to be bug fixes anyway. They hate that they have to put up with those bloated, OEM installs from Dell, Gateway and others who put everything from AOL to Walmart advertisements in the Start menu. They want to be able to do a clean install of the basic OS without all of that junk getting in the way, so they take a copy that they bought or got from a friend and use that single copy to install it on all of their machines. After all, almost every single computer you can buy comes with Windows on it, so why can't you just install the version you want the way you want and be done with it? Because according to the licensing terms, that is totally illegal, that's why.

I am not Anti-Microsoft just anti XP. Buyer beware.

Customer Review: Like Office 2000? Like Office 2000.
Summary: 3 Stars

A point-by-point comparison of the latest and the last version of the suite is not necessary, as they are virtually identical. Aside from minor enhancements, the only noticeable new feature is a MS Works-like "task pane" which takes up valuable screen real estate (thankfully, it is easily disabled). Perhaps the most talked about aspects of the new Office are the Activation Wizard (which restricts multiple installations) and the fact that "Clippy" doesn't appear as often. I am rather annoyed that I will probably have to call Redmond after upgrading my new PC, but given rampant software piracy, I understand the motivation (let he who has no "offsite backups" cast the first stone). And let's face facts: if you can't figure out how to turn off the talking paper clip, you probably need the talking paper clip!

Bottom line: the money you save buying Office 2000 will more than make up for any "features" in XP you miss. Move quickly - soon you won't have the choice.