Convenience = Efficiency: Customize Quick Access Toolbar

Convenience is important to me. I want the features that I use regularly to be one click away. With the Ribbon, that is not always the case. In previous versions of Word, for example, there are options on the toolbar that I use for all types of documents: Save, Print, New Document to name a few. In Word 2010, if I’ve clicked the Format tab, I don’t have access to those features. It’s inconvenient to click back to the Home or some other tab to find them. The Quick Access toolbar gives me the convenience I crave. I can add all the features that I want accessible no matter which tab I’ve clicked.

Office 2010 Time to Jump In

Update: One of the most useful things I have found since this post is the Search Commands tool. I cover this in the following post: Search Commands from Microsoft Labs.

I have been working with Office 2010 for a few months. I skipped over Office 2007, only using it when convenient. My excuse? Too many of my clients were still using Office 2003 plus I was very efficient for my day to day work. Without the push from my clients, I lagged behind. When 2010 came out I decided to take the plunge and I’m glad I waited. Microsoft made some minor enhancements that make it more intuitive. My clients are starting to request Office 2010. Time to jump in, with both feet, NOW.  Here are THREE free resources I’ve found to be helpful in my quest to get comfortable. If you are still struggling with 2007, the same resources are available for Office 2007.

1. Interactive Guide to Menu and toolbar commands for Office 2010

2. Printable list of Office 2010 commands and buttons

3. Ribbon Hero 2 – an Educational game

Following is a brief description of each.

Windows 7 – Four First Impressions

I recently bought a new laptop with Windows 7. I didn’t even try upgrading my old Windows XP computer to Windows 7, as a matter of fact, I’ve never upgraded an operating system. I have gotten used to the Start menu not saying, Start. I’m still getting used to other differences such as the disappearance of the Quick Launch toolbar. Read on to see 4 of my first impressions.

Easy to Pin items

I discovered how simple it is to pin items to the task bar or the start menu: Right click on a menu item and choose Pin to Taskbar or Pin to Menu. Now my task bar combines the old functionality of the Quick Launch toolbar with new functionality.