This article is a discussion on how one can use Microsoft office 2003 effectively. In this article, Randall explains the different ways through which one can improve his speed and accuracy while using Microsoft office. These ways are what Randall calls Microsoft tips and tricks. The five tips explained by the article touches mainly on Microsoft Office Outlook and Word.
For instance the first tip highlights the usefulness of the control key to Microsoft Office Outlook. The other tips talk about some of the important features of Microsoft Word 2003. Although this article is consistent with earlier knowledge on Microsoft product, I do not recommend people to read it as it is outdated. Nonetheless, this paper presents a summary and a short critique of the article.
Randall summarizes five tips in this article. The first tip explains how the control key makes Microsoft outlook easier to use and navigate. Randall uses the other four tips to explain how Microsoft Office Word 2003 can be used effectively. He starts by explaining the importance of the task pane. The drop-down arrow in the task pane enables one to view a variety of options in Microsoft Word 2003.
Some of these options include clipboard, clipart and formatting. The second tip entails checking the size of a folder and a sample of what it carries. Pointing at a folder for around two seconds completes this task. The third tip explains how a person can secure his documents. Randall reiterates that file encryption is the surest way of working with confidential files. The last tip talks about how the task pane can be manipulated to ensure that the slide layout is formatted through a single click.
Randall’s article would have been very useful nine years ago. By then, Microsoft Office 2003 was the latest invention. In view of that, Randall’s article is consistent with my prior knowledge of Microsoft Products. However, Microsoft and other companies have developed advanced office software. For that reason, Microsoft Office 2003 has been overtaken by events.
Some of the features that Randall talks about are not part of Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010. For instance, Microsoft Word 2007 uses the ribbon as its user interface unlike Microsoft Word 2003. Randall explained that one has to scroll through menus such as the task pane to locate most options in Microsoft Word 2003. In contrast, the Ribbon in Microsoft Word 2007 enables one to easily locate all options. This saves time and energy. For that reason, I discourage any progressive person from reading this article.
To me, this article is old and has no place in a world that is experiencing a technology invention every now and then. Nonetheless, Randall’s article can be used to come up with similar summaries. For instance, one can use the article’s format to come up with tips and tricks that can make Microsoft Office 2010 easier to use.
Apart from saving time and making work easier, the tips in this article are a joy to learn. Randall’s article focuses on suggestions that help Microsoft office 2003 users work smarter. Nonetheless, this article can not be applied in 2013 as it is fairly old. Microsoft has already launched office suits that are more advanced than Microsoft Office 2003. However, lessons drawn from the article can be applied to the latest versions of Microsoft office.
References
Randall, G. (2005). Microsoft tips and tricks. Armed Forces Comptroller, 50 (4)
