Hands on with Microsoft Office 2016
Microsoft is scheduled to launch Office 2016 for Windows desktop in just a few weeks — the first new desktop version since the launch of Office 2013 two and a half years ago. After using the Preview version, what strikes me most is that Microsoft has clearly moved its focus and energy away from the desktop to its cloud strategy. While there are some nice interface updates and a few new features, most users won’t notice much of a difference from Office 2013 for Windows. However it is a solid upgrade for those with an Office 365 subscription, and may be worth paying for if you need one of its smattering of new features.
Updated interface from office 2013
With Office 2016, Microsoft has backed off a bit from the ultra-flat design of Office 2013. Like many others, I found it harder to find items on the ribbon than with its earlier, more-textured interface. Microsoft Office 2016 doesn’t bring back a 3D look, but it does use a little more color-coding to make the ribbon easier on the eye and a little more user-friendly. The default theme is now Colorful, but can easily be switched back, of course. The new version of the suite also adds support for 250% and 300% zoom settings for high-PPI screens.
Word, Excel, and PowerPoint get an additional interface feature in the form of a “Tell me what you want to do…” field on the menu bar. It allows you to type all or part of a command and then click from a list of matches. While a nice addition for infrequently used commands, it is unlikely to please users who dislike the ribbon interface and want the old-style menus back. I found it a lot quicker than clicking through the various ribbons, almost acting as a mini help system in addition to a command box.
A grab bag of other new features
Microsoft has also included a number of new, somewhat esoteric, features, including:
• Some new financial, statistical, and hierarchical chart types
• Dynamic data linking between Visio and Excel
• Power Query now integrated into Excel
• Pivot Chart, Power Pivot and PivotTable upgrades
• Improvement in Click-to-Run management for IT pros
• Data Loss Protection added to Excel
• Multi-factor authentication using Active Directory
• More secure translation options (now use SSL and have more-consistent privacy warnings)
Source: Extreme Tech
