The only thing I wanted was consistency between their strange pseudo-MDI apps. Instead, I get a weird "ribbon" that makes it extra hard to find the feature I'm looking for, a stealth File-menu, and a bigger, backwards-incompatible spreadsheet.
Yep. Drove me nuts and parts of it still do. What happened (I think) was that they (1) decided that the interface across all the Office products should be standardized, and (2) did a great deal of focus-grouping (I know they really do that because I did it for them once) to figure out what it ought to be from the viewpoint of a fresh user. So the new Office suite is easier to teach to a new user than each separate product within it used to be. Great intentions...for a new user.
For those of us who have been using those products for years it has been a nightmare, much worse than the occasional move-the-icon game played by every software manufacturer (yes, Macolytes, your boys too). And worse, I have to use both suites between work and home. Annoying.
At the moment I'm running Vista, XP, OS/X (one rev down as of yesterday, doggone it. There goes the evening.), and a fresh Mint (Linux) installation I'm liking more and more everyday. Open Office is looking better and better.
I kinda like Vista, actually. HERETIC! BURN THE HERETIC!!