Microsoft Office is an application suite known by most end users – from students to C-Suite executives alike. Word, Excel and PowerPoint have become iconic components of this suite as it has expanded over time to include Access and Publisher.
Microsoft provides a 30-day free trial of Office 365, which includes major apps on both PCs and Macs as well as mobile devices. To enroll, a credit card number will be needed.
Word Processor
Word processing programs enable users to quickly create, edit, format, and store documents on a computer. Users can use these programs to write letters, memos, reports, proposals and other written documents such as spreadsheets or presentations – these programs were among the first applications available on personal computers and are still an indispensable resource in many office settings today.
Most word processing programs enable the user to insert, move, copy and delete text in documents. They also offer users a range of text-editing tools such as bolding, italicizing and underlining; some programs even let them customize font size and typeface of documents!
Word processing programs not only offer basic formatting capabilities, but can also address grammatical errors in spelling and sentence structure by checking for proper syntax and vocabulary use in documents. They may even provide suggestions for wording style as well as suggestions for wording styles that make writing easier for their users. Some word processors even come equipped with dictionary and thesaurus capabilities so users can find words quickly.
Some word processing programs feature a special feature which allows multiple users to edit a document simultaneously – an invaluable feature when writing requires collaboration from others. Another useful feature is being able to save and retrieve documents from an online storage system or network server, and some word processor programs even translate text between languages!
Lower end word processing programs included with personal computers are designed to be as intuitive and user-friendly as possible, often offering tutorials and extensive on line help to assist the novice user. As your experience grows, however, you may wish to upgrade to more robust word processing applications.
Excel
Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program that enables users to format, arrange, and calculate data. Marketers, accountants, data analysts, and other professionals who need to manage large or complex sets of information use Excel extensively as part of the Office suite of business applications; it is compatible with Windows, macOS, and iOS devices.
Microsoft Excel 2019 released with several tools designed to make working with large amounts of data easier. One feature is the Search function which uses Ribbon search functionality to help locate specific tools or commands quickly. Another tool, Tell me box, acts like a search bar allowing users to type their search criteria directly.
Excel’s compatibility with other Microsoft programs such as Word and PowerPoint makes it an effortless way to work with data from multiple sources. Excel connects directly with external data sources for analysis purposes, as well as being used to create reports, charts, or graphics to visualize information more readily.
Microsoft Excel is an invaluable tool for managing data, with features such as data validation and autofill making it a highly efficient data management program. Furthermore, its design makes it ideal for creating tables or other structures to organize large sets of information efficiently. Furthermore, Excel continues to develop with each new update, adding features and capabilities with every release.
PowerPoint
Years ago, Microsoft Office users would purchase its boxed version from a store and install it once upon completion. Nowadays, its software can either be purchased as a download or on a subscription basis; both options offer advantages and disadvantages.
Professionals utilize this program to craft slideshow presentations that can be seen on either a computer or projector and include audio, graphics and videos. It has features for printing handouts or creating an outline of the presentation for note taking; presentations can then be presented either live before an audience or uploaded onto the Internet for viewing – with animated transitions adding cinematic flair to each presentation.
There are thousands of templates available to make your presentations truly stand out from the rest, but it is essential that you take into account both your audience and purpose before selecting one. It may not always be appropriate to use photos as background images. Also, it may be worthwhile avoiding PowerPoint’s default fonts Calibri and Cambria which do not come across as professional-looking; you should disable default action sounds, never use automatic bulleting features and think carefully whether recent defaults of adding shadow to shapes is actually necessary.
PowerPoint’s new feature allows teams to collaborate on a presentation. This development is welcome in the workplace as it increases productivity. However, many essential features necessary for efficient collaboration remain lacking such as task management with assigned duties and notifications; seamless access across devices; approval workflow functionality; integration into existing communication and collaboration structures within businesses; etc.
Access
Access, the Microsoft Office database program, enables users to organize information for future reference, reporting and analysis. Access uses a relational table and sheet data model compared to Excel’s flat spreadsheet format; making it ideal for small-scale projects requiring storage as well as long-term solutions.
Access is a versatile program requiring advanced user knowledge to operate. Its tools enable users to easily create tables, queries, forms and reports with its various forms and reports capabilities. Furthermore, adding macro (programming code) expands its functionality further.
Users can create tables containing various data types, such as numbers, dates, words or other objects. Once this data has been collected and entered via user-friendly forms, they can create reports to display this compiled information in an appealing manner that makes sharing and printing effortless.
Access provides several tools that make finding specific information within large databases easier, such as querying for records or group of records and creating reports that help compile and format data to present to others.
Access provides more than data management; application developers can also use Access to create client-facing desktop and web apps using its application-building functions. Access’s application-building functions make Access a valuable tool for small businesses in all industries who cannot afford external developers; plus it supports Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), an accessible programming language capable of supporting forms, tables and charts among other visual objects.
Publisher
Publisher is a desktop publishing program that enables users to produce visually rich documents such as newsletters, postcards, flyers and invitations with built-in templates. Publisher’s ability to combine attractive graphics with beautiful text makes it an indispensable tool for businesses, schools and organizations that seek professional-looking marketing collateral without incurring high design software costs.
Publisher works differently from Microsoft Word, yet still remains accessible to beginners. Its interface consists of moveable boxes that hold text and other content – which can then be formatted with various shapes, sizes, styles and functions to meet your document requirements. You can easily move, modify and manipulate these objects to meet those needs!
Publisher makes creating documents straightforward, though getting used to its operation takes some practice. After opening the app, a Catalog window opens onscreen; select one of several publication types from the left column and templates will appear in the right pane.
Publisher has an array of tabs in its Ribbon that contain various groups of commands for different tasks – art/graphics or text for instance. To show or hide specific tools, click View tab and then choose one or more groups from there.
Publisher has a suite of viewing tools for editing purposes, such as a detailed ruler and guides that can be displayed on-screen as inches, centimeters or picas (a unit equal to 12 points or one sixth of an inch). These are not visible when printing out your document – only during editing when viewing tab is open – they cannot be turned off/on.
