Office 2003 vs. Office 2007
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What is the difference between Office 2003 and Office 2007?
Interface
The biggest difference is the interface. For example, in Office 2007, most options are visually represented on “the ribbon”, a bar across the top with buttons. This brings many of the options previously buried under many levels of menus to the top, making it easier for you to use all the functionality of the Microsoft Office applications.
File Type
Another difference is the file type. In Office 2003 and earlier, files were saved using an extension such as .XLS or .DOC. In Office 2007, there is XML embedded in the file, and the files are saved using the .___X file extension, such as .XLSX or .DOCX. Because of this, if you create a file in Office 2007, it cannot be read by Office 2003. Therefore, if you have Office 2007 and need to send the file to someone else who only has Office 2003 (such as a classmate or professor), then you need to save the file as an Office 2003 file (which is available as an option inside each Office 2007 program).
Compatibility
People using Office 2003 can download a compatibility tool from Microsoft's web site. This tool will allow them to view Office 2007 files on their computers.
Download the compatibility tool
People using Office 2007 can set their files to save as 2003 files by default. For instructions see Setting the Office 2007 Save Default to Office 2003 File Types.
For more information, go to Microsoft Office 2003 and 2007 File Compatibility.
Other Differences
Those are the primary differences. All of the differences between Office 2003 and Office 2007 can be found on Microsoft’s website at:
