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The New Microsoft Upgrade

Have you missed the Microsoft Upgrade and are still using Excel 2003? Many businesses and individuals have been reluctant to purchase the new Excel. After years of releases that didn’t really change the program much, Excel 2007 presented a major change.

Excel is an accountant's tool. What tool do we use more? We have our general ledger programs, ERP programs, e-mail, Word, etc. As for me and most other accountants, Excel is the most used tool we have.

Be sure you stay up-to-date with the changes that have taken place. If the company you work for doesn't use the new Excel, go get it for your own personal use. I am hearing more and more stories about accountants being asked in job interviews this question: What version of Excel does your company use? When the applicant says 2003, the interviewer mentions that the program has changed a lot in the new 2007 release, and implies that the applicant is out-of-date with the tools he is using.

Does this mean that there is a steep learning curve to the newer versions of Excel? No, if you already know Excel well, you can figure out the new menus fairly quickly.However, it is different and you need to spend time with it.

The main difference between the old Excel and the new Microsoft upgrade is the menu system. The old style menus are gone and replaced with newer ones.I had to hunt around for a bit to understand where things were. The nice thing though is that the right click menus are expanded. You really need to spend some time with it to be proficient with it.

Excel 2007 and the new 2010 Microsoft upgrade break the old barriers on the number of columns and rows available. No longer do you run out of columns at column IV, there are now over 16,000 available. The rows are now over one million. Wow, if you work with large worksheets as I do, it really matters.

Your spreadsheets will look cooler too. It is easier to make a good looking table and other items for presentation.There are more colors available to work too, which is really nice if you use them as much as I do.

The main reason to upgrade though is to keep your skills current. You don't want to become out-of-date yourself. We all know that technology is always moving forward. Some times it walks forward and sometimes is leaps. Don't miss this leap.Microsoft Excel formulas