Eugene's observations

The user interface of Word, Excel etc. is so different in the ribbonised world of Office 2007, it is easy to get irritated and waste time searching for where the command you want now lives. But Microsoft have anticipated you pain (or responded to complaints) and produced very helpful interactive guides and mapping lists.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx

If you use the current version Office (.DOCX formatted documents) and need to exchange documents with a user of the old version (.DOC formatted documents) - or vice versa, then read you on.

There are two solutions: either you send the document in an old format that the recipient can interpret, or you have them install a free update to their version of Office to enable them to read the latest format.

To save your Word document in the format used by the old version of Word you need to open the document and then click the MS Office button, the Save As... and select the older (.DOC) format of Word 2003.

An alternative to the above would be for you to save documents in .PDF format as that is more universally readable. That may not be necessary if you only send occasionally though.

To enable your correspondent to read a .DOCX format you send, (s)he needs to visit http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HA100444731033.aspx From where (s)he will be able to download and install a converter that will automatically detect and convert when (s)he tries to open your document.

31 Mar 08 Post Script.

To allow you to Save As... or e-mail as an attachment a PDF or XPS formatted document download a free add-on from http://tinyurl.com/v46jc

13 Jul 09 Post Script.

To work on the latest format of Office documents in an older version, load the compatability pack available from Microsoft at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en