Excelling (MS Excel 97)

Member Name: johnsy32

Product:	MS Excel 97
Date:	20/02/05 (292 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Many Uses, Ideal Application

Disadvantages: Price, Can be hard to use

Microsoft Excel is a great application is mainly used for entering numerical data and working with this data to find totals. This is the very basics behind Excel, but it can be used in a lots of others ways too. It is a very advanced program and I wouldn't be able to review everything, but I can outline what I do with it and hopefully it will match you're needs.

Microsoft Excel 97 is usually found as part of the Microsoft Office 97 package, but it is available to buy separately and within other packages. I have the Office package and use this application on a daily basis. There are many other spreadsheets programs available, but I find this to be the best. It can be a bit costly but it is well worth the money. Microsoft is a giant in software development, and this is one of their greatest ideas. Microsoft Excel 97 is the first massive step in the way that Microsoft designed spreadsheet applications and the basis of this version is echoed in later versions. And being such a well known and well used piece of software, the available guides, books and online communities are very helpful and whenever you come stuck on a particular area, you are always sure to find an answer using the available sources.

-- Why choose Microsoft Excel 97 --

This is an older program, which means that if you are looking for a spreadsheet program, this can be cheaper than newer versions, but you still have all the capabilities of the later ones. This is the version that I use at work and is on the network of around ten sites in the United Kingdom and over three hundred users. It hasn't been updated to newer versions because it would be expensive to do and it isn't required as everything can be done in this version.

-- Installation --

Installation is very easy. Microsoft Excel 97 usually comes bundled within Microsoft Office 97 so you have to install other applications at the same time. You just need to follow the on screen instructions, agree to some terms and conditions, enter a little bit of personal data and then you are ready to use the program. The installing can take a while depending on the speed of your computer and the size of Microsoft Office.

-- Help Files --

The help files are excellent, just as you would expect from Microsoft. It hasn't all the ins and out of what you can get Excel to do, but it is always there to start you off. It's just like your normal help file where everything indexed, you have a content page and an option to search. The online support for Excel, official and unofficial like message boards and web sites are very helpful. There are plenty of experts around in the field of Excel online, where you can ask questions at message boards and they will help you out. You also have the option of turning the office buddy on, and if you are familiar with Microsoft applications, this can be an annoying feature, which can luckily be turned off and only available when you ask for it! But, overall the help files are great.

-- Problems --

There's only one problem that I've really ever had with Excel and that is when I have to open a spreadsheet that ahs to link data from four other spreadsheets. This often causes the program crash because the files are over three megabytes each, leaving the computer can sometimes allow it still to link up. This is on a computer I use with Windows 95 installed, when I have tried linking the spreadsheets over the network using a computer with Windows XP installed, it completely crashes without an option to just leave it and hope it still links and comes back to life.

--My Experience --

I have been using Microsoft Excel 97 for seven years, I first started using it at school and still continue to use this version at work. It is a valuable application that has been put to lots of different uses including purchase orders, stock control, account information, data modelling on a retail shop, the list is endless. It can be put to so many different uses, both personal and business. It is very easy to use, and the basics are easy to pick up and once from that point if you are willing to learn a little bit more you can really get into the depths of macros and visual basic programming.

-- Conclusion --

I have Excel 2000 at home, but I prefer 97. They are really both the same and I am able to do everything with the earlier version that I can with the later one. I would be just as happy using Microsoft Office 97 as I would be having the latest software to my name. The greatest thing about Excel is the online help and I have had to look for answers lots of time by using the Internet, and like I wrote earlier, there are plenty of experts who love to give you a helping hand. Excellent application!

Summary: