No sooner have we got used to one Microsoft Office version, when a new one appears on the scene. As soon as it does, the computer experts are out complaining about it, listing all its bugs and inaccuracies; but, for most of us ordinary users, these things don't really matter.

I was initially sceptical about upgrading to Microsoft Office 2010. My computer was still running the 2003 version, and so it was going to be a big jump up. I was glad I did though, as it's been excellent.

**FEATURES**

This version includes Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook. All four programs contain all the features they always did, so, in my view, we haven't lost anything. There are literally hundreds of new features, all far too numerous to list here, but for a snapshot of some useful updates...

1. When selecting a font in Microsoft Word, as you hover over your chosen font, it automatically changes your text so you can preview what it will look like;

2. The software allows you to recover files you forgot to save, as it backs up what you're working on, even when you haven't saved;

3. When resizing pictures, as you drag the corners, it leaves a ghost impression of the original size on the screen, which disappears when you release the corners;

4. The Calendar in Outlook is now much more streamlined, and user-friendly; excellent for synchronising with iPhone;

5. In Outlook, you can now view lists of contacts in various different views, including 'Business Card' view (I think this was available in a previous version, but they didn't really look like business cards!).

6. When adding a new e-mail account in Outlook, by entering the e-mail address and password, it automatically connects to the internet to retrieve the necessary information.

These are just a tiny snapshot of what's on offer; useful additions and modifications which particularly caught my eye.

**INSTALLATION**

As has always been the case, the software is quite slow to install (about 30 minutes in total for me), but you can leave it alone while it does this. It's much easier than previous versions because you don't have to manually register the product; all this is done automatically.

**OVERALL**

This software is an enormous improvement in previous versions, which in comparison, look so out of date! Highly recommended!