Welcome to the fine dining experience that is Microsoft Office. Established in 1989 and claiming the patronage of roughly 80% of all enterprises, its fare is familiar—almost omnipresent—to all who have ever used a personal or business computer. This year, its newest manifestation, Office 2010, offers an improved bill of fare, sure to satisfy even the most discerning of palates. Please indulge yourself. The Chef recommends trying everything on the delicious carte du jour.

Appetizers

The Ribbon

Added to all Office programs, this tasty appetizer has been improved since its 2007 inception; each user can customize his or her Ribbon, with tabs and favorite commands. The Chef guarantees The Ribbon will be the perfect starter to your feast.

The Office Menu

With a new layout and look, you’ll find the delicious familiarity of former versions with added zest and substance. Be ready to dine efficiently with this appetizer!

Entrees

Outlook Improvements

As the staple of any Microsoft Office meal, Outlook improvements are pleasing to the taste buds. A new Ignore button keeps you from being bothered by unwanted threads of email. Quick Steps, which pairs beautifully with The Ribbon, helps you create a sequence of commands (Send & Archive, for example) and apply in one click. Delectable.

Presentations and Web Videos

This scrumptious item allows you to easily embed video clips from the Internet into PowerPoint presentations. Simple and satisfying.

PowerPoint Improvements

Satisfy your hunger with the ability to deliver live presentations within PowerPoint to any location in the world using a browser. You can even trim parts of a video before using it in your presentation. The video editing tools in PowerPoint are almost filling enough to make you skip dessert— almost.

Sides

Built-in PDF Writer—Sweet and scrumptious. . . And with a single click. Simplified Printing—Mouthwatering ability to alter printer settings easily. Slides as Video—Convert your presentation into a video file, and continue to use PowerPoint while it is being created.

Desserts

Office Documents and the Cloud

Top off your meal by directly uploading documents to your Windows Live SkyDrive Account, and then access them from any other computer. Included with this yummy dessert are 25 GB of free online storage.

Screen Capture

End with the flourish of screen clipping that enables you to capture any area of the desktop screen and then insert it elsewhere. A true crowd pleaser.

Social Outlook

A delectable finale shows you social information related to email opened within Outlook. Attachments, pictures, and previous email exchanges are accessible and inviting.

A Note to Our Diners: Thank you so much for sharing your meals with us for the past two decades. It is with you in mind that we created and established this new fine dining eatery.

Please visit our Beta demonstration at http://www.microsoft.com/office/2010/en/download-office-professional-plus/default.aspx. Bon appetite!