Microsoft Office 2004

Hello,

Recently, I switched from Office 2008 to Office 2004 because of visual basic. However, I am really annoyed with Office 2004. Unlike Windows counterpart or Office 2008, the toolbars are detached from the main window. I can't seem to figure out how to dock it either. So I was wondering if anyone knew how?

I have this http://www.penmachine.com/images/word_toolbars.jpg.

I want this http://images2.store.microsoft.com/...rd_2008/Prd_ss_full_Office_Mac_Word_08_ss.png

Thanks Alot

 

The original design of Office for Mac was to have the toolbars detached. The reasoning is that the toolbars should be common to all documents so there isn't a need to have each document have their own set. I believe this is more Photoshop-esque and some people prefer it this way. The toolbar strip concept was also consistent with Office 2003 and older before the Ribbon introduction in Office 2007.

Office 2008 introduced the embedded toolbars to be more consistent with iWork and Office 2007. Really though the Mac convention is supposed to put more functionality into the floating inspector on the side. Microsoft tried to do this in Office 2008 with their floating Pallete, but it isn't possible to have multiple Palletes opened to different functions unlike the Inspector so it isn't as convenient. Office 2008 is really a mashup of all different conventions from replicating controls in the Pallete, in embedded toolbars, in the menus, in those drop-down teeth that's supposed to be Ribbon-like, and the option to detach the embedded toolbars to be more Office 2004/2003-like. It's supposed to accommodate all possible user styles, whether you are coming from Office 2003, 2004, 2007, Photoshop, Windows user, Mac user, etc, but just makes things more complicated. It's possible to make Office 2008 look more like Office 2004, but it isn't possible to make Office 2004 look like Office 2008 with embedded toolbars since that's a new feature.

 

I know exactly what you mean. I use Office A LOT, and I actually switched from a Mac to a PC just get rid of that dreaded Mac Office version. I can't stand those floating toolbar, and I just love Office 2007. I don't think you can dock all of the toolbars unfortunately. One option you can explore is using Crossover to emulate Office 2007 on the Mac. I've tried it and it works reasonably well. Some problems, but it will solve the floating toolbar problem for sure.