Hello all.. I am a new user of Windows Vista (came installed on my new laptop). Which Microsoft Office Suite is the best version to run with Vista. I want to install one that does not hog all my resources and take up too much space. Also, when you install a Office Suite, do you have to install all the components of the suite? For install, if I wanted to install everything excluding Microsoft Access. Can I exclude that particular component before installing or would I have to fully install and then go to the control panel and remove that component? Any help on these questions would be appreciated. Thanks..

Recommended Answers

All 33 Replies

you can choose which parts to install.

2002 (xp) , 2003 or 2007 work best with vista

Both Office 2007 and Office 2003 are Vista compatible. It depends on your preference. The user interface in Word 2007 and Excel 2007 has been drastically changed. I'd recommend downloading a trial version or using on another PC to ensure it's what you want. Office 2003 is still available in OEM version from several online retailers.

The version of Office 2007 depends of which applications you use. The more apps -- the greater the cost. Best buy is the Student and Teacher edition.

Post your specific needs if you want more information.

the student and teacher version of 2003 is good but is illegal unless you are or have a kid who is in full time ecucation or you are a teacher. Includes word, powerpoint, excel.

office 2007 home + student however is legal for anyone to use but doesnt include outlook. Home doesnt include powerpoint either

Personally i think this was HUGE mistake my MS.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/suites/FX101635841033.aspx

Office 2007 is dinately better for Vista. However, it's a memory hog like vista, But you have the option to run Office 2003, Pretty stabe and not shuch a hog like 2007

when installing office you just do a custom install to pick and chose what you want .

anyone ever try this .idea is to run from a thumbdrive
http://portableapps.com/

The best version is 2007, as it has extra features when installed on a Vista machine.

Older versions will work too, but as soon as you install, go and do a Windows Update to ensure full compatibility.

yeah service pack 3 for offfice 2003 is the last one, make sure to grab the 2007 compatiblity pack too

So Office 2007 hogs more memory than Office 2003?

Office 2007 Home and Student includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and One Note. Office 2007 Basic includes Word, Excel, and Outlook. It was not illegal to purchase Office 2003 Student and Teacher. Microsoft dropped the active student or teacher with ID requirement and essentially opened it up to everyone.

I'm running an XP/Vista dual boot with Office 2003 Pro on XP and Office 2007 Enterprise on Vista. I haven't noticed any real difference in Office apps performance. Vista itself is a resource hog though.

As I mentioned previously, the user interface is greatly changed in Word and Excel. Outlook was chaged, but not radically and for the better with added features. For anyone not already proficient in Word or Excel, the new interface is actually better. For those used to the old interface and menus, it takes some getting used to.

So Office 2007 hogs more memory than Office 2003?

Not at all, Its designed for Vista but also has backwards compatibility, and is even better with Service Pack 1.

What does Service Pack 1 add to Office 2007? Sorry if I sound stupid but Im a newbie :)

Better security and performance, and everything else listed [ Here ]

IMHO Open Office is a sweet, suite alternative to MS Office; it'll handle the microsoft file formats, it's only a little over 100MB download and it's free.

commented: I agree, and its free too :) +23

IMHO Open Office is a sweet, suite alternative to MS Office; it'll handle the microsoft file formats, it's only a little over 100MB download and it's free.

And its free too. But MS Office has a lot of features that are not present in Open Office.

like MS access

You get what you pay for, free is good but id rather shell out for quality and rich features.

I think I really want to give Office 2007 a try. Just to try something new. This is coming from someone who is still enjoying Office XP Pro on my desktop, and still love it!! Wish I could use it on Vista. Is there anything that I can maybe leave out during the installation of Office 2007 that may prevent it from using much of the memory?

You can try Microsoft Office 2007 for free [ Here ] Its virtual, so you don't need to download anything.

You can use it for block's of 90 mins. Will help you get to know it and see if you like it.

I think I really want to give Office 2007 a try. Just to try something new. This is coming from someone who is still enjoying Office XP Pro on my desktop, and still love it!! Wish I could use it on Vista. Is there anything that I can maybe leave out during the installation of Office 2007 that may prevent it from using much of the memory?

listen - 2002/xp does work on vista

And Office 2007 doesn't use as much memory as you think.

We have given you loads of advice, have a read through the things we posted for you. All versions work with Windows XP and Windows Vista. You won't have any memory problems unless your PC had only 128mb of ram.

commented: well, the office SMB2003 requires minimum of 256mb ram, but others may need only 128 +0
commented: Dude, you got bad repped for nothing. Here's some back +3

i don't use a office program enough to justify buying one .i use notepad and wordpad and open office from time to time

I based my comments on versions that are being sold at present. It would have been nice to know you already had Office XP.

Office XP, Office 2000 and even Office 97 run on Vista. I installed them during Vista beta testing before installing the Office 2007 beta. Compatibility Packs (to use new file formats) are available for Office XP and 2000.

Quit worrying about Office 2007 memory usage. It is not a concern.

Office XP, Office 2000 and even Office 97 run on Vista. I installed them during Vista beta testing

wow that a lot of money to shell out for office programs ,you have 3 different ones

Actually from Office 4.3 through Office 2007 and Various versions of Word and Excel prior to Office 4.3. Several were obtained through MS programs for resellers/system builders on a subscription basis. I'm still using XP and Office 2003 for business purposes. I "play" with Vista and Office 2007 on my shop PC.

I repair and custom build PCs so have to keep up with new OSes. Small business (me only) in a small town.

Thanks for all of your responses and great advice!!

sorry about accidental edit -all sorted now

openoffice, go to openoffice.org and download. cheap, reliable, and resource friendly, or virtually any other Microsoft office 97 or above, and you can run a custom installation and uncheck MS access if you don't want it.

Microsoft Office 2007 is Vista's best match. Case closed. I use it and it doesn't eat my resources (maybe you're confused by VISTA eating your resources people)--don't let the ribbon and prettiness fool you. There are some enhancements that make work a whole lot easier.

If you're buying a brand new MS Office suite, I really don't see any reson to get 2003 and not 2007. That's like drinking rotten milk on a farm. Don't listen to the fanboys.

As for OpenOffice. I have used OpenOffice.org, and currently have the Novell brew on my system (I feel the need to try just about everything). While OO does it's job, it doesn't quite hold a lamp next to MS Office 07 (maybe 03, who knows?)--and the thing is, I like OO!

Once you get your mind around Ms Office 07 + Vista, I'm telling you you'll have a difficult time using anything else on your Vista machine.

Microsoft Office 2007 is Vista's best match. Case closed. I use it and it doesn't eat my resources (maybe you're confused by VISTA eating your resources people)--don't let the ribbon and prettiness fool you. There are some enhancements that make work a whole lot easier.

If you're buying a brand new MS Office suite, I really don't see any reson to get 2003 and not 2007. That's like drinking rotten milk on a farm. Don't listen to the fanboys.

As for OpenOffice. I have used OpenOffice.org, and currently have the Novell brew on my system (I feel the need to try just about everything). While OO does it's job, it doesn't quite hold a lamp next to MS Office 07 (maybe 03, who knows?)--and the thing is, I like OO!

Once you get your mind around Ms Office 07 + Vista, I'm telling you you'll have a difficult time using anything else on your Vista machine.

i agree, if you want to buy one, be smart and buy MS office 07. As scru said, it is vista's best match.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.