Microsoft to deliver invitation-only tech preview build of Office 2010

[KSoD]

Microsoft today made it known at the WPC that they planned on making a Technicial Preview Build available to select testers. For those who signed up on Connect check it out as you may have the build up for download. I have started my download and will post Screenshots once i get it installed.

Some information about what the announcement was i quote from Mary Jo Foley's ZNet Blog:

On July 13, Microsoft is slated to make available a limited technical test build of its Office 2010 suite to select testers via the company's Connect download site.

The new build is not a public beta. A public beta of Office 2010 is slated for later this year, as company officials have said previously. The promised July test build, which will be downloadable starting today, is of Office 2010 Professional — one of the five planned Office 2010 SKUs — only.

The products available are:

Microsoft® Office Professional 2010 which contains the following:

Microsoft® Word 2010
Microsoft® Excel® 2010
Microsoft® PowerPoint® 2010
Microsoft® OneNote® 2010
Microsoft® Outlook® 2010
Microsoft® Publisher 2010
Microsoft® Access® 2010

Microsoft® Visio® 2010
Microsoft® SharePoint® Designer 2010
Microsoft® InfoPath® 2010
Microsoft® SharePoint® Workspace 2010
Business Contact Manager for Microsoft® Outlook® 2010

There are a couple of misc downloads as well. Such as the newest build of Outlook Connector which you can use to connect Outlook to your Hotmail and Live email accounts.

Also in the Bog is some information about the 5 different SKU's (Products) that will be available once Office goes live to the General Public. These are quoted from the blog:

he five Office 2010 SKUs will be:

* Office Professional Plus 2010 (available only via volume licensing)
* Office Professional 2010
* Office Home and Business 2010 (the new SMB SKU)
* Offie Standard 2010 (only available via volume licensing)
* Office Home and Student 2010

If you want more information read the blog by Mary Jo Foley for all that is known at this time.

 

[KSoD]

As promised some pics of what Office 2010 looks like. Some images are to large and will break the forum skin so it will just be a link for you to check out. I will post some up since they wont. The ones that will be links will be the ones that are the preview of the full application since i use a resolution larger than the site skin.

First and foremost. Word 2010 Preview.

Direct Link

Word 2010 Option Screen:

Word 2010 Save As Screen. Note that PDF is included as a option by default now.

Outlook 2010 Preview:

Direct Link

Outlook 2010 Option Screen:

Excel 2010 Preview:

Direct Link

Excel 2010 Options:

Powerpoint 2010 Preview:

Direct Link

Powerpoint 2010 Option Screen:

If you wish to see something specific ask and i will try my best to show it.

 

[Peter.Cort]

Wow. I really like the new layout. I liked what they tried in 07, but it wasn't enough IMO. I really like the new layout, the colors and the move to the side panels are really nice. I think I'll have to invest in this.

 

[KSoD]

Even better is the new layout in Outlook when checking your email. Now messages that have the same title, like those from this forum about Personal messages, are grouped together. So no more 5 mile list of messages. It is just 1 item that will expand when click upon.

Here is what you see normally:

This is when you click on a message:

I must admit. I love that option. Saves me the time of having so many listed at once.

I forgot to mention. But when i was setting up my email in Outlook 2010 there was a option to connect it to a Phone. That is right for Text Messaging via Outlook!

The setup screen. Jsut click Text Messaging and you get this:

also forgot to mention that the Ribbon can be customized now!

 

[Slaymate]

I received my Invitation to try Office 2010 this Afternoon. I've downloaded it and I've gotten by product key but I haven't installed it yet. I didn't see anything about not posting screenshots, but I really didn't look very hard. They did say my key was registered to my account and not to give it out.

 

[KSoD]

*Edit*

After contacting the appropriate people i have confirmation that we are allowed to post and blog about it with images. Since there will be a public availability of the Technical Preview at some point we are free to talk about it. Restored my posts.

 

[Jayce]

Are there any significant improvements that 2010 hopes to achieve that may justify a move from 2007 to 2010 that we know about?

 

[KSoD]

That depends on what you would consider significant improvements. I can say that some changes to Outlook alone are prompting me to make the switch.