What is Microsoft office version 15?

This version shares very little with the more recent Technical Preview. Given that it's UI, programs, and tools are nearly identical to those of Office 2010, even if it includes a media management tool code-named Moorea, it appears to be a pretty much identical version of Office 2010 rebranded as "Office 15".

According to the Windows 8 ARM video, Office 2013 will no longer use the Ribbon user interface and will instead switch to a more conventional desktop program GUI. But the Ribbon could have simply been minimized or turned off for this video. In any case, it hints that perhaps the Ribbon won't be highlighted as an Office 2013 selling feature.

The newest iteration of Microsoft's Office productivity package, Office 15, is now being tested as a Technical Preview. A tiny number of OEMs, enterprises, and third-party partners have access to the code, but Microsoft is keeping quiet about the specific features of its upcoming version. We previously looked more closely at Office 15 and provided detailed screenshots of its new Metro-inspired user interface, showcasing the futuristic, uncluttered design of Office. Due to a few colleagues who had access to the early Technical Preview code, we can share information on several new and improved features in each of the core programs for Office 15 today.

• Touch screen-friendly

Microsoft announced that the user interfaces for the Office 2013 programs were created with touch screens in mind. Since then, it has been revealed that Office 2013 software would have a touch mode button that, when pressed, will increase the ribbon interface and other components to make them easier to use on a touch screen.

According to what is depicted in the Windows 8 ARM trailer, Microsoft won't completely replace the Office user interface with the swipe-heavy, panel-centric Metro layout that it will be introducing on a large scale into the following edition of Windows. Office 2012 will likely continue to employ a GUI that operates in a conventional manner, much like Office 2010s (which will reassure enterprise and business users loathe to change).

Despite this, there is speculation that Office 2013 may be published as a distinct, entirely Metro-optimized version for the broader consumer market, maybe with fewer features.

• Integrating the cloud

Office 2013 will allow you to save your work to the cloud, most likely to a user account on SkyDrive, Microsoft's cloud storage platform. (Office 2010 already includes a few capabilities that are connected with SkyDrive.)

• lowers power usage

In order to save the finite capacity of tablets, Microsoft made a point of mentioning that Office 2013 will utilize less memory and processing resources than more recent versions of Office (and it would also benefit notebook computers running Office 2013).

Run on ARM

There will be an Office 2013 version available for the majority of tablet and smartphone processors. It easily fits in with the tablet-focused elements of the upcoming Office, such as the touchscreen interface and the slower memory and processing.

• Not for Windows XP.

Yes, many people, mostly corporate and enterprise customers, still use an OS that is two generations old. Microsoft first removed IE9 from users of XP (actually, that was no big loss). However, given that XP is scheduled to be discontinued in April 2014, it is now improbable that the new Office would function on this OS. So if you want to start using Office 2012, it's time for you steadfast XP devotees to jump on the Windows 7 (or Windows 8) bandwagon.

• Relates to Kinect?

It is the most unlikely theory, but with the myriad of UI modifications that are in the works, you never know. The motion-sensor control unit known as Kinect, which was originally developed by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 gaming system, was just released for Windows. Its goal is to promote the creation of uses for the sensor that are not related to gaming. Hackers and unofficial Kinect developers have a sizable community.

Word 15

In its word processor application, Microsoft has put a lot of emphasis on the reading and writing experience. In Word 15, a brand-new Read Mode is available that eliminates user interface distractions and offers simple reading with text that automatically reflows into columns to fit the screen. Additionally useful feature is the new Read Mode's ability to pick up where you left off reading in a document. Object Zoom and Expand and Collapse are two new capabilities that Microsoft is adding to Word in addition to the reading experience. By simply double-clicking on images and objects, Word 15 users can use Object Zoom to enlarge them, displaying photos, charts, and tables on the screen. With just one click, you may hide or reveal paragraphs beneath their titles using the very simple Expand and Collapse feature. The Navigation Pane has been improved, documents scroll more fluidly, and Word's Dictionary and Translation tool has been updated, among other new features that have been added to the Word 15 reading experience. Office 15's Touch and Read Mode adds helpful capabilities for tablet users.

The new Track Changes features in Word 15 are at the heart of the collaboration improvements. Users can now monitor comments right next to the pertinent text, due to a new Reply Comments function. Word 15 users can view who responded and when inline within documents. A password-protect option has also been added to ensure that the Track Changes function remains active. Similar to the PowerPoint 2010 broadcast feature, Present Online is also a part of Office 15 and enables Word 15 users to share a document with others through their browser.

With Word 15's Touch Mode functionality, users may navigate documents with their hands or fingers while also expanding the ribbon. Additionally, Microsoft has updated Word 15 to include a PDF reflow functionality that enables users to open PDF files and reflow PDF material as document parts, just like they were created in Word. Word 15 documents now support the addition of online movies so that readers can view them directly in Word. With Word 15, Microsoft has updated the Office Start Experience, adding a new design tab with access to document design tools and an insert online pictures feature that lets you upload images from Facebook, Flickr, and other sources.

Excel 15

For users who need to visualize huge data sets they are working with, Microsoft is hoping to make Excel 15 simpler. Excel 15 users now have instant access to various visual representations of data due to the Quick Analysis Lens feature and recommended Charts and PivotTables suggest the most effective method to present certain information based on data patterns. It will be easier to reformat and reorganize data in an Excel spreadsheet due to Flash Fill, a new feature in Excel 15. With the help of their hands and fingers, users of Excel 15's Touch Mode feature can navigate through tables, graphs, and charts on tablet computers.

New chart formatting options with a fully interactive interface will also be included in Excel 15 and will allow for quick adjustments to charts. As new data points are added, or old statistics are modified along the road, chart animations will also enable chart users to observe and comprehend every distinct change in their charts. Additionally, Microsoft is integrating a new Start Experience for Excel 15 that gives users access to a number of professionally designed templates, such as those for reports, calendars, and forms.

PowerPoint 15

Microsoft intends for PowerPoint 15 to come preloaded with a 16:9 aspect ratio by default for all PowerPoint presentations. In an effort to complement the reality that today's majority of displays and projectors are widescreen, the move will enable PowerPoint 15 users to develop professional-looking designs and presentations with a cinematic appeal. In PowerPoint 15, the new Start Experience is also available, giving users instant access to their most-used presentations, favorite assets, and professionally created templates. PowerPoint 15 users can now insert charts directly into slides without messing up the presentation's design by using a new chart engine access function to copy charts from Excel 15 worksheets. Presenters can navigate presentations and slides using a touch screen or tablet PC due to the new touch mode features in PowerPoint 15. The Resume Reading function that Microsoft has included in Word 15 will also be beneficial for PowerPoint 15, as it will automatically bookmark the last position in a PowerPoint deck.

Outlook 15

Microsoft is updating Outlook 15 in a variety of ways while also expanding the use of its Mail products for Windows 8. Users using a new Peeks feature can review tasks, examine their schedules, and view information about the persons they are emailing, all on the same screen. Users will be able to check the weather before accepting meeting invitations or setting up brand-new meetings due to a new Weather Bar feature. Outlook 15 now supports inline replies, allowing users to reply to emails with a single click. Microsoft has also made several enhancements to Outlook 15's support for multiple email accounts, enabling users to browse, create, and respond to all email accounts, including Hotmail and those from other third-party online mail providers-in one location. In Outlook 15, animations have been optimized to smoothly switch between email, the calendar, and tasks, and the new Metro-inspired layout has smaller navigation buttons. Power users may stay on top of their email flow with the help of New Context Actions, which offer straightforward, obvious, one-click commands.

OneNote 15

Microsoft is developing a Metro-style version of OneNote for Windows 8 users, but it is also adding some new features to the desktop application. OneNote 15 users can view embedded Excel and Visio file content previews, along with any updates, due to auto-updating file views. The ability to sort, add headings, and turn an OneNote table into an attached spreadsheet is now all possible due to the improvements made to OneNote's support for tables. With the use of their hands and fingers instead of a keyboard, tablet users can navigate pages and notes with OneNote 15's Touch Mode functionality. The new Resume Reading function from Word 15 and PowerPoint 15 is also available in OneNote 15. This feature automatically saves the last location in a notebook so OneNote users may continue where they left off, even on a different PC or tablet.