The previews of Windows and Office focused on their use of graphics to give consumers more ways to manage information on the computer screen.
That's a growing issue as software applications become more complex. For instance, the first version of Word had 100 commands. The 2003 version has more than 1,500 commands and 35 tool bars.
"We need to make it easier for people to visualize information that comes from different directions," Gates said.
The Office redesign is meant to make it easier on the eyes, with the myriad of menu boxes fading in and out of view depending on what tools are being used.
Microsoft designers developed the system by tracking -- with permission -- every keystroke of some Office users, Charles Fitzgerald, general manager of Microsoft's Platform Strategy Group, said in an interview.
Alex Veiga, "Microsoft: Office 12 to anticipate needs," BusinessWeek.com, 13 Sep 2005.
