What our customer's say!

"what it is", Office XP itself was a fine upgrade - endlessly configurable (you don't like the clip? Kill the clip! Hate spell-on-the-fly? Turn it off), well-suited to file- and data-sharing, more stable, quicker internet data connections, still more refinements and improvements (like programmable smart tags) to Excel and Word, a much-improved set of add-ons in Project, Publisher, and Visio. And the upgrade process was easy. If you had trouble you either had some horribly complex project to switch or you waded in without paying attention to instructions. It was a very smooth transition.

The Developer version added (still adds, since you can buy it now) added developer editions of SQL Server and Exchange, plus Source Safe, Code Librarian, and various other useful and sometimes well-buried stuff. I'm not sure why Office Developer isn't just folded into a slightly downpriced MSDN Professional, but then Microsoft still hasn't matured on the level of licensing and packaging. The Office suite is, however, a mature product that has been improving enormously since the 2000 release. If only Redmond would lose their fascination with Byzantine licensing and Rubik's Cube bundling (cool! We can sell it this way, and THIS way, and THAT way, and for these people we can probably get them to pay for THIS THAT way ...), people might stop complaining and realize the products are much-improved.

2003 continues the march onward in quality. If you're considering XP Developer, you're likely better off looking at an MSDN package to get the same tools.

"WARNING: Obnoxious "activation" required", In keeping with Microsoft's total lack of concern for consumers, they have fixed this version so the purchaser must do a minimal registration via the web or phone in order to use the product. This means it is locked to your computer. This is an effort to prevent piracy. Preventing piracy is an honorable and important goal. However, there's more to it. If you upgrade or replace your computer, you'll have to call them on the phone and explain your story and if they think you're telling the truth, then maybe you can install the program you bought on your new computer. This also means that if you have two computers on your desk, you have to buy two copies, one for each computer. Also, this is Microsoft's first step toward forcing consumers to lease software instead of buying it. This move would likely force consumers to upgrade to the latest bloated version, even if they are happy with the old one.

Office XP is a decent set of applications, but there are at least two good alternatives that don't come with the obnoxious features. Check out either StarOffice or WordPerfect Office 2002. Both are excellent office suites and both are available on Amazon. Both are totally compatible with Microsoft Office file formats.

So, before dropping a ton of money on another Microsoft marketing scheme, consider the alternatives.

"A nice improvement", Very nice improvement. The addition of XML campatability and SQLServer 2000 really helps those who need the power. A lot of bells and whistels but may be too much for those who only want a word processor.

"Microsoft Office XP Developer", I have used Microsoft Office 2000 Developer, and now I am using Microsoft Office XP Developer, and this is the BEST version of MS Office XP Developer.....EVER!

BUY it....you wont be disappointed....I wasnt. :)

Brian