When Microsoft releases a public beta of a new operating system the interest is usually close to overwhelming. We haven’t quite seen the same arousal with the beta versions of Microsoft Office, even though it is one most common Office suites around. Well now you can download the open beta of Office 2010.
Among the news from Office 2007 is improved navigation and somewhat new look, although the difference is not as big as the one between Office 2003 and 2007. Other news include the ability to integrate video directly into the PowerPoint presentation, which means no need to use external applications.
Pretty much all features ranging from spellchecking to smart-art have been improved one way or another, but the perhaps most interesting bit is what Microsoft calls Co-authoring. The name by itself is a big hint. It enables multiple users to work on a document at the same time. Something Google presented a long time ago, but it remains to be seen who has the better solution.
The beta can be found HERE and the final Office 2010 suite is expected to launch in the Spring to come.
