When most users open Office 2007’s Excel — launched with Microsoft’s new Vista operating system — their first reaction is, “Where’s the file menu? How do I begin?”

Here we’ll learn how to navigate the labyrinth of new and super-powered functions. Even more important, we’ll show you how to customize the screen to meet your unique needs so you’ll spend less time stumbling through the vast display of icons.

The Ribbon

The first visual obstacle you’ll encounter is the Ribbon. The traditional toolbars of earlier editions have been replaced with an expanded toolbar and it will take a bit of adjusting for many — if not most — new users to overcome what looks like a puzzling collection of icons and buttons.

This article has been excerpted from the Journal of Accountancy. Read the full article.