Office 2007: The Missing Manual

Appendix B.  Getting Help

In a lot of ways, Office 2007 is easier to work with than its predecessors—after you get the hang of it. (And after you’ve had a chance to read this book, of course.) But sooner or later, you’re going to run into a snag and need some help—and getting that help is what this appendix is all about.

Help with Office starts right there in the programs’ windows and extends into the far reaches of the Internet. There are descriptive screen tips that pop up when you mouse over the item in question, help screens stored on your computer and on Microsoft’s Web site, and a vast community of Office experts on message boards and Web sites. This appendix helps you explore all your help options.

NOSTALGIA CORNER: Goodbye, Clippy

And good riddance, some would add. Earlier versions of Microsoft Office programs included a contextual help system known as the Office Assistant, an animated character that lived in a small onscreen window, offering hints as you worked. You could also click it to type in the topic you needed help with.

No matter which incarnation you chose—Clippit the paper clip, Dot the bouncing ball, or any of the other cartoon choices—the Office Assistant always seemed to be watching what you were doing with a smug look on its face. And before you could type in your search phrase, you had to wait while it furrowed its cartoon brows or wagged it cartoon tail (a delay that probably drew a chuckle the first time you saw it, but that made you want to commit cartoonicide ...