Microsoft’s ubiquitous Office suite is back in a free public beta available for download at http://www.microsoft.com/office/2010/en/default.aspx.

Word continues to evolve, and this version 14.0 (13 was skipped due to triskaidekaphobia) includes a number of improvements (like enhanced themes), some brand new features (the navigation pane and Office Backstage), and at least one veteran abandoned in Office 2007 returns with a new luster in the 2010 version. No, not Clippy.

The Office button, apparently found by users to be confusing or not found at all, has given way to a file tab. The File tab opens what Microsoft calls the Office Backstage - a much more user-friendly menu to view information, preview printing, set permission, etc.

The advanced graphic controls that were introduced in Word 2007 have been expanded throughout the application with new picture, layout, correction, and artistic effect options. Also included are new or expanded text effects that essentially allow any text to be enhanced using effects previously available only as Word Art or Smart Art. Text boxes are much more useful as design elements in this version and can finally be rotated. We made extensive use of text boxes in our 13-page (no triskaidekaphobia here), mixed orientation newsletter. WW4T61EC.docx.

We found the new Navigation pane to be particularly beneficial in creating complex files and a much more efficient means of jumping from page to page than the scroll bar. However,  in our 249-page long document WW4TA1CT.docx, it did not display all of the headings as advertised; it only displayed the first chapter. Hopefully that bug will be fixed by the time Office 2010 is released to manufacturing.