The History & Role of Microsoft Applications

            Microsoft Office was introduced officially November 19, 1990. Since all three programs were introduced separately throughout the 80's at various times due to program mergers with Apple's then Macintosh. This bundle offered Word Processer, Excel, & PowerPoint applications, which significantly increased productivity in the workplace, with added simplicity. Throughout the decades Microsoft Office has been enhanced to provide seamless capabilities to the workplace & at home; offering business or personal "at home" installments. 

In 1990, the first Microsoft application bundle was released to the public. 

Microsoft Application Advantages:

    Regarding advantages, Word Processor enables users to create professional memorandums of record. Articles & journals can be developed by using this application. Word, aside from Adobe, allows you the ease of manipulating sole documents digitally as they would be viewed once printed. Excel is great for creating live data spreadsheets, having the ability to create formulas, & can be used as a tracker for various processes. Power-point is a useful tool for creating presentations; with the ability to add transitions, animations, & create a product that keeps a reader’s attention. In my experience PowerPoint has been a powerful training & continuity tool. You can take several photos or screenshots and develop slides automatically by using the “insert, photo album” function. This allows us to upload a group of photos or screenshots that automatically create a slideshow.  For visual learners, having training slides that show step by step processes of the use of the specific system has always been helpful.

Microsoft Application Disadvantages:

    The disadvantages of using Word Processor are the number of various features & tools that are available that can lead to distractions when writing. Tools such as spell check, formatting options, & grammar suggestions can be bothersome at times. Speaking from my own experience most people are more familiar with the various features of Word Processor as opposed to the capabilities in Excel. A key disadvantage regarding Excel is the susceptibility to human error, due to its range of features & functions. When entering large amounts of data, & inputting formulas, one simple mistake can lead to inaccurate data. another personal difficulty I have experienced with excel is printing an excel document that is readable. Some data spreadsheets have a lot of information and having the knowledge of manipulating the spreadsheet, so it prints out in a clean, presentable format is needed. Powerpoint has disadvantages as well, such as creative limitations & presentation fatigue due to the repetitive nature of the application in terms of slides. Creating an interactive presentation in PowerPoint that holds an intended audience’s attention, instead of boring them, can be cumbersome for beginners. However, a creator must be careful not to overload slides with too much information, distracting visuals & transitions to create a well-rounded presentation. For documenting the time spent completing tasks of one’s day, I think Excel is the best option, being that it is collected, calculated numerical data.

Useful Application Scenarios:

            In scenarios where it would be best to use these applications, I would say Word has been great for creating official memorandums, we use this application in the military for this purpose. Excel is great for tracking numbers, & smaller amounts of data.  PowerPoint is great for staff meetings, conferences, & presentations can be displayed in a clear, readable manner, for informational training, & continuity.