I wish Microsoft's motives were as honourable as you suggest L_H. The reality is they want to expand the user base by simplifying the product and that in turn means sacrificing or hiding away the functionality that is useful to people who actually want to use it for scheduling. The product is now aimed at your average Sunday School Teacher planning the summer Jamboree rather than somebody planning and monitoring time critical work packages.
Member for
24 years
Member for24 years1 month
Submitted by Daniel Limson on Tue, 2012-02-21 04:09
I have the same observation, all Microsoft t software latest versions are more cumbersome, softwares are suppose to be more user friendly, but now they they are all pain in the ass. It is all business you know, they probably can not improve them anymore and hence we are getting all this crap so they can realease new versions. Microsoft really works!
Regards,
Daniel
Member for
14 years 9 months
Member for14 years9 months
Submitted by lord_horn_asstr on Tue, 2012-02-21 03:44
The real reason is that Microsoft wants the user to establish a workflow while planning projects.
The first step is getting the project steps and their durations (fixed or estimated), right. Only once you are completely satisfied with the same, you can run the schedule and see how it looks like. This is the preferred method of PMBOK and other methodologies, which tell you to get the steps right. Durations can be calculated afterwords.
Also, in most major project planning solutions (read Primavera) you have to do the same. Only after running a schedule do you get the durations in sequence.
Of course, you always have the freedom to go the Options and select 'AUTOMATIC' calculation in MSP 2010. All 'NEW' projects will be henceforth calculated automatically. Just like previous versions.
I hope that helped.
Cheers and Regards,
L_H
Member for
20 years 7 months
Member for20 years7 months
Submitted by Stephen Devaux on Tue, 2012-02-21 01:44
It used to be that MSP automaticlly highlighted the longest path through the project as soon as you started giving activities durations. That changed with the 2003 version, after which you had to go into the Gantt Chart Wizard and turn on the highlighting of the critical path.
Apparently Microsoft got so many calls from users complaining that the software was highlighting certain activities. "Sir, that's because it's the critical path." "Not to me, it's not critical!" So they turned it off.
Member for
14 years 7 monthsI wish Microsoft's motives
I wish Microsoft's motives were as honourable as you suggest L_H. The reality is they want to expand the user base by simplifying the product and that in turn means sacrificing or hiding away the functionality that is useful to people who actually want to use it for scheduling. The product is now aimed at your average Sunday School Teacher planning the summer Jamboree rather than somebody planning and monitoring time critical work packages.
Member for
24 yearsDear All,I have the same
Dear All,
I have the same observation, all Microsoft t software latest versions are more cumbersome, softwares are suppose to be more user friendly, but now they they are all pain in the ass. It is all business you know, they probably can not improve them anymore and hence we are getting all this crap so they can realease new versions. Microsoft really works!
Regards,
Daniel
Member for
14 years 9 monthsHello,The real reason is that
Hello,
The real reason is that Microsoft wants the user to establish a workflow while planning projects.
The first step is getting the project steps and their durations (fixed or estimated), right. Only once you are completely satisfied with the same, you can run the schedule and see how it looks like. This is the preferred method of PMBOK and other methodologies, which tell you to get the steps right. Durations can be calculated afterwords.
Also, in most major project planning solutions (read Primavera) you have to do the same. Only after running a schedule do you get the durations in sequence.
Of course, you always have the freedom to go the Options and select 'AUTOMATIC' calculation in MSP 2010. All 'NEW' projects will be henceforth calculated automatically. Just like previous versions.
I hope that helped.
Cheers and Regards,
L_H
Member for
20 years 7 monthsIt used to be that MSP
It used to be that MSP automaticlly highlighted the longest path through the project as soon as you started giving activities durations. That changed with the 2003 version, after which you had to go into the Gantt Chart Wizard and turn on the highlighting of the critical path.
Apparently Microsoft got so many calls from users complaining that the software was highlighting certain activities. "Sir, that's because it's the critical path." "Not to me, it's not critical!" So they turned it off.
Fraternally in project management,
Steve the Bajan