Microsoft | SSW Better Software Suggestions

Check for template updates

By Adam Cogan in PowerPoint December 7, 2012 0 Comment

If you have a PowerPoint using an older version of a template and want to:

See what version you are using
Migrate to the latest version

Can I not have an option to ‘Check for Updates’ for the template, instead of starting a fresh new PowerPoint and importing the slides over?

Figure: Why can't we check for layout updates? — Figure: Why can’t we check for layout updates?

Outlook should be able help you convert a time zone

By Adam Cogan in Outlook February 16, 2012 0 Comment

If someone says “Let catch up at 4pm PST time” then you should be easily able to convert to your time e.g. Sydney time
Currently, you need a tool like timeanddate.com | Time Zones | Meeting Planner

TimeAndDate01

TimeAndDate02

IE9 – Cool dragging of tabs (like Chrome)

By Adam Cogan in Internet Explorer January 10, 2012 0 Comment

I find it an awesome feature for organizing tab groups…. See the dotted lines
(Of course work with the VS team so the feature is consistent).

Figure: Organize your IE tab mess, by dragging out the tab… see the dotted lines

Help TFS branding

By Adam Cogan in Visual Studio Gallery November 23, 2011 0 Comment

It would be great if the TFS tools sorted together and we got the “TFS” brand a little extra juice.

Figure: Add “TFS” to the prefix of both these – and hopefully all others will follow

Outlook ‘Compact Now’ UI

By Adam Cogan in Outlook November 16, 2011 0 Comment

I know I can run ‘Compact Now’ manually. I just did some archiving and ran it now and it took about 12 hours (overnight)… however I should know that I don’t have to.

The UI should explain that this compacting happens in the background. (in the PST’s background idle task).
The UI should so that it is currently running.
That way you know if the performance problems that you are experiencing are related to compaction.
Gee Whizzzz?I should not have to ask to show what is going on with my PC?.
I am just asking for a ‘Polite UI’
The UI should show that this is primarily about space savings, not improving performance.
After I delete a lot of emails, I should see something different that indicates space can be saved.

And if the UI is good, after I install Outlook 2007 SP2, and since things changed, (where you allowed the internal free space to grow – for a trade-off to allow for better locality of writes), I would see this in the UI.

Figure: This UI needs 3 features added

IE – Help me know the slow or noisy tab

By Adam Cogan in Internet Explorer August 12, 2011 0 Comment

I hate not knowing which tab is playing sound and which one is making my PC slow

Add 2 more columns:

Sound playing now
Processor %

Figure: Add 2 more columns

Suggestion for Access 2010 – Macro’s should have XML view

By Adam Cogan in Access July 4, 2011 0 Comment

Figure: Wish I could copy this as text via a button ‘Edit Macro XML’ (like a SQL view in a query)

Spelling – Microsoft Word should pick up all spelling/grammar issues

By Adam Cogan in Word December 7, 2010 0 Comment

It is very important that Microsoft Word picks up all spelling/grammar issues. It may be one little bug, but more likely this bug could affect a lot of possible sentences.
More and more people with English as their second language rely on this to make their emails professional.

When you type a sentence using the verb in the singular form with the subject is in the plural form, “Spelling and Grammar Check” tool does not pick it up as an error unless you keep typing more words after that.
E.g. “For documents that belongs on the inside…” should be “For documents that belong on the inside…”