If nothing else, Professor Teaches Microsoft Office XP Plus is about flexibility. The nine CDs included in this package operate independently of one another, offering the user a learning environment that is customizable based on topic--and how much they want to learn--and on the learner's level of understanding.
We were impressed immediately with the ease of use and simplicity of design: the program offers a quick overview to the Professor Teaches environment, and the interface is intuitive and inviting. And from disc to disc the format is consistent: you may jump in at any point between "What is Excel?" to more advanced techniques. Each application disc begins with a menu of around a dozen topics of increasing complexity. Each topic's lesson designates an approximate time for completing the lesson, as well the number of pages the lesson is comprised of.
Like many other tutorial packages out there, Professor Teaches offers information in bite-size pieces, highlighting how to accomplish tasks in the particular application. But this package goes above and beyond the more common textbook approach of many software-based tutorials by offering interactive screen shots of Word, Excel, and the other represented applications. The package systematically walks the user through tasks by showing and doing, not just telling.
One point that could be a pro or a con lies in the package's approach to the Office XP environment in comparison with earlier editions of Office and Windows. There is very little in the way of "What's new in XP?" This could very well benefit the new Office user who doesn't have previous exposure; however, as more experienced Office users looking to learn a few tips on the newer version, we found this aspect to be pretty frustrating. Additionally, advanced users should not expect to learn expert techniques or new ways of using these packages; the material stops far short of delving into any complexities.
Other features of the package will round out your learning. A comprehensive glossary offers critical word and phrase definitions, while an extensive index allows you to search for and retrieve very specific information. Glossary terms are also available throughout each lesson in the form of highlighted words; clicking on these results in a pop-up definition. And finally, the bookmark feature allows you to tag certain pages for later recall.
The only areas where we thought the Professor Teaches package fell short or could be improved were in the inability to customize the learning environment (such as enlarging fonts) and in the complete lack of reference to keyboard shortcuts and the usefulness of the Tab key. Aside from these minor concerns, this package is most definitely appropriate for those wanting to make a foray into this latest version of Windows and Office.
--Emilie Herbst