When most users open Office Excel--launched with Microsoft's new Vista operating system--their first reaction is, "Where's the file menu? How do I begin?"

This article is designed to help you steer through the labyrinth of new and super-powered functions. Even more important, it will show you how to customize the screen to meet your unique needs so you'll spend less time stumbling through the vast display of icons.

THE RIBBON

The first visual obstacle you'll encounter is the Ribbon. The traditional toolbars of earlier editions have been replaced with this expanded toolbar and it will take a bit of adjusting for many--if not most--new Users to overcome what looks ...