In years gone by -- and we've seen a lot of them, having started RealData in 1981 -- it would not have been such a big deal to announce that our programs were compatible with the latest release of Microsoft Excel (Excel 2007) and Microsoft Windows (Vista). The reason was simple. We could generally rely on each new release of Excel to read and run programs created with the previous version; and so long as Excel was compatible with Windows (a pretty safe bet), then the operating system was a non-issue.

After a few decades, we began to treat these expectations as if they were a law of nature.

Excel 2007 Is Different

Which brings us to our news flash. Excel 2007 is different. There are some obvious compatibility issues if one tries to use Excel 2003 or earlier to work with a file created in the new Excel 2007 format, and Microsoft discusses those at length in its support knowledgebase. However, it appears to us that Microsoft has said very little about 2007's "backward compatibility," i.e., the new program's ability to use files and applications created with pre-2007 versions of Excel.

Yes, 2007 should still read most basic spreadsheets created with earlier versions and run them fine. But RealData's programs are far from basic spreadsheeets and therein lies the "gotcha." Much of what makes our Excel-based products really powerful and at the same time easy to use is accomplished through programming code that the user never sees. We're speaking of features like custom menus and toolbars, automated printing of formatted reports and pdf files, database-driven commercial lease analyses, data-entry and navigation aids, goal-seeking and a lot more.

We don't want to say say here how we really felt, but to use a polite word I will report that we were a bit dismayed to discover that program code that had worked correctly for years no longer performed properly in Excel 2007, and at the same time some functions necessary for 2007 compatibility didn't work in older versions of Excel. That thumping noise you heard was our development team beating their heads against their keyboards.

Some problem areas, like customs menus, were quite obvious. But others were subtle and floated well under the radar. We think that any company that develops serious Excel-based applications is really going to have their hands full dealing with a universe in which some end users have Excel 2007 while others continue to use Excel 2000, 2002, XP or 2003.

You don't want to hear the details (wanna know how sausage is made?) but we re-wrote our RealData programs to adapt themselves automatically to different versions of Excel. In other words, our latest releases can be used with any version from Excel 2000 to 2007. It was a lot of work, taking several months; but hey, you're worth it.

Free Software Updates

If you have upgraded to Excel 2007 and need to update your RealData software to a new 2007-compatible version, open a support ticket to request the latest build of your products. Be sure to tell us your name, company name, phone and products that you own.

These updates are free to all registered users who have purchased a license of the current version of the software. Registered users of previous versions will need to upgrade to the latest version.

You can also call our technical support line at 1-203-255-1445, 9:30 to 5:30 EST.

Should You Upgrade Excel?

We said above that Excel 2007 is different. Should you care? Should you upgrade? Please note that we are now transitioning from an exposition of facts to one of opinion, and pass the salt. But, here's what we think.

If you're a fairly frequent user of Excel 2002, XP or 2003 and you're comfortable with it, then you may want to stick with what you know. The first thing you'll find when you try 2007 is -- well, you can't find the first thing. Or the second. The menus have been rearranged and it can be maddening to locate what was always right there. The keyboard shortcuts are the same as before, so they may help.

2007 does have some nice features, including it's "ribbon" menu bar. If you're just getting started with spreadsheet use or are at least not a hard core Excel user with a lot of unlearning to do, then there is no reason not to start with the latest and greatest.