Scary Non-Warning When Opening all PowerPoint files in the New Formats in Previous Versions of PowerPoint

Dear Microsoft Office 2007 Team,

Here is the message that is presented to users of previous versions of PowerPoint + compatibility pack every time a presentation in the new file format (.pptx) is opened:

What? Can't see it? That's because THERE ISN'T ONE!

So, please tell your customers if/when you will ever present a warning message (as Word does every time, and Excel does sometimes) when a previous version of Office + compatibility pack opens files in the new 2007 formats.

SmartArt and Equations Permanently Convert to Graphic Images if Edited with Picture Tools

Dear Microsoft Office 2007 Team,

(*Note: Updates added 2008-26-03)

Please tell your customers if/when you will fix this situation where the use of picture tools to modify SmartArt or Equation content may seem as if it permanently converts it into static images.

Your customers must be further trained that to "undo" what seems like a permanent conversion, they must "reset" the picture tool modifications.

Steps to reproduce the behavior

	Word	PowerPoint
1.	Office Button / Word Options / Save / Save files in this format: Word Document (*.docx)	Office Button / PowerPoint Options / Save / Save files in this format: PowerPoint Presentation
2.	Select Office Button / New / Blank Document	Select Office Button / New / Blank Presentation
3.	Insert 12 items of SmartArt and 12 Equations	Insert 12 items of SmartArt
4.	Save a copy of the file in the 97-2003 format (.doc): Test1.doc Save a copy of the file in the new 2007 format (.docx): Test2.docx	Save a copy of the file in the 97-2003 format: Test1.ppt Save a copy of the file in the new 2007 format : Test2.pptx
5.	In Word 2007, open Test1.doc Using the Picture Tools to modify each item of content as indicated in the table below. Save a copy of the file up to the new 2007 format: Test3.docx	Testing in PowerPoint 2007 is not applicable, because SmartArt (not previously touched by PowerPoint 2003) is fully functional in either file format.
6.	In Word 2003 + Compatibility Pack, open Test1.doc. Modify each item according to the table below, and re-save over Test1.doc Do the same for Test2.docx, and re-save over it.	In PowerPoint 2003 + Compatibility Pack, open Test1.ppt. Modify each item according to the table below, and re-save over Test1.ppt Do the same for Test2.pptx, and re-save over it.
7.	In Word 2007, open all test files and examine the condition of each item	In PowerPoint 2007, open all test files and examine the condition of each item

Results

Picture Tool Adjustment (The “X” indicates which items may seem as if they are permanently converted into a graphic image if modified using Picture Tools.)	Word SmartArt	Word Equations	PowerPoint SmartArt
Adjust the Brightness.	X		X
Adjust the Contrast.	X		X
Recolor to grayscale.	X		X
Add a Shadow Effect.	X
Crop the object	X		X
Compress.			X
Rotate the object	X	X	n/a
Change the text wrapping		X	n/a
Change the Object’s Height and/or Width
Change text wrapping. (Activates border tools). Make border red.	X	X	n/a
Change text wrapping. (Activates align tools). Align Right.		X	n/a
R click / format picture / layout / behind text	X
Line Style			X

Scary Warning When Opening all Word Documents in the New Formats in Previous Versions of Word

Dear Microsoft Office 2007 Team,

Please tell your customers if/when you will ever improve the generic message that is presented to users of previous versions of Office + compatibility pack every time a document in the new file format (.docx / .docm) is opened:

1. Please define "converted" once and for all. "Convert" in Office 2007 is usually associated with the Office Button / Convert operation that creates a new file. In this case, a new file is not being created... the current file is being opened in a mode so that the user can "work with" it.
2. Please define "feature" once and for all: Does it mean actual content or does it mean a feature used to create content? If it means content, then this sentence has just told the user that content has been REMOVED from the file, merely because it was opened.
3. "Layout" has been changed? What does this mean? "Features" in this sentence sounds like content. What exactly has changed?
4. This message has presented some information that is not only confusing, but you've used alarming phrases: "has been converted" and "have been removed" and "have changed". Yet, you have NOT PROVIDED A CANCEL BUTTON!

You might want to offer a free box of tissues for every customer who downloads and installs your Office 2007 Compatibility Pack.