Well that didn’t take long at all. Microsoft just handed out the first round of Office 14 alphas to early testers and leaked images of the upcoming software have already surfaced. Originating from a Russian beta tester, the images show the updated UI Microsoft will be using in its Office 2007 successor. We also get a complete list of apps covered: Access 14, Excel 14, Groove 14, InfoPath Designer 14, InfoPath Filler 14, InterConnect 14, OneNote 14, Outlook 14, PowerPoint 14, Project 14, Publisher 14, SharePoint Designer 14, Visio 14 and Word 14. The overall look, though it certainly may not be what the release looks like, seems like a flattened version of Office 2007. The same two-tiered menu structure can be seen across the top of each application that we’ve grown accustomed to with the current Office version. According to Ars Technica’s sources, we should expect a beta release of 14 to drop sometime in May, followed by a launch near the end of the year. Hit the jump for a few more shots.
Word 14:
Excel 14:
Access 14:
SharePoint 14 / Outlook 14:
Publisher 14:
Visio 14: