Proficient LaTex user has to typeset with MSOffice at work: any tip? [closed]

Question

I'm a newly graduated CS student and I've started a cool job last month. I'm an enthusiast user of typesetting languages and I find going back to MSOffice totally frustrating.

I know that Word has a decent outline view, but with PowerPoint it's just a huge annoyance, because text and graphic placement aren't handled automatically by the software. Since I'm going to write a good deal of documentation I'd like it to be done painlessly and effectively.

Do you have any tip on how to achieve that? In particular:

1. How can I (re)educate myself to use MSOffice effectively?
2. Do you know if there are any (possibly free) software that can help with that? Like a better interface or a typesetting language?

Answer 1

To re-educate yourself to Office in general, Microsoft provides some online tutorials, which can help you: Getting started with Office 2007, Getting started with Office 2010

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Besides, since the 2007 versions, most MS Office programs are much closer to typesetting. By using Styles, you can set simply what this part of text is (a title, a lower title, a part of code, etc.), and worry about the actual appearance later.

It won't go as far as to set the vertical placement, but it will deal with font, horizontal alignments, space between lines. For heading styles, it will also keep track of numbers.

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More specifically about Powerpoint, it's also the same, you will set the "type" of slide, and it will make the graphical placement and choice of font according to it. You can then edit the Themes to adjust colors, background, etc.

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