Microsoft Project 2002 Upgrade [Old Version]

The interface in Project 2002 is clear, too. You can work in a variety of views and edit your projects in the view you prefer. You can group project information in a variety of ways so you can view tasks in the order you prefer. And the range of reports includes tasks that should have already begun or have slipped, as well as the usual list of what's in progress. In addition, the Resource Availability Graph makes it very easy to manage resource allocation.

Smart tags help you avoid problems by reminding you of related issues. For example, if you assign an additional resource, the smart tag suggests that you'll want to either shorten the time the task will take or increase the amount of work involved. You can ignore the smart tags or turn them off, but they help you find the more advanced features, and use them for more consistent results.

Project 2002 allows for less disciplined projects as well as fully detailed ones. If the plan keeps changing you can save up to eleven versions to look back at for comparison, as well as comparing the plan to the actual progress being made. You can easily manage data back and forth between Project and Excel, or start lists of tasks in Excel and turn them into projects.

For true collaboration with other Project users you'll need to invest in Project Server, which works even better with the enterprise tools in Project Professional. Project 2002 features tools for experienced managers, such as resource leveling, but you don't need to know a lot about project management to stay on top of work with Project. Just remember--it won't actually run the project for you. --Mary Branscombe, Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com Product Description
Microsoft Project Standard makes it easier than ever to manage schedules and resources, communicate project status, and report project information. With more intuitive tools and built-in project management assistance, you'll get productive quickly; even novices can start project planning and reporting immediately. Microsoft Project has the fundamental project management features that you need to stay informed, so projects stay on track and within budget.

Quickly and easily create and manage project plans with the new Project Guide. Step-by-step interactive instructions walk users through the key areas of their projects--tasks, resources, tracking, and reporting--so they can be productive immediately. In addition, the Project Guide can be customized to effectively promote an organization's best practices from within the application.

New wizards have been added to reduce time and complexity in setting up projects, while smart tag indicators give users feedback when they make certain changes to their project plans, especially those that may affect scheduling. In addition, the familiar Microsoft Office XP interface--complete with informative task panes and adaptive pull-down menus--makes learning and using Microsoft Project more intuitive than ever.