1st April 2002

Sadly, this world is full of SHIFTy characters. If only there was an ALT way to CTRL them. In Microsoft Excel, there is! Your toolbars could stand to lose some weight. I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but you've got way too many icons in there. "But I can't live without my Print button!" Oh, yes you can. "No, I can't." Look, don't argue with me. Hold onto the SHIFT key when you press the Print Preview button. Almost like magic, the icon assumes the identity of its alter ego. Cool, huh? Yeah, and if you SHIFT click the regular Print button, it'll invoke the Print Preview feature. What does this mean to you? Well, that means you can get rid of one or the other and still have the same functionality sitting in front of you (as long as you remember to use that darn SHIFT key). What else does this work on? Sort Ascending and Descending, Open and Save, Align Left versus Right, Underline and Double Underline, Center or Merge and Center, Increase Decimal or Decrease, Decrease or increase the Indentation. You can always put the icons back if you miss them that much. Frankly, I think you'll be much happier with a trimmer toolbar.