Microsoft Excel

Popular programs in Office Suites

What is Microsoft Excel

Out of all the spreadsheet programs, Microsoft Excel has proven to be the industry leader for years running. Because of its flexibility, customization options and compatibility on a wide range of different operating systems, Excel has become the spreadsheet program of choice for many different users and companies.

Excel was first developed in by Microsoft in 1982 under the name of MultiPlan. However, it wasn't until 1988 that Excel reached its prime for the average home user. The release of Excel 5.0. in 1993 was a massive upgrade in flexibility that made it the industry standard it is today.

What Does Microsoft Excel Have to Offer?

There are a variety of features that make Microsoft Excel stand out from other similar spreadsheet software.

Multiple Worksheet Functionality

While this multiple worksheet functionality was released years ago, not many other spreadsheet companies have been able to replicate it with quite the efficiency and style of Excel. Now one can open multiple worksheets in multiple windows with separate ribbon interfaces as opposed to sharing a single ribbon. This feature increases accessibility and functionality dramatically.

Quick Analysis

Microsoft Excel's quick analysis function allows one to quickly create graphs or charts based on given information. Additionally, this function provides color-coding options which can make the process much easier. This function can also suggest pivot tables for custom viewing of given data, making it even more accessible than before.

Recommended Charts

This function is very simple; however, it can help dramatically speed up formatting data in an effective and aesthetically pleasing way. The recommended charts function gives one a quick view of a variety of different chart, style and color options for any given set of data.

Overall, this is just a small portion of what makes Microsoft Excel the perfect blend of ease-of-use and professional functionality. There are a variety of other features that can make data importing, adjusting and displaying a very simple process.

Pros

Ease of Use

One of the biggest strengths of Excel is it's amazing out-of-the-box functionality for any user. Because of this, one can quickly learn how to create spreadsheets, tables, graphs and more simply from experience.

Customization

By far, the biggest strength that Excel offers in the professional field is its ability for customization. Through macros and Visual Basic add-ons, one can easily modify the program to fit almost any need.

Cons

Cost

One of the biggest downsides of Excel for many at-home consumers is price. For those who don't need the full functionality of this program, there are a variety of alternatives that many find suitable for minor applications. However, for most businesses and corporations, this shouldn't be a problem.

Complex Mathematics and Statistical Analysis

Excel was not designed for highly complex mathematics equations involving statistical analysis. Because of this, for those who attempt this variety of high-end mathematics on Excel, the results can be less than misleading or erroneous as they aren't compatible with in-built algorithms.

Overall, Microsoft Excel has proven to be one of the most customizable, flexible and powerful spreadsheet programs available. While the cost may not be ideal for those who do not need a high level of functionality or ease-of-use, for those who do, it is certainly worth it.