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> You don't need Excel

This is the kind of thing that gets tech people a bad reputation. YOU don't need Excel. I don't need excel - but that guy? You have no idea what he needs and if the people he's supporting need (or just want) Excel to get their jobs done it is incredibly arrogant to tell him what he does or doesn't need.

Now, I've loathed Microsoft since the 90s, but that makes me a weird and special little petal - it doesn't count for squat in business.

3 comments

Right, and even "that guy" might not need Excel but the second he opens up Libreoffice or Google Sheets and something doesn't work the way he's used to, he will say it's broken. He's not interested in learning how LibreOffice or Google does it, he's just trying to close a $5m deal. And he's not wrong.

And uhh you don’t need visual studio or pycharm. Just open notepad and learn how it works. It writes code.

Honestly, these alternatives just don't stack up against Excel. Even setting aside the advanced stuff like complex data analysis and macros that some organizations rely on, Excel is simply more robust and user-friendly. Google Sheets feels like a toy in comparison.

And a toy is all most users need. BUT (as has been the case with me at various points in my career), some need a lot more.

Indeed, or in my case where I don't need Excel, but can't tell someone else they don't. Telling me in this discussion I don't need Excel is very much misreading the conversation.

I never said that guy does not need Excel. High probability that all the features in Excel being utilized by most users is available else where. I get told all the time you don't need TOOL_X because that tool is uncommon compared to office software. It is funny how many people think everyone uses spread sheets. I personal don't need them or touch them. There are others tools that are better fit.

Excel is a great definition of _Law of small numbers_ when it comes to praising Microsoft. Major of all Microsoft solutions are not great and there are better alternatives. Even the most popular ones where not created by Microsoft and bought.

Microsoft does not have any user experience standards. This was ingrained with Bill Gates making CTRL+F _Forward Email_ in Outlook versus a constant of _Find Text_. Number one complaint I see from Microsoft employees in their feature tickets is lack of _muscle memory_ designs. Their file listing algorithms still think 109 < 74 where quality file listing should show 109 after 74, not before.

Microsoft produce products _You have to pay me to use_. I have not bought a Microsoft product in years and never will with my personal income. This doesn't not mean I don't know how to use their junk-ware -- that is more tools in the tool box. It is the mentality that once you know one spread sheet software you don't need any other. Once you know how to use Microsoft tool X, you don't need to know how to use tool Y, even when tool Y is a better fit for the solution.

Then again most people like to short their brain and only know the tools they were taught or used in school.

> I never said that guy does not need Excel.

You literally wrote "You don't need Excel."