Beginning Microsoft Excel 2010

Chapter 1. Introduction to Excel

Making the Acquaintance

It's here—Microsoft Excel 2010, the latest take on the spreadsheet program that millions of people use worldwide to process, calculate, and display information in countless ways, and for countless reasons.

As with so many computer terms, "spreadsheet" has its roots in the hard-copy world, harking back to the outsized, columned, paper ledgers in which bookkeepers recorded invoices and other financial doings. But with the advent of the PC, those green-tinted pages eventually gave way to an electronic "sheet," one empowered to do far more than its 17" × 11" forebearers, and to do so with far more data, and at far greater speeds.

Unlocking Your Inner Worksheet

It's true of course that many ...