Ribbon UI

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 includes the ribbon user interface, giving a much more consistent experience when used alongside Office. There are several advantages to the ribbon UI. One is that it makes it a lot clearer whether or not a user has certain capabilities. In MOSS 2007, if a user doesn’t have the permissions to edit a page, they won’t see the option to edit it. If they can’t see the edit option, they can’t be sure whether it’s because they’re not allowed to or because they just don’t know where the option is. In MSS 2010, they will see controls greyed out so it will be clear that they cannot use those features.

The ribbon is contextual. When you click on an item, new tabs appear related to that item so you see the relevant controls and options. You're not confused by controls that aren't relevant. The administrator can disable tabs of the ribbon, or remove the ribbon entirely where appropriate.

The ribbon is customisable and extensible, so Microsoft partners can add their own code and capabilities and use the standard UI to display them.

If you buy MOSS 2007 with Software Assurance now, you’ll get the upgrade rights to 2010 when it’s released. There’s no better time to buy!