The Office Ribbon UI was created because the Office UI needed a reset.
A "reset"? I was doing just fine with the old menus. I have no problem with a "reset" if that's what you want.
But I'm more efficient when I use the UI I'm used to. So at least, give me the option of keeping the old
UI. You can even make the new UI the default. Just leave me a way to use the one I'm used to.
The UI needed to change. It did. Most people who don't have an automatic rejection of any change prefer the new UI.
I have yet to meet one person who prefers the ribbon over the old menu system. Maybe they exist, but I haven't met them yet.
If you want to talk about UIs that need to change, I present: Visio. Purchased by Microsoft from Visio and, to this date, the UI is
quirky and out of step with the other Office products. And that's putting it kindly.
Office has had 20 years of adding features since then. Features that few could use because they couldn't find them, buried in menus and tool strips and everywhere else
I'm sorry -- is this a plus or a minus, or just a clear indication that Microsoft's Office development team has been badly in need of a competent UI designer for over 20 years?
Most office documents are now editable on the web and on the phone. That's kind of a Big Deal.
Maybe for you. I edit my documents on a wide screen laptop. I'll grant you that being able to share documents
is a big deal, but you will never convince me that being able to edit documents on your phone is a major leap forward in
anything but frustration and eyestrain.