On fonts, Microsoft, and dear old Clippit

I wish there were some way of using the Calibri font online. Far be it from me to extol the virtues of Microsoft, but the ClearType fonts really are a sight for sore eyes. In the twelve months since I installed Office 2007, and cursed myself for having done so, I've grown particularly fond of the soft, rounded look of Calibri. All credit to Lucas de Groot for designing a workhorse font that is so much more pleasant than the old Arial typeface of which my colleagues are so enamoured. It more than compensates for having to get accustomed to the new layout and quirks of Word 2007.

But I still haven't forgiven Microsoft for firing Clippit. I realise I'm in the minority here, but I miss watching him snooze during quiet moments and spring to attention as I resumed typing. In Word 2003, the Office Assistant was not visible by default, but the option was there to install and activate it. This was an ideal set up; the eye-rolling majority were spared the annoyance of an unwanted assistant, but the few of us who appreciated the feature were able to continue using it. Why not give users the same choice in Word 2007? Cater for the majority, by all means, but don't forget the handful of us who liked the animated social user interface.