The Quick Access Toolbar is arguably more useful. Microsoft seems to believe that it is a necessary improvement but some users have found it annoying because it takes one more click to get the file they need. The left pane lists some common commands, middle pane shows additional relevant commands, and right pane is where you can view details about the selected file. Microsoft Office 2010 is the first to introduce Backstage View, replacing the Office button in its predecessor. Microsoft Office 2010 is unique in its own way, but at its core it remains the same as other versions of Microsoft Office, which is a suite of office software allowing you to create different types of documents. Some changes were welcomed, a few others were criticized.

Some new features were added, some existing features were improved. The initial release took place in June 2010 for Windows and October 2010 for Mac. In May 2009, Microsoft Office 2010 was officially announced by Microsoft to be the successor of the previous Microsoft Office 2007.