Question : How to save Excel 2007 spreadsheets into a form readable by Lotus 123

We've installed Office 2007 but some of us still prefer to work in Lotus 123. What we're finding is that even if you save an Excel 2007 file into one of its older formats (eg workbook 97-2003) which Lotus has always previously been able to read, the newly saved version cannot be read by Lotus. Instead we get an "untranslateable" error message.

The only format I've so far been able to save in, which Lotus can subsequently open, is a csv, which is pathetic!

Is this fixable - or a deliberate new obstacle introduced by Microsoft?

Answer : How to save Excel 2007 spreadsheets into a form readable by Lotus 123

I honestly am not sure about the compatibility issue between Office 2007, it's older file-saving format and Lotus123 ability to read that format. It used to be possible but as Excel2007 gets more and more complex I'd care to guess that the backwards compatibility issue gets less and less reliable as each new incarnation of Excel is released.

Like your MD, I used to run a company and like him I taught myself Lotus123 using one of the books published by Que. I was totally dependant on Lotus123 for the business. However in more recent years Excel has got better and better and is now far ahead of Lotus123 - and I say that as a Lotus123 officionado. I believe your MD needs to bite the bullet and drop Lotus123 completely. He will find it helps enormously in recruitment and training as the vast majority of people know Excel but they do not know Lotus123. Encourage him to make the switch wholesale - after some training - but not to adopt a hybrid solution - that would be disastrous. He will not regret the move over to Excel. Good luck in the process of persuasion.

Patrick