Currently Excel (I'm using 2007) will show multiple buttons on the taskbar
for multiple documents which is a useful way to switch between documents
despite the MDI interface.

I'm running Windows 7 beta but while multiple buttons show up in the
taskbar, there is no thumbnail preview for each document (such as is shown
for different tabs in an IE8 window, for instance). It just shows an empty
thumbnail with an Excel icon in the middle. It would be nice if Microsoft
would release a patch for Excel to allow it to show real thumbnail previews
for each document in the Windows 7 taskbar.

This actually affects Vista as well. For instance I've played with an Expose
clone for Vista but the Excel windows only show an icon not a real thumbnail
preview like with other applications.

Alternatively, or in addition, it would be nice if you could forgo the MDI
interface entirely and use different windows or instances of Excel. This can
be done to a certain extent and is actually easier in Windows 7 since
shift+click on an Excel button in the taskbar will open up a new instance
rather than a new document.

However, there are serious issues when running multiple instances of Excel.
For instance cut/paste and drag/drop don't work seamlessly. Also, if you are
using certain features such as saving custom macros in the personal template,
you will get an error when you load more than one instance and be required to
not use the macros or make them read-only. A patch that would let you use
multiple instances seamlessly would be really nice.

I would hope these issues will be worked out for Excel 2010 but since that's
a way off, it would be really nice to see a more immediate fix.

Thanks.

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...lic.excel.misc