The thing about Microsoft tools in general is that their default UI is too busy, but they can easily be customized to make them nearly as clean as you want. My

The thing about Microsoft tools in general is that their default UI is too busy, but they can easily be customized to make them nearly as clean as you want. My setup for Word 2007 is every bit as clean as the Office 15 example shown. Just selecting "Minimize Ribbon" gets you most of the way there already. Then select "Customize Quick Access Toolbar" to remove most other icons. I have a feeling the main difference is that Office 15 just hides the ribbon as the default. You're left with basically an empty window with a sheet of paper.