The new user interface of SharePoint 2010 certainly forces you to stop and think about what you’re doing after using 2007 for so long.

SharePoint 2007 :

SharePoint 2010 :

Whats new :

Lots has changed here – stuff moved, removed and new.

• Users and Permissions
  • Advanced Permissions has been replaced with Site Permissions.
• Look and Feel
  • Master Page and Page Layouts has been removed.  I can’t find the alternative for this, which will make custom built site themes interesting.  Will investigate further.  (This is different to the Master Page Gallery).
  • Reset to Site Definition has been moved to Site Actions.
  • Welcome Page and Searchable Columns have been removed.
  • Defaults to Quick Launch and Top Link Bar.  The Navigation option we use every single day needs to be activated by applying Publishing Site Features, (as in 2007).
• Galleries
  • Site Templates are now called Solutions.  This is where sites saved as templates are stored and managed, as well as something new called Sandbox Solutions.  This allows users to test web parts and templates in a safe environment without affecting the rest of the platform.  Any solutions need to be physically activated before they will become available to everyone else.  This is where the Fabulous 40 will be installed when they’ve been upgraded to 2010.
  • Workflow has moved to Site Administration.
  • Themes are new.  This is where you manage the types of themes available, (not apply them on a site level, that’s Site Theme).
• Site Administration
  • Site Usage Reports has moved to Site Actions and been renamed to Site Web Analytics Reports.
  • Site Features and Delete This Site also moved to Site Actions.
  • Related Links Scope Settings, Site Output Cache, and Content and Structure, all gone.
  • New is Language Settings and Offline Availability.
• Site Collection Administration
  • Two thirds of the options have been removed, leaving only the Recycle Bin, Site Collection Features, Site Hierarchy and Portal Site Connection.
  • New additions are SharePoint Designer, Visual Upgrade and Help Settings.
• New Section – Site Actions
  • The above section has been split up and some of the features included here instead.
  • New is Site Collection Web Analytics Reports.
• New Section – Reporting Services
  • Installing SQL Server 2008 R2 on the platform will enable these reporting services, (charts etc).  This is not my domain, speak to Mark Stacey about reporting / BI solutions.

Verdict :

The Good

• Many settings have be removed because the new version is much smarter and more streamlined.   All those Search options have been replaced with Managed Metadata and Tagging features.
• The Sandbox solutions are a real win and will go a long way in protecting the platform.

The Bad

• I can’t find any way to move sites now that Content and Structure is gone.  Sites get moved all the time as company structures change, so what now.  If you know how to do this, please shout.
• Why couldn’t they make the menu items alphabetical in each category?  It would have made life so much easier.

And the Ugly

• The new Site Web Analytics Reports are just horrible! (The old Site Usage Reports).  What happened to the lovely graphs??  Dreadful, will write a separate blog on this. #Fail.
• Governance of all these hot new features is going to be a real challenge in large organisations.