(not a wiki-style post as there are already two - but as the site just launched, only moderators/admins can edit wikipostsâŚ)
LibreOffice will sometime in the future get a new UI - that is for sure as the tablet versions that sooner or later will have to exist need a different way of interacting (i.e. touch-interface), and Iâm sure the whole UI-Layer will be revamped, making this possible and in turn easier to change the UI.
But then again it is of course a controversial topic, as some people donât like change, especially donât like MS-Ribbon interface, etc.
No matter what, it will still take time for this, so I definitely wouldnât expect a different UI in 2012.
But when you mention Office 97 & colors (and not 2000 or the traditional menu structure vs always-adapting ribbons): If youâre using Linux, make sure that youâre using either GNOME/GTK or KDE/QT theme integration, otherwise youâll indeed get a very old-school color scheme that adds to this impression
Also note that you can switch between different icon styles in the options, maybe that already makes it feel less âoldâ for you. (Tools|Options â LibreOffice â View)