kim@emory.UUCP (Kim Wallen {Psychology}) (10/07/85)
We are interested in getting a word processing package to be used
over a departmental net. The two main contenders seems to be
Microsoft word (runs on all the machines we expect to support
and seems the most likely to drive the Apple LaserWriter from
MS-DOS machines in Postscript) and Word Perfect 4.0 (costs only
$125 for academics and has the reputation of being fast and easy to
learn). Does anyone out there actually have any experience with
Word Perfect? Does it seem likely it will ever be ported to nonMS_DOS
machines? Has anyone directly compared Word to Word Perfect? Are
there real adavantages to either program? We are particularly
interested in using the Apple LaswerWriter to its full potential
and thought that Word was most likely to provide Postscript output
since they have already done that for the Mac version (I heard that
the latest version of Word does have Postscript output. True?).
Does anyone have any information about the portability of Word Perfect
or the likelihood that it will eventually generate PostScript files?
I have read the comparisons in PC-World and Cobnsumer's Reports, but
would like some comments from actual users. Please let me know what
you think.
Kim Wallen
Psychology Department
Emory University
Atlanta, Ga 30322
(404) 727-4125
{akgua gatech sb1 decvax}!emory!emoryu1!psykw (preferred)
or
{akgua gatech sb1 decvax}!emory!kimhalff@utah-cs.UUCP (Henry M. Halff) (10/09/85)
> From kim@emory.UUCP (Kim Wallen {Psychology}) Mon Oct 7 08:38:36 1985 > Newsgroups: net.micro,net.micro.pc > Subject: Word perfect 4.0: Information wanted > Organization: Math & Computer Science, Emory University, Atlanta > > We are interested in getting a word processing package to be used > over a departmental net. The two main contenders seems to be > Microsoft word (runs on all the machines we expect to support > and seems the most likely to drive the Apple LaserWriter from > MS-DOS machines in Postscript) and Word Perfect 4.0 (costs only > $125 for academics and has the reputation of being fast and easy to > learn). Does anyone out there actually have any experience with > Word Perfect? Does it seem likely it will ever be ported to nonMS_DOS > machines? Has anyone directly compared Word to Word Perfect? Are > there real adavantages to either program? We are particularly > interested in using the Apple LaswerWriter to its full potential > and thought that Word was most likely to provide Postscript output > since they have already done that for the Mac version (I heard that > the latest version of Word does have Postscript output. True?). > Does anyone have any information about the portability of Word Perfect > or the likelihood that it will eventually generate PostScript files? I've been using WordPerfect for over a year now and can't say enough good things about it. I've also had some experience with Word on an MS-Dos machine and found WordPerfect far easier to use. Word was slow, its command structure was obscure, and there were real problems with formatting and display. WordPerfect can be configured to perform with just about any printer, but don't expect it to produce Postscript files. WordPerfect also has no provision for inserting graphics in text. I could perhaps see getting Word if you can get it to support the more advanced features of the Laserwriter and if you use it with a mouse. Other- wise WordPerfect would be my choice. Wordperfect is available for Apple //s as ell as MS-Dos machines. I don't know about the protability of its files. SSI does provide conversion routines that will translate WordPerfect files to and from a number of other formats. By the way, WordPerfect is out in new version, 4.1. Looks to be even better than 4.0. -- Henry M. Halff Halff Resources, Inc. halff@utah-cs.ARPA 4918 33rd Road, N., Arlington, VA 22207
slerner@sesame.UUCP (Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner) (10/11/85)
I have used both extensivly and I have found word perfect both:
more powerful
easier to learn
easier to use
faster to use (get the job done in less time)
Also, word perfect has a much better dictionary (and the newest version, 4.1,
also has a built in thesaurus (wish I had the spell checker now!))
I could go on for pages, but it would all be the same flavor as the above.
I evaluated 15 different packages in depth before certifying word perfect
as to word processor of choice at my previous job and I still try out most of
the major new word processors as they come out. To date I have found nothing
as good as word perfect.
THIS IS MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH LOTUS DEVELOPMENT.
--
Opinions expressed are public domain, and do not belong to Lotus
Development Corp.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner
{genrad|ihnp4|ima}!wjh12!talcott!sesame!slerner
{cbosgd|harvard}!talcott!sesame!slerner
talcott!sesame!slerner@harvard.ARPA