Youve wanted it. Youve waited for it. Its finally here! Your new word processor! And guess what? It will take up an unbelievable amount of memory and disk space; it barely runs on a Quadra, and it sports all sorts of questionable Windows-on-Macintosh interface enhancementsenough buttons for every menu item, tabbed dialog boxes, and a screen-bottom file progress indicatornot only that, it runs much faster on a slow Intel 486 than it does on your Mac, even your PowerMac, giving you, courtesy of Microsoft, another reason to join the bell-curve-thundering-herd of Wintel users! This new word processor has the same name as its predecessor: Microsoft Wordthats right, Im talking about Word 6.x, and its so unlike Word 5.x that you will have to learn it from scratch.
Did Microsoft ask you if you wanted a new word processor? They didnt ask me, but since they introduced the possibility, Ive given it some thought. My conclusion? You can put your money on the line and buy Word 6, or you can use that money to send a message. You can stand up to Microsoft and say, I want my Mac! I dont want Windows on my Mac. Think of it, you could buy a different word processor.
Is this really a radical concept? Dont you owe it to yourself to see what else is out there? We didnt have this opportunity in the Macintosh spreadsheet worldwhere the only alternative to Excel 4 is Excel 5but when it comes to Macintosh word processors, there are plenty of competitors ready to take on Word 6: WordPerfect, MacWrite Pro, Nisus Writer, and Fullwrite to name the big names. Who knows, maybe you could even find a word processor you like better!
I know this takes a leap of faith. So, how can you approach such a moment of great potential? First read some reviews. Then, just find a way to try out one or more of the other packages. (For most of us, a hundred dollars or more is still a pretty big chunk of change to spend just to go shopping.) Ask friends; talk to your user group.
My office actually had an evaluation copy of WordPerfect 3.1 that I was able to borrow. Thats as far as I got in my big research project! I fell in love with WordPerfect and never got past it. Why?
The WordPerfect interface is a thing of beauty! Its not ugly (like Word 5) or Windows-on-Mac (like Word 6). When it makes sense to have hierarchical menus, theyre there. The buttons are easy to understand, unlike the ugly enigmatic buttons of Word. (If you get homesick for Word you can fill up your screen with bars full of buttonsRuler bar, Layout bar, Font bar, etc. but theres really no need.) In a nutshell, the WordPerfect interface is flexible and sensible. It doesnt overwhelm you with options, and the depth is there when you need it.
Want to insert todays date in a WordPerfect document? Go to the Insert menu, select Text Date/Time for todays date and time, or Auto Date/Time for dynamic date (the date the document is opened or printed). In Word you use the Insert menu for one date and a glossary entry for the other; good luck remembering which is which.
Take a look at the File menu. In Word, the most recently opened documents are tacked onto the bottom of the menu. In WordPerfect theres a hierarchical menu called Open Latest underneath Open.
The drawing tools are fairly complete and powerful including an arc tool and object rotation. The package comes with a fat binary installation that includes both 680x0 and PowerMac native versions. It supports Macintosh system features through 7.5, including Applescript, QuickDraw GX, AppleGuide, and PowerTalk, and WordPerfect sports an extensive macro language of its own. When I purchased it from MacWarehouse, I bought it as part of a special student package, which came with RH Websters electronic dictionary/thesaurus, Language Modules (for Spanish, French, & German spellchecking/thesaurus), a collection of Bitstream Truetype fonts, and a bunch of document templates (called Document Experts), and Links Pro golf, all for $99!! I could go on and on-but I wont.
Does WordPerfect replace Word? In my heart it has. Regrettably, as a consultant I sometimes have to use Word in the office, and WordPerfect doesnt do everything that Word does. The differences Ive encountered are: You cant split the document window (but window management is better). There is no voice or text annotation, no hidden text, no editable page layout view, and WordPerfect files seem to take up almost twice as much space as Word files of the same content. Thats the worst of it. I find that I dont really miss any of these features or mind the differences.
But what about all those old Word files? No problem! WordPerfect comes with its own translators and ships with a subset of the MacLink translators so you can open and save files files in Word 4-5 format. It even comes with a utility that allows you to translate a folder full of files en masse.
Novell provides lots of tools for learning the WordPerfect way. If its a fairly common topic, it will be an exercise in Guide. Otherwise its probably in the online help, online documentation, or in the manual. If you cant find it there, you can try the WordPerfect forum on America Online (Keyword: WordPerfect). Theres a separate section for Macintosh users. While youre there, be sure to download a copy of the WP Mac News, an electronic magazine (ezine) full of hints, tips, and macros for WordPerfect for Macintosh users. As a last resort, you can call Novell for support, but you only get 90 days of free phone support after your first call (I havent used my first call yet!).
So there you have it. There are plenty of other good reasons to switch, but I went with WordPerfect because its fast, clean, powerful, and moderately priced. Before you make the next installment on your Word-for-Windows-for-Mac mortgage, think about making the switch. Its worth it!
©1995 Christopher Plummer. Reprinted from PMUG Dialog, newsletter of the Princeton Macintosh Users Group.
WordPerfect 3.1 Student Essentials, Novell, $99.00 (special offer, still available from MacWarehouse at this writing.)
Christopher Plummer is a consultant who was inspired to review WordPerfect for Macintosh when his client company announced they would be switching to a wholly Wintel environmentin part because the latest Microsoft Office applications ran too slow on the Macintosh platform.