Menu Item

WP

Word

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WordPerfect: RealTime Preview

10

  

If you read the Preamble , you'll already know what this feature is; if you didn't read the Preamble, then this WordPerfect feature allows you to see changes to your document in 'Real Time'. For example, if you want to change the Font of your document or a selected piece of text, add columns, change line spacing, text size, etc., you 'hover' over a menu item or icon, and WP instantly applies the change to your document . . . don't like that change, hover over the next font, line spacing, etc icon; keep going until you find the one you want.

In Word, you apply a change, don't like it, undo it, go back to the menu, apply another one, don't like it, undo it, go back to the menu, etc, etc, etc. This WP feature alone will save you ages when formatting your documents.

WordPerfect: XML

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Although MS Office uses XML when round-tripping HTML, it doesn't allow a user to create his or her own XML files. WordPerfect does.

Word & WordPerfect:
Task-Specific Wizards:

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WordPerfect has 158; Word has 4.

Word & WordPerfect:
Customize Keyboard

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WordPerfect has more capabilities.

WordPerfect: Launch a Program from your Toolbar

1

 

WP only. WP allows you to add an icon to your Toolbar to quickly launch a program. Word allows you to go quickly to other Microsoft products.

WordPerfect: Back and Forward

1

  

WP only. Move through documents as easily as you move around Web Pages. Word has a Browse-By feature, but this only records edits not clicks.

Word & WordPerfect: AutoScroll

1

 

WP lets users know it's there (it's on the Toolbar by default). Word doesn't even tell users that it's available (even after asking Help about it!).  It's been there since MSOffice 2000, and it STILL hasn't been highlighted to users or been added to Help Topics!

Word: IntelliSense

  

1

Only 1 point? Put it this way, I have most of Word's 'IntelliSense' features turned off. I have had 1 example of it working well. (By the way, WordPerfect has had 'Perfect Sense' since version 6.1  (for when you change text—this ensures that text is always in the correct tense).
Proof that most users DON'T LIKE Word's much-hyped IntelliSense feature is that Microsoft has added Smart Tag AutoCorrect options that now ask you whether you wanted the change that Word just made; if you didn't, you have the option to undo it AND turn that AutoCorrect Feature off. Additionally, MS has given this its own Menu Item—again, so that people can easily stop Word correcting their work.

Word: Smart Tags

1

Good idea for adding people to your Outlook Address Book or for scheduling a meeting on a certain date, etc, as MSOffice detects dates and names, then asks you if you want them added, scheduled, etc. (via an icon).  I haven't used it yet (when communicating with people via E-mail, as I use Outlook with Word as my E-mail Editor), but I can definitely see its advantage.

Word: Smart Tags (Paste)

 Each Icon represents a feature that was implemented 1 version (2 years) before the other program introduced it
Each Icon represents a feature that was implemented 1 version (2 years) before the other program introduced it
Each Icon represents a feature that was implemented 1 version (2 years) before the other program introduced it
Each Icon represents a feature that was implemented 1 version (2 years) before the other program introduced it

1

The other Smart Tag implementation arrives in the form of a Paste Icon. When you Paste Text, a Smart Tag appears to the right of the pasted text—it gives you options that have been available in WP for as long as I can remember:

Word Smart Tag

WP Equivalent

Keep Source Formatting

Automatic

Match Destination Formatting

Right-Click 'Paste without Font Attributes'

Keep Text Only

As above

Apply Style or Formatting

QuickFonts

This is a nice implemention of WP 's features but it's more of a case of Word catching up with WP than anything revolutionary.

Word: Personalized Menus

  

1

Word (MS Office) only. This comes down to preferences. At first, I couldn't decide whether this was a good or bad feature. I've read reviews where people said they hated them and turned them off. However, after using them for several years, I've decided that I do like them, and I like the fact that they've been added to Windows. It can be a bit annoying hovering over a Menu when you want to use a feature you don't use all the time, but if I had to choose whether or not to have them, I would choose to have them.

Word: Improved Web Integration, Discussions, etc.

1

10

Microsoft spent a lot of time make this its * BIG *, new suite-wide feature, and I have to admit, it's paid off. Providing you use IE4/5/6, you can create fantastic-looking documents, spreadsheets, etc with Office. This is excellent for a company Intranet, but has little use for day-to-day wordprocessing. If you were choosing between Word and WordPerfect, you'd need to ask yourself these Questions: (A) Am I buying this wordprocessing to create an Intranet and so that I have the ability to round-trip HTML, or (B) Am I buying it for my Staff to word-process. If the answer is A:, then I suggest you buy Word; If your answer is B:, then WordPerfect is the better choice (while still remembering that WP can generate good, clean HTML).

Of note , as stated, I wouldn't suggest using MSOffice to create Internet Pages, as there is * A LOT * of additional code, EVEN if you use the Filtered option.

OTHER POINTS

WP: 26

Word: 14

 

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