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Word

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Word & WP: Font

WP: 1

If you use the Font Dialog Box, both give you a preview of a highlighted word. However, with WP's amazing RealTime Preview, you rarely have to open the Dialog Box or hit UNDO. WP also allows you to edit Font Mapping, and you can set the shading for Fonts. Word's only unique ability is 'Text Effects', but I can only ever recall seeing this used once by anyone, as it can make the text hard to read and can be distracting. This might be fun for kids, but I don't think it has a use in the business world.

WP: Line » Tab Set
Word: Tabs

WP: 5

Word: 1

WP is more comprehensive, and the interface is far more intuitive, as you have the option to set your Tabs from the left of the paper or from the left of the margin. Another superb feature, which is so simple and logical that I can't believe it's not in Word, is the ability to 'Repeat' your Tab Stops at specified intervals. You can do this in Word if you can guarantee that you don't want to set Repeating Tab Stops of a different distance further on in your document. If however, you plan on having different repeating Tab Stops, then you'll have to set each and every single Tab Stop individually. So remember, if you do set Repeating Tab Stops in Word, you better not change them at another point in your document, because if you do, all the previous Default Tab Stops will be lost.

Conversely, in WordPerfect, you can set Default Tab Stops at any point in your document without fear that Default Tab Stops you set up earlier will be lost. This is a perfect example of Stream Formatting in effect!

Additionally, because of WP's 'Stream Formatting', Tabs are a breeze. There's no highlighting of text/paragraphs required. Want to change a Tab Stop? Simply amend it at the point you're at, and WP alters all the following Paragraphs according to the new Tab Stop, providing uniformity to your document—simplicity itself.

Word does get a point, though, because I like its Interface for setting Leader characters, although you are bound to a certain Leader character; in WP, you can choose your own!

WP: Line-Height

WP: 1

Line Height only exists in WP. In Word, you would have to "work" with Word's Paragraph Formatting to simulate WP's Line-Height ability.

WP: Line-Spacing
Word: Paragraph » Line Spacing

WP: 10

Word, in trying to be everything, has made Line Spacing far too complex for a word processor. It has the following options:

• Single
• 1.5 Lines
• Double
• At Least
• Exactly
• Multiple

If you use Word for Desktop Publishing, these are great options, but let's face it, if your company is a publishing house, or has a publishing department, surely it is going to want to use a proper Desktop Publisher like Ventura or MS Publisher—why use a word processor? It is far too confusing and unnecessary having these options in Word, and as I said in my Preamble, it's confusing for a new user. E.g., did you know that Word's single line spacing is actually not single line spacing? It's single + some, e.g., 12pt is actually 14.4. Only 'Exactly' gives you 12pts for a 12pt Font (???)

WP's Line Spacing is as easy as follows:

• To increase, select 1, 1.1, 1.2, etc
• To decrease, select.9, .8, .7, etc

WordXP—for the 1^st time—added Line Spacing to its Standard Toolbar (as has been the case in WP since I first used it); in my mind, this is a concession, i.e., MS realized that Line Spacing is too complicated in Word, so it's trying to get users familiar with the Toolbar icon instead of having to understand the Line Spacing feature in the Paragraph Dialog.

WP: Line » Numbering
Word: Page Setup » Layout » Line Numbers

WP: 10

Far, far more advanced in WP.
Word does not have the following:

• Numbering Method (e.g., 1,2,3; a, b, c; i, ii, iii)
• First Printed Line Number
• Position from Margin or Page (it only has position from text)
• Count Blank Lines (yes/no)
• Number all Newspaper Columns
• Font Formatting for your Numbers

WP: Line » Center

WP: 1

In WP, press Shift+ F7

This is how you accomplish the same in Word:

Method 1:

1. Align your Paragraph as centered to figure out the exact center of your document
2. Double-click your Ruler at this point to insert a Center Tab Stop
3. Change your Paragraph Alignment back to Justified or Left-Aligned
4. Insert a Tab

Method 2:

1. Figure out the exact center of your document
2. Double-click your Ruler to insert a Center Tab Stop
3. Insert a Tab

'Nuff said.

WP: Line » Flush Right

WP: 1

In WP, press ALT+F7

Word XP made this easier, but here's what you still have to do to in Word to Flush Right

1. Type your text
2. Use your mouse to position your I-Beam to the right of the line you need Flushed Right
3. Double-click to insert a Right-Aligned Tab Stop
4. Use the Home key (or your Mouse) to go back to the beginning of the line
5. Insert a Tab

WP: Line » Flush Right w/ Dot Leaders

WP: 1

In WP, press ALT+F7+F7

As above, Word XP made this easier, but here's what you still have to do to in Word to Flush Right with Dot Leaders

1. Type your text
2. Use your mouse to position your I-Beam to the right of the line you need Flushed Right
3. Double-click to insert a Right-Aligned Tab Stop
4. Double-click the Tab Stop
5. Select a Leader character and click OK
6. Use the Home key (or your Mouse) to go back to the beginning of the line
7. Insert a Tab

Word: Paragraph
WP: Paragraph » Format

WP: 1

Word: 1

Much simpler in WP. Word's is too complex, probably because 'Line' doesn't exist in Word. Everything is treated as a paragraph. However, one Word feature that I know many people like is the ability to specify different spacing both before and after a Paragraph. In WP, spacing is an individual setting, using 'number of lines' or 'distance in points'.

Word & WP: Paragraph » DropCap

WP: 5

The options available in WP make Word's Drop Cap look like Word version 1.0 instead of Word 2003. There are so many things you can do with Drop Caps in WordPerfect that it would take a page to list them all! Another great feature (added in WP10) is the interaction of Drop Caps with the RealTime Preview, giving WP an even bigger advantage over Word.

WP: Paragraph » Border/Fill

WP: 5

Far superior in WP as it has the following options that Word doesn't:

• Shadow (Height, Width, Depth, and color)
• Spacing
• Gradient (with vertical and horizontal offset + rotation angle)
• Fill (Styles, Gradient, Foreground, Background, and Pattern)

Word & WP: Paragraph » Indent

WP: 10

* SO EASY * in WP. Simply hit F7 to have all text flow according to the indent. Hit Return to break the Indent. 10 Points for this feature may seem over‑the‑top, but it is something I use all day, every day—especially in Tables.

Achieving the same result in Word is Convoluted. You have to hit Ctrl+T AND THEN TAB to the indent, (or you can mess around with the Ruler, which is a real time-waster). To clear this, you have to hit Shift+Ctrl+T. Of course, you can use your Ruler, but, again, it takes (literally) 10 times longer than using keystrokes.

If you use the Indent Icon, your whole line indents (Word's Ctrl+M equivalent), instead of the text you want to wrap. Word has an AutoCorrect Option that's supposed to set Indents using the Tab Key. However, this is restricted to the beginning of a line, i.e., you can't type text, hit Indent, then have the rest of the text indent FROM THAT POINT (Ctrl+T). Also, it's a First Line Indent, not a full indent. *sigh*

WP: First-Line Indent

WP: 1

Word: 1

Same. Type your text, then return to the beginning of the first line to create a first-line Indent.

WP: Paragraph » Hanging Indent

WP: 1

Word: 1

In WP, use Ctrl+F7. In Word, use Ctrl+T

WP: Paragraph » Double Indent

WP: 1

(Note: This is often used for Quotes)

In WP, click Ctrl+Shift+F7
In Word, again, you need to use your Ruler or the Paragraph Dialog Box.

WP: Paragraph » Back Tab

WP: 1

WP only. You achieve this in Word by using your Ruler Bar or Paragraph Dialog. It's also not broken by hitting Return—back to the Ruler or Paragraph Dialog for Word users.

Word & WP: Columns

WP: 10

WP: 1

Word: 1

Word & WP: Page » Center

WP: 1

Word: 1

Same

WP: Page » Suppress

WP: 1

Available only in WP to suppress Headers, Footers, Watermarks, etc.

WP: Page » Delay Codes

WP: 1

Available (only in WP) to Delay features such as Line Numbering, Images, Page Setup, Headers/Footers, Fonts, Watermarks, etc.

WP: Page » Force Page
Word: Break-Even/Odd

WP: 1

Word: 1

Same.

Word & WP: Page-Border Fill

Refer Paragraph Border/Fill

Word & WP: Justification

WP: 1

WordXP followed WP's Full justification, as Word's Full Justification used to be 'ALL'. However, now you have to hold Shift when you hit Return if you want to create 'All' justification in Word.

A great feature in WP is the fact that your Toolbar is less cluttered, as WP has only one drop‑down icon. Additionally, using WP's RealTime preview, you always get a chance to see how the document (or highlighted text) will look with different justification before changing it (then having to Undo it).

Word & WP: Margins

WP: 5

WP allows you to adjust Margins directly on your page (for any part of your document, not just the whole page—as you would if you were using Word's ruler.) You also see the changes instantly with WP's RealTime Preview—no guessing. I also love that WP has a Minimum or Even option for its Margins, making it easy to achieve such. One thing I *hated* in my days of using Word was setting a margin only to receive that annoying message from Word that the setting was outside the printable area. Why did it allow me to set a margin that can't print? WP won't allow you to do this, which I love. There's only one thing that's *worse* in this version of WP: Margins now reduce by a 10^th of a centimeter instead of by ½ a centimeter, i.e., instead of going 2.5, 2.0, 1.5, it now goes down from 2.54 to 2.44, etc. Thanks Corel. Grrrr.

WP: Make It Fit

WP: 10

WP can shrink (or expand) ANY size document to the specific number of pages, giving  YOU  the option of what to reduce, e.g., Font, Spacing, Margins, etc. Additionally, only WP gives you the option of 'Block Make It Fit', which lets you adjust a specific number of pages within your document. Word (on the other hand) can reduce your document by just one page, and you have no say in what it will change to make it fit.

WP: 1

Word: 1

No difference

Word: Keep Lines Together
WP: Block Protect

WP: 1

Word: 1

No difference

Word: 1

WP: Typesetting » Advance

WP: 1

Can only be done in Word using Field Codes or Spacing Before/After.

WP: Typesetting » Overstrike

WP: 1

Used to create custom symbols by superimposing two or more characters or symbols to create one character or symbol.
E.g., combine the number 7 with a hyphen to create a European 7 character;
Combine characters to create mathematical symbols, language symbols, and other character combinations. You can also edit a custom symbol.

Not available in Word

WP: Typesetting »
Printer Command
Word: {Field Codes}

WP: 1

Word: 1

WP: Typesetting »
Word/Letter Spacing

Word: (Font Dialog) »
Character Spacing

WP: 1

It's per character only in Word. In WP, you can set spacing for a whole word, and it doesn't adjust each character.

WP: Typesetting » Kerning

WP: 1

More powerful and much easier to accomplish in WP. Also, Word does not support word spacing justification limits, or manual kerning

Word & WP: Envelopes

WP: 5

Much easier & far better in WP. Word has a one-at-a-time interface, which is ridiculous. In WP, it's just type away until you're ready to go.

Word & WP: Labels

WP: 10

WordPerfect has always had an advantage over Word when it comes to Labels, as you can insert Headers (and Footers), which allows you to add a logo to a Header and then have that logo on every label. In Word, you would have to add a logo to every label manually, one by one. By the way, this is a feature that our organization uses all the time, as we have (different) logos on our Labels and Name Tags (depending on who's sponsoring an event or which campaign is running an event).

Another advantage is WordPerfect's RealTime Preview, meaning that you can adjust any single label on-screen by, for example, changing the Font Size, dragging a margin, etc. and see the changes in Real-Time

WP: QuickFormat
Word: Format Painter

WP: 5

WordPerfect allows you to select WHAT you want to copy, i.e., Characters, Headings, Table Cells, Table Structure, etc. However, the real advantage over Word's Format Painter is that there aren't 2 options when you want to use this feature. You turn it on, and it stays on until you turn it off. In Word, when you click the Format Painter, it turns itself off after a single application. To keep the Format Painter on until you turn it off, you have to double-click it, which I find annoying, and obtuse.

WP: Graphics Style

WP: 1

Not available in Word.
WP allows you to create your own Graphics Styles for Boxes, Borders, Lines, Fill, etc.

WP: Styles
Word: Styles and Formatting

WP: 1

Word: 1

Major overhaul time for Word. One of MS's main 'features' in OfficeXP was making the program easier to work with. In doing so, a new interface was introduced for working with Word's Styles. It's well done, and MS gets kudos for adding 'Clear Formatting', as this was a MAJOR bugbear in Word (i.e., its complicated and unasked-for formatting). Now, you can clear all formatting from an area and start from scratch. Definitely a welcome addition to Word—pity it took 10 versions for MS to realize that many people HATE a program thinking for them and making changes that they don't ask to be made!

WP's Styles are excellent though, and many people think they are more powerful and easier to work with than Word's.

Word: Text Direction
(WP: via Table Property Bar)

WP: 1

Only WordPerfect can rotate your Text 180 degrees

Word: AutoFormat

Word: 1

Only available in Word. A good feature for beginners, who aren't familiar with ways of formatting documents. Also good for cleaning up E-mails when using Word as your E-mail Editor in Outlook.

Word: Background

Word: 1

Word has this on its Format Menu all the time, even though it's meant for Web Pages, which is confusing because Word lets you choose options that can't Print. Fortunately, it does disallow Watermarks when in Web Page Layout, but it does not disallow 'Background' when in Print Layout.

Word: Themes

Word: 5

Added to Word2000 for HTML documents—it would be even better if you could customize the Themes! Nevertheless, they are great for providing uniformity to your Intranet documents.

WP: Reveal Codes
Word: Reveal Formatting

WP: 10

Word: 1

What can one say? Victory is sweet. After a decade of Microsoft insisting that Reveal Codes was antiquated and unnecessary, MS *FINALLY* conceded and attempted to implement a similar feature into WordXP. The interface is good yet overly complicated. In WP, you don't HAVE to compare sections, as the Codes are right there in front of your eyes; to attempt to do the same in Word, you have view up to 4 different sections of unnecessary information, broken down into Font, Paragraph, Section, Headers and Footers, etc, etc. The term 'Information Overload' springs to mind. Nice try MS . . . and congratulations on eating humble pie by finally conceding that the feature you laughed at (Reveal Codes) is actually a necessary part of everyday word processing.

Word: Frames

Word: 5

Again, an excellent interface for creating Intranet Pages.

Word: Text Box

WP: 1

Word: 1

No difference. Simply click on an object in WP to have the Property Bar update with Graphics options.

FORMAT MENU POINTS

WP: 128

Word: 26