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Advanced Word Processing
Since no one has yet to answer this question, I feel that it deserves its own thread.
Outside of the actual formats used to save files (docs, etc...), what features or capabilities does Microsoft Word have, which you need, that are not available in alternative word processing programs?
I can think of a few that exist, but I want to hear someone else actually articulate their usefulness.
Outside of the actual formats used to save files (docs, etc...), what features or capabilities does Microsoft Word have, which you need, that are not available in alternative word processing programs?
I can think of a few that exist, but I want to hear someone else actually articulate their usefulness.
Comments
As I said previously: when editing documents in school and at home the formatting keeps getting screwed up.
Even I admit that I only use 1% of Word's abilities, the program is capable of so much. I'll have to ask my mom about this, she spends her days drafting and reviewing documents and is far more skilled with Word than I.
EDIT:32 freaking seconds.
Again, most users of Office don't use 90% of Office, and the ones that do use the other options either don't want to change or are too computer illiterate to know how to learn anything new. I'm not defending Office, just giving a perspective from someone who has had quite a bit of experience with it.
In other words, the only features that count are the features that are ready out of the box. If you have to program the feature, then it doesn't count.
So that's the true advantage of office over all the rest, a big fat check to promote itself.
The main thing is that while there are programs to do all kinds of things to your document (equation editor, outline, header/footer, track changes, etc), Word wraps them all up into one program. I am familiar with the program, so it's easier to use. Granted, I'm not going to pay extra for it, but if it happens to come with my computer (which it did when I bought my desktop used from a friend at work) then I will gladly use it. As far as I know, OpenOffice is the best alternative on Windows, but I'd still rather use Office if I have it. It all comes down to convenience...is it worth the price of the software to not have to go through the hassle the alternatives would present. For different people, that is a different amount of hassle.
As for Word only features, I used to use loads of features in Word but as my work changed I've dropped about 95% of what I do, and since moving to Neo Office on the Mac I've hardly missed a thing. The only thing that I could do real easy on Word but haven't found half as simple on other programs is to make a full page watermark under all the other text. I know it can probably be done, but without Word I've found it easier to run off a page with just the watermark printed, then use the same paper for the actual content. Fiddly, but for the very few times I use it now it is easier than learning a whole new interface and workflow.
At work, it's a different story. Even if I were able to install programs on my work machine, I wouldn't. Free Source alternatives do not support Applescript. I use scripting at work to speed along many tasks, and Neo Office doesn't offer the tools.
CLIPPIT! THE PAPERCLIP!! THAT FSCK'ING PAPERCLIP!!!
What other editor needlessly harasses you to use ugly templates with an animated stationary binder?