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1993-09-15
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Following uploaded to CRS Online Toronto by permission of the
Oakville, Ontario Free Press Journal.
WORDPERFECT 6.0 REVIEW
by Sander Schimmelpenninck
If you like WordPerfect 5.1, you may love Version 6.0 for DOS,
which came out this summer. But look before you leap.
WP6 is a major redesign feat. It has the same feel as WP51, long
the most widely-used word-processor. However, some 600
enhancements make it much more powerful. They include:
Grammatik, a good grammar-checker that recommends
style improvements.
Fax software, for which you need a fax/modem.
Automatic envelope printing, a nifty time-saver.
Far more fonts. My ageing Epson 24-pin produces near-
laser output if you do not look to closely.
Document-specific spelling exceptions. No need to add
unusual words to your supplemental lexicon if they occur
in only one report.
Fast document retrieval by key word.
The Escape key now works as in most other software.
Until now you had to use F1, which means Help in other
packages.
All this comes at a price. First, WP6 hogs memory and disk
space. WP recommends using a 386 CPU or better. The program
runs on a 286 only with much tweaking, huffing, and puffing. A
full disk installation takes 15 MB: about twice as much as WP51.
And I suggest keeping WP51 on disk until you are comfortable
with 6.0.
Second, WP6 puts you on a new learning curve. Fortunately, it
has a fast, smart help index and a soft-cover manual. I always
feared tearing the punch holes in my 1,000-page ring-bound
WP51 manual.
Third, WP6 calls are swamping WP's famous toll-free tech staff.
Expect more busies and longer holds than usual until the dust
settles. WP will doubtless catch up: it knows support is its key
strength.
WP6 has few bugs for such a daunting effort. As I know WP, it
will fix them in a maintenance release.
My advice: compare the features of WP51 and 60. If 51 does all
you want, stay put. If you want the most powerful word-processor
for DOS, get WP60 after the next maintenance release.
Suggested retail prices are US$495 for the full package and
US$129 to upgrade if you are an existing customer. WP also
offers 60 for US$149 to owners of competing word-processors. It
plans to issue a CD-ROM version. For further information call
800-451-5151.
Sander Schimmelpenninck heads SMC Management Consulting, an
Oakville firm specializing in business planning.