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1994-02-01
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WordPerfect 6.0
for Windows
by Tony Curro
WordPerfect entered the Windows arena in 1991, with version 5.1.
Christmas season in 1992 saw the premiere of WP 5.2 for Windows.
This year WordPerfect announced that WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows
would be in stores on, October 19, 1993. This is a memorable date in
history. On October 19, 1987, Black Monday, the stock market had its
biggest drop since 1914. Also, October 19, is my birthday. It has
always been a great day for me. Now, WordPerfect should mark their
calendar also, as this day should prove to be the start of the
BIGGEST sales ever for WordPerfect for Windows. The other versions
were, as expected, good products. But, WP 6.0 Windows is the best
version to be installed on a computer. This product blows the doors
off previous versions. One major reason, among many, is the addition
of TrueType fonts being available when using the WordPerfect printer
driver.
WordPerfect 6.0 Windows is a hefty program. A full installation
requires 33MB of hard disk space, while a minimal installation can
require as little as 10MB. A CD-ROM version, that will allow users
to run most of the program from the CD-ROM, is scheduled for release
in early 1994. A current CD-ROM version that is shipping MUST be
installed to the hard drive to run the program.
WordPerfect has changed with version 6.0 and gone to templates. WP
6.0 Windows comes with over 75 custom document templates for fax
forms, memos, invoices, newsletters, and more. You can edit these
templates, create your own, or generate templates from existing
documents. When you first open a template it runs an AutoFill macro.
Using AutoFill, you enter your personal information once. It then
asks for the information of the person you are sending the memo,
letter, etc., to. This information can also be entered once. You can
save it to an address book. The next time you need to write to this
person, just grab the required information from the address book and
it is placed in the document along with your information. If needed,
you can edit your personal information whenever you are in the
AutoFill macro or the address book.
There are over a dozen button bars to choose from. Some of these
include: Equations, Graphics, Table, Layout Macros, Outline, and
more. When creating or editing a template, you can select the button
bar you wish to use. You can also create your own, and paste in the
buttons you want to use, or edit existing button bars. You can
specify how many lines you wish the button bar to use, and even its
location. Place the button bar on the: Top, Left, Right, Bottom or
in a palette. About 10 buttons will fit on a line. If you use more
than 10, you can cycle through the lines with the up/down arrow, or
you can have the bar use 2 or more lines on the screen. Another
option is how you wish the button bar to appear: text, picture only,
text and picture. You can also change the size and font of the text.
As you pass the pointer over each button you can see the function it
will perform, if activated, on the top line of the screen where you
usually see the filename; when you move off the button bar, the top
line returns to filename.
The program offers an intuitive interface where you can customize
virtually all elements: Button Bar (as previously mentioned), Power
Bar, Ruler Bar, Status Bar, keyboards, and main menus.
The tutorial has been redone. There are 4 lessons that get you
started with the basics you need. Many portions of the tutorial
feature "Show Me" that, as the name implies, the program actually
goes to the designated area and points to the action, or what you
should do. Coach is another new feature. This takes you through 12
procedures. Using "Show Me," it shows you how to insert graphics,
create labels, indent, and more. There is also on-line help always
available.
Text Art allows you to really make your words, and documents, stand
out. You can choose from 40 different looks: slanted, arched,
tilted, etc. You can also shadow, change text and fill colors, even
adjust the thickness of outline around each character, plus use any
font or size. You can shadow in any of eight directions and, by
clicking several times on a key, the depth of the shadowing. You can
use any TrueType or Type 1 font. WP 6.0 for Windows ships with 25
high-quality TrueType fonts from Bitstream.
Other highlights include:
* Will import and export files created by other leading word
processors.
* Directly import database and spreadsheet formats for both DOS and
Windows.
* WP Draw contains the sophisticated drawing tools of WP
Presentations, including Bezier curves and the ability to contour
text on a curve.
* Charting. You can select from a wide variety of chart options to
create 3-D, bar, line, area, hi-lo, pie and exploded pie charts.
Charts can be created directly from a table or spreadsheet data with
the click of a button.
* File Management. Copy, move, rename, print, delete, and change the
attributes of a single, or multiple files. QuickList lets you give a
descriptive name to any directory or group of files. QuickFinder
offers' indexing and text retrieval.
* QuickMenus. Click the right mouse button anywhere in WordPerfect
for a context-sensitive QuickMenu of options.
* Power Bar. Contains icons for your most common word processing
tasks. You can select from 81 options that you can place on the
Power Bar.
* Save Workspace. By choosing Environment from the Preferences
dialog box, you can opt to save your workspace on exit -- always,
never, or with a prompt. WordPerfect lets you resume exactly where
you left off.
* Graphics/Borders. An Image Tools palette offers in-place editing
tools so you can move, rotate, and size the image within your box.
Wrap text on both sides of a graphic image and contour around
irregularly shaped objects. A wide variety of borders and fill
patterns give you unlimited border options for paragraphs, pages,
columns, table cells, and graphic images.
* Abbreviations. This feature allows you insert a long piece of
information, while only typing several letters. The information can
include text, graphics, formatting -- anything you can put in a
document. For example, I entered the full name of my magazine. Then
I used the CTM as the abbreviation. Each time I type, CTM, and
either use Insert, or press CTRL-A, it expanded to, ComputerTalk
Magazine. It cuts down on quite a bit of typing. This is especially
useful for oft repeated phrases.
* Watermark. You can add a watermark (text or graphics printed
underneath the document text) to your document by choosing Watermark
from the Layout menu.
* Quick Format. Lets you extract formatting, styles, or both from
any text and quickly apply it to any other text in your document.
* Mail Merge. Enhanced, with an easy-to-use interface. It is easy to
create and edit data files using the Quick Data Entry dialog box. WP
6.0 can directly use data files in other formats, such as
spreadsheets, database, SQL, or ASCII text files, and you can select
specific records to merge using a query by example interface. You
can automatically create corresponding envelopes by clicking the
Envelopes button before performing the merge. The envelopes can also
be appended to your document.
* Envelopes. You can select from as many as 100 return and mailing
addresses, and specify a position for the address on the envelope.
You can also include US POSTNET barcode.
* Labels. WordPerfect 6.0 Windows ships with more than 130
predefined labels for Avery and 3M label sizes and will
automatically set up your document in label format. You can also
create your own label definitions with precise sizes and margins and
see you definition in a preview window.
* Multimedia. Version 6.0 supports all OLE server multimedia
applications for Windows, including MS Video for Windows. You can
insert sound clips and diction in your WP document by selecting
Sound from the Insert menu. These clips are also compatible with
WordPerfect 6.0 for DOS because they don't require OLE.
* Macros. More than 800 new commands have been added to the macro
language. All macro documentation is available on-line from the Help
menu.
* Document Comments. You can insert document comments anywhere in a
document. When you create or edit a comment, a Feature Bar appears
that lets you insert your name, initials, date and time stamps.
Comments are designated by an icon in the left margin that includes
your initials. Individual users can have specific colors and
initials so the document can be circulated for editing. You can
include sound in your comments by recording you own messages or
using sound clips.
* Color Printing. WP 6.0 for Windows supports full 24-bit color
printing (16.7 million colors) to any color printer.
* Fax Support. You can fax from within WordPerfect 6.0 by selecting
the Fax printer driver of your choice.
Changing printers in WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows has been greatly
simplified. In previous versions, you had to use the Select Printer
option, then change to the driver you wanted. After printing you
have to reverse the process. Now, when you select Print, a menu pops
up. Just drop down the bar, and select your fax driver or another
printer, and click on OK.
I was extremely pleased with this release of WordPerfect 6.0 for
Windows. While, I liked v5.2 for Windows (reviewed in a previous
issue of CTM) it left me wanting. My wanting is over! I know
WordPerfect has had record sales with earlier versions, but this one
WILL blow the top off.
Current WordPerfect users with any DOS, Windows or OS/2 version of
WordPerfect can upgrade for $129, for either the disk-based or
CD-ROM version. A competitive upgrade is available for $149 from any
word processor with a suggested retail price of at least $395.
Anyone who purchased WordPerfect 5.2 for Windows between August 30,
1993, and November 19, 1993, can receive a free upgrade to 6.0 for
Windows.
For a limited time, WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows is also available
with Quattro Pro 5.0 Workgroup Edition for the suggested retail
price of $525. There is also a Quattro Pro/WP 6.0 for Windows
upgrade offer.
Product Information
WordPerfect v6.0
for Windows
SRP ─ $495.
Upgrades ─ see above
WordPerfect Corporation
1515 N. Technology Way
Orem, UT 84057-2399
801-225-5000
801-228-5077 (FAX)