500 MB Nyheder Direkte fra Internet 2/500 MB nyheder direkte fra internet CD 2.iso/start/data/text/wordproc.txt

Text File | 1994-09-21 | 18KB | 322 lines

             BACKGROUND
  A word-processing program helps you write and edit sentences
and paragraphs. Whatever you're writing and editing (such as a
business letter, report, magazine article, or book) is called the
document.
  Remember that a word-processing program is mainly for
manipulating sentences and paragraphs. To manipulate pretty
drawings, get a graphics program; to manipulate a table of
numbers, get a spreadsheet program; to manipulate a list of names
(such as a list of your customers), get a database program.
  To use a word-processing program, put your fingers on the
keyboard. Type the sentences and paragraphs that make up your
document. They appear on the screen. Edit them by using special
keys on the keyboard. Then make the computer send the document to
the printer, so the document appears on paper. You can also make
the computer copy the document onto a disk, which will store the
document for many years.
                                       How ``word processing'' was invented
                                         The first computers ever
invented were used mainly to manipulate lists of numbers, names,
and addresses. Those manipulations were called data-processing
(DP).
                                         Computer centers were
called data-processing centers (DP centers). Each center was run
by a team of programmers and administrators called the
data-processing department (DP department).
                                         Most of those old
computer systems were complicated, expensive, and unreliable.
They needed large staffs to provide continuous repairs,
reprogramming, and supervision. They were bureaucratic and
technological nightmares. The term ``data-processing'' got a bad
reputation.
                                         Secretaries who wanted
to write and edit reports preferred to use simple typewriters,
rather than deal with the dreaded ``data-processing department''.
                                         When easy-to-use
word-processing programs were finally invented for computers,
secretaries were afraid to try them because computers had
developed a scary reputation. The last thing a secretary wanted
was a desktop computer, which the secretary figured would mean
``desktop trouble''.
                                         That's why the term
``word-processing'' was invented. Wang, IBM, and other
manufacturers said to the secretaries, ``We know you don't like
computers and data-processing equipment. But don't worry: the
machines we want to put on your desks are not computers; they're
just souped-up typewriters. You like typewriters, right? Then
you'll like these cute little machines also. We call them word
processors. Don't worry: they're not data-processing equipment;
they're not computers.''
                                         The manufacturers were
lying: their desktop machines were computers. To pretend they
weren't computers, the manufacturers called them word processors
and omitted any software dealing with numbers or lists.
                                         The trick worked:
secretaries acquired word processors, especially the Wang Word
Processor and the IBM Displaywriter.
                                         Today, secretaries are
less afraid of computers. Most secretaries use IBM PC clones,
which they know are computers, and use word-processing programs
for those computers.

                                      Three definitions of ``word processor''
                                         Strictly speaking, a
``word processor'' means ``a computer (usually desktop) whose
main purpose is to do word processing''. But some people use the
term ``word processor'' to mean ``a word-processing program'' or
``a typist doing word processing''.
                                         In advertisements, an
``$800 word processor'' is a machine; a ``$300 word processor''
is a program you feed to a computer; a ``$12-per-hour word
processor'' is a typist who knows about word processing.
        Which program to buy
  Which word-processing program should you buy? The answer
depends on your personal needs and desires. Here are the major
competitors. . . .

           Microsoft Word
  Microsoft Word is the fanciest word-processing program. It
includes more features than any other word-processing program.
You'll be amazed at all the fancy tricks it can perform!
  It's available for the Mac and the IBM PC.
  Nearly everybody who uses a Mac uses Microsoft Word. It's
become the standard in the Mac community. The Mac magazines all
recommend Microsoft Word, without exception.
  If you have an IBM PC, you can buy either a DOS version or a
Windows version. The Windows version runs better. The DOS version
should be ignored.
  The Windows version of Microsoft Word will probably thrill you.
Though it's officially called ``Microsoft Word for Windows'',
it's nicknamed Winword. The newest version, Winword 6a, is called
``the best word-processing program'' by nearly all the IBM and
Windows magazines. (Version 6a eliminates the errors that
occurred in version 6.) But though version 6.0a gets glowing
reviews, it annoys folks like me for the following reasons. . . .
  Though it runs in 4 megabytes of RAM, it needs 8 megabytes of
RAM to run quickly. It consumes 25 megabytes of your hard disk if
you want to use all the fancy features the critics rave about. It
also wants about 10 extra megabytes of free space to store
temporary files, where the program makes notes to itself about
what you're doing. Since the program consumes too much RAM and
hard-disk space, it's called fatware.
  If you have just 4 megabytes of RAM instead of 8, the program
tries to make 4 megabytes of your hard drive pretend to be 4
megabytes of extra RAM, and the program spends most of its time
waiting for the hard drive to spin.
  The program runs too slowly on a 386 CPU. For the program to
run well, you need a 486 or Pentium.
  The program requires that your AUTOEXEC.BAT file contain a line
saying ``lh share /L:500 /f:5100''. Alas, that line slows down
every access your computer makes to your hard disk, so your
computer runs slow as molasses even when you're using different
programs and even when you're not using Windows. What a drag!
  Windows runs slowly, and Winword runs even slower. Winword runs
about the same speed on a 386 as a non-Windows word processor
would run on an 8088. Winword runs about the same speed on a 486
as a non-Windows word processor would run on a 286. Winword runs
about the same speed on a Pentium as a non-Windows word processor
would run on a 386.
  Cynics say the definition of ``Winword'' is ``a program that
turns a 386 into an 8088.'' As the computer-philosopher Herb
Grosch remarked back in the 1970's, ``No matter how fast the
hardware boys go, the software boys piss it away.''
  Magazine reviewers praise Winword and don't mention its fatware
problems, since the reviewers are rich folks who have 486 or
Pentium computers, 8 megabytes of RAM, and huge hard drives.
  Many offices still use Winword 2 instead of Winword 6a. Though
Winword 2 isn't as fancy as Winword 6a, it has the advantage of
running fine on a 386 with just 4M of RAM and a small hard drive.
                                         The problems of Winword
6a also apply somewhat to Microsoft Word's Mac version. Though
most Mac lovers are content using Microsoft Word for the Mac
version 5.1 (which resembles Winword 2), they'll be upset when
they upgrade to the forthcoming Microsoft Word for the Mac
version 6 and discover it wants more than 4 megabytes of RAM and
more hard disk space.

                                                      Ami Pro
                                         The French word for
``friend'' is ami. It's pronounced, ``Ah, me!'' For a word
processor that's friendly and professional, get Ami Pro for
Windows. Sucking you into the world of desktop publishing, it
lets you wiggle your mouse to easily create multiple columns,
headlines, drawings, and bar & pie charts. Use it to create
eye-popping ads, blaring front pages of newspapers, and whatever
else you want to make hot and spicy. Admirers say that ``Ami''
stands for ``Amazing Marvelous Interface''. After you master it,
you'll be saying, ``Ah, me: pro!''
                                         It's hassle-free. The
current version (3.01) runs fine on a 386 with just 4 megabytes
of RAM and a small hard disk. It does not need a ``share'' line
in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
                                         Ami Pro was invented by
a company called Samna. Since Ami Pro was so impressive, Lotus
bought Samna, so Lotus sells Ami Pro.
                                         Back in 1993, the
computer magazines all declared Ami Pro the best word-processing
program ___ better than Winword 2 in practically every way! When
Winword 6 came out, the reviewers said Winword 6 was better than
Ami Pro, since Winword 6 included extra-fancy word-processing
features, and since the reviewers didn't notice Winword 6 was too
fat.
                                         When Lotus finishes
developing Ami Pro 3.1 (in late 1994) and Ami Pro 4 (in 1995),
probably the reviewers will come back to recommending Ami Pro.
Reviewers are so fickle!
                                         If you use Ami Pro, you
must put up with one peculiar nuisance: while you're typing, the
characters on the screen quiver slightly to the left and right
(by a few hundredths of an inch), as they try to move themselves
into perfect position. Their quivering resembles a troupe of
drunk belly dancers.
                                         If you want to put a
mathematical formula in the middle of your document, Ami Pro lets
you do so, but Winword 6 lets you do so more easily.

                                                   Word Perfect
                                         Though Microsoft Word is
fancy and Ami Pro is pleasant, I used neither to write this book.
Instead, I used Word Perfect. That's the word-processing program
used in most businesses.
                                         Back in 1990, when
Microsoft Word and Ami Pro hadn't been fully developed yet, there
really wasn't any choice. Word Perfect was the only
word-processing program that worked well on IBM-compatible
computers. The choice was simple: if you wanted a full-featured
word-processing program and your computer was IBM-compatible, you
bought Word Perfect; if your computer was a Mac instead, you
bought Microsoft Word.
                                         After 1990, Word Perfect
faced serious competition from Winword and Ami Pro, which both
require Windows. If your computer does not have Windows, Word
Perfect is still your only choice for a good full-featured word
processor. For example, if your computer's CPU is an 8088 or 286,
or your RAM is less than 4 megabytes, you can't run Windows well
so you should buy Word Perfect.
  The version of Word Perfect used by most businesses (and mine!)
is called Word Perfect 5.1 for DOS. It runs on any IBM-compatible
computer having a hard disk and 512K of RAM. If you have a least
a 286 CPU with 640K of RAM, that version of Word Perfect runs
fast. If you have at least a 386 CPU with 2M of RAM, that version
of Word Perfect runs very fast. Even if you have a 486 or Pentium
with lots of RAM so you can run Windows well, you should still
consider getting Word Perfect 5.1 for DOS instead, since it runs
so much faster than any Windows program.
  Users have two complaints about Word Perfect 5.1 for DOS:
Since its commands are hard to remember, you need to keep peeking
at a cheat sheet (a sheet of paper containing a list of
commands).

While you're typing and editing, the screen does NOT show exactly
what will appear on paper. For example, if you give a command to
make a big, tall headline, the headline WON'T look any bigger or
taller than the rest of the text while you're typing; it will
look bigger just on paper (or when you tell Word Perfect to show
you a print preview, which is an uneditable screen view of what
will appear on paper). If you try to put graphics in the middle
of your document, you won't see the graphics until you print them
out on paper (or stare at the print preview).
  But those complaints aren't so serious. After using Word
Perfect a few days, you get used to typing the commands and don't
need to peek at the cheat sheet as often. Though a newspaper's
front page would be ridiculously difficult to create in Word
Perfect (since you can't see the appearance of headlines, photos,
and captions conveniently), Word Perfect is quite adequate for
typical business letters and books having simple layouts (like
mine).
  Those two complaints prove Word Perfect 5.1 for DOS is
old-fashioned. Word Perfect Corporation has invented Word Perfect
6 for DOS and Word Perfect 6 for Windows, which are more modern
___ but they run slowly, require more RAM, and still aren't quite
as modern as Winword and Ami Pro.
  Word Perfect 6 for DOS needs at least a 386 with 2M RAM. Word
Perfect 6 for Windows needs at least a 486 with 8M of RAM to run
well (though you can limp by with a 386 and 6M of RAM if you're
very patient).
  Many secretaries who've used Word Perfect 5.1 for DOS complain
when their bosses decide to upgrade to Word Perfect 6 for
Windows, since that new version runs slower and uses totally
different keystrokes, which the secretaries must relearn.
  Though Word Perfect Corporation hopes you'll buy version 6 (for
DOS or Windows), the company still sells version 5.1 for
secretaries and old fuddy-duddies (like me) who are too lazy to
switch. The 5.1 version that's still sold is called version 5.1+.
(The ``+'' means it includes a few features from version 6.)
  Versions of Word Perfect are also available for the Mac and for
many other environments: Apple 2e, Apple 2GS, Commodore Amiga,
Atari ST, Next, OS/2, Unix, Dec Vax, Data General minicomputers,
and IBM mainframes.
                                              Little word processors
                                         The word processors I've
discussed so far ___ Microsoft Word, Ami Pro, and Word Perfect
___ are all big and fancy. Discount dealers sell them for about
$250 apiece. (Ami Pro and the Mac version of Word Perfect cost
slightly less than $250; Microsoft Word and the IBM versions of
Word Perfect cost slightly more than $250.)
                                         They're more than the
average person needs. If you wish, get a word processor that's
smaller, cheaper, and easier to learn how to use.
                                         For example, Windows
comes with a free word-processing program called Windows Write. I
explained how to use it in my Windows chapter.
                                         The Mac comes with a
free word-processing program called Teachtext. I explained how to
use it in my Mac Systems chapter. The next step up from Teachtext
is a word processor called Write Now; it understands more
commands than Teachtext, is as easy as Teachtext, and requires
less RAM than Microsoft Word.
                                         My favorite database
program, Q&A, includes a simple word-processing program called
Q&A Write. If you buy Q&A, make sure you get the DOS version of
it; the Windows version is disliked by everybody. You can get the
DOS version for $189 from discount dealers such as Harmony (phone
800-441-1144 or 718-692-3232).
                                         Another way to get a
simple word processor is to buy an integrated program such as PFS
First Choice (for DOS), Microsoft Works (for DOS, Windows, or the
Mac), Claris Works (for Windows or the Mac), or Appleworks (for
the Apple 2). Each of those integrated programs costs about $80.
Some computers (such as Packard Bell's) come with one of those
integrated programs at no extra charge.
                                         But if you get one of
those cheap programs, you'll eventually long for a fancier one
and buy Microsoft Word, Ami Pro, or Word Perfect anyway.

                                                   Old classics
                                         During the early 1980's,
many folks used Wordstar (which was the first powerful
word-processing program ever invented for microcomputers),
Multimate (which was the first program making the IBM PC imitate
a Wang word-processing machine), Displaywrite (which made the IBM
PC imitate an IBM Displaywriter word-processing machine),
PC-Write (which was shareware that you could try for free, before
sending a donation to the author), and Xywrite (which ran faster
than any other word processor). But by 1990, most of those users
had switched to Word Perfect 5.1.

                                                What's in this book
                                         This edition of The
Secret Guide to Computers explains how to use the following word
processors:
Word processor                                     Operating
system
Pages
Teachtext                                          Mac
141-142
Windows Write                                      Windows
152-154
Ami Pro                                            Windows
162-166
Microsoft Word                                     Windows & Mac
167-171
Q&A Write                                          MS-DOS
172-182
Word Perfect                                       MS-DOS
183-205
                                         I expect the next
edition will include a bigger word-processing section by
including more word processors, more versions, and more commands.
To find out about all that, get on my mailing list by using the
coupon on the back page.