sf wrote:
> On Fri, 25 Jun 2010 14:53:20 -0500, Janet Wilder
> > wrote:
>
>> My guess is that you only need a very basic word processor. Open Office
>> and Word Perfect are more sophisticated and do a lot more things, but
>> they do require a learning curve.
>>
>> I have used Microsoft Word on other people's computers and I always get
>> so frustrated because the tools I normally use just aren't there.
>
> Your feelings about Word are mine toward the other two. They simply
> can not do what Word does.
>
All the major word processors now have roughly the same functionality,
it's just that the controls to accomplish it are different. If one is
used to WordPerfect, working with Word becomes a prolonged 'it should be
able to do this, but where the ^&$@ did they hide that function?'
experience and vice versa.

That aside, like or dislike for one of the other probably goes back to
the philosophy behind them - WordPerfect started out as a no-frills word
processor for writing structured content (legalese, manuals etc.) and
Word started out as a 'we can make your letter look sooooo pretty, look
we can use 17 different fonts in one paragraph' thing to compete with
MacWrite. Which functions are 'easy' and which ones are 'there, but you
have to look for it' is still a legacy of that difference.

-j