Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!uwvax!tank!mimsy!dtix!dtrc!harvey
From: harvey@dtrc.arpa (Harvey)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: World's best word processor
Message-ID: <505@dtix.ARPA>
Date: 13 Jun 89 21:48:40 GMT
References: <25325@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> <14362@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
Sender: news@dtix.ARPA
Reply-To: harvey@dtrc.UUCP (Betty Harvey - Code: 1893.5)
Organization: David Taylor Research Center, Carderock, MD
Lines: 40

In article <14362@watdragon.waterloo.edu> mdharding@dahlia.waterloo.edu (Matthew D. Harding) writes:
>
>Why would No be non-intuitive? The whole idea of WP querying you is in case
>you made a mistake, by hitting F7 instead of Shift-F7, for example. Therefore
>you would want the default to be no, so you don't lose hours of work by
>accident. WP is _not_ counterintuitive just because bold is F8 instead of ALT-B,if you have the template and have read the manual, it is really no problem.
>
I know that I will probably be flogged with a wet noodle, but I HATE Word
Perfect.  I find  the commands completely nonintuitive and it takes more time
to find a function on the keypad than it does prepare the document.  Sure it
is a "Robust" word processor, but who says that a word processor can't be
robust and easy for the user to learn.  

I can't count the number of calls I have gotten from WP users whose documents
look great on the screen but puts extra spaces in the file.  The imbedded
control characters within the file STINK -- (Go ahead flame away).

I realize that word processors are like religion and you shouldn't discuss
religion or word processors with sensible people, but I have used dozens
of word processors and the all have their weaknesses and strengths, but 
in my opinion WP nonintuitive user interface is a major weakness and I
would not recommend it to a new computer user.



>(Could it be that many people hate WP because there copies didn't come with
>manual and template (wink, wink) and they can't figure it out themselves?)
>
>Cheers, Matt.

Come on Matt, most people are basically honest and the vast majority of
software are legal.  The copy I use is totally legal, I have the template
and I don't like it any better.  I am a very cluttered worker and if the
template gets lost I am in trouble.  If I really have a necessity to use
WP I use another word processor and convert it to WP.

Betty Harvey
Microcomputer Support Group
David Taylor Research Center
Bethesda, Md.