Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncrlnk!ncrwic!mlawless
From: mlawless@ncrwic.Wichita.NCR.COM (Mike Lawless)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: MS Word 5.0!!??
Message-ID: <1764@ncrwic.Wichita.NCR.COM>
Date: 15 Nov 88 15:13:03 GMT
References: <5060032@hpccc.HP.COM>
Reply-To: mlawless@ncrwic.UUCP (Mike Lawless)
Organization: NCR Corporation, Wichita, Kansas
Lines: 33

In article <5060032@hpccc.HP.COM> kevino@hpccc.HP.COM (Kevin Owen) writes:
>I just received in the mail an invitation to attend a new product
>announcement / demonstration for Microsoft Word 5.0!  The meeting
>isn't until November 28.  In the mean time - does anybody out there
>know about this new release?  Will it be a true "WYSIWYG" editor?
>Will it run under MS Windows (as a Windows application rather than
>as a standard application)??

According to the trade magazines, there will be two versions of Word; Word
5.0, which is an upgrade to the present version, to be released in December
or January, I think; and Word for Windows, which seems to have more in 
common with Word for the Mac than with the DOS version we all know and love.
As I understand it, current owners of DOS Word may upgrade to either version.
At this point,  it is not clear whether one would be allowed to acquire both
versions at the cost of an upgrade.  BTW, the Windows version is not expected
until sometime in the first or second quarter.  My understanding is that the
near-final version is in beta test right now, or beta testing may be complete
by now.

From the descriptions I have read, it sounds like the main enhancement in 
Word 5.0 for DOS is the addition of PageView-like features without requiring
Windows:  merged text and graphics on-screen, flowing text around irregularly
shaped graphics, print-previewing on a graphics display, representation of
different font and point-sizes, including proportional spacing (perhaps?), on
at least the preview screens, better handling of multi-column formats, etc.
In general, it is taking on more and more features previously association only
with "desktop publishing" packages like Page Maker.  I will be interested in
seeing what else they have come up with when they make their announcement.
-- 
Mike Lawless, NCR E&M Wichita, Box 20     (316) 636-8666   (NCR: 654-8666)
3718 N. Rock Road, Wichita, KS  67226     Mike.Lawless@Wichita.NCR.COM
{ece-csc,hubcap,gould,rtech}!ncrcae!ncrwic!Mike.Lawless
{sdcsvax,cbatt,dcdwest,nosc.ARPA}!ncr-sd!ncrwic!Mike.Lawless