[X Newbies] Alternatives to Word/MS Office

[Alex]

On Saturday, Jan 24, 2004, at 19:37 Canada/Eastern, marina wrote:

> Taking into account my "sharing" needs only - and I've had no 
> problems, so far, sharing documents from my Mac with Windoz users - 
> what exactly makes MS Office v.X a better choice than MS Office 98, 
> which I already have and can run as a Classic app?

If 98 works for you, the only reason to update is to avoid using the 
Classic environment. If that's not a problem, then there's no reason to 
go to Office X. Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien -- one of the basic rules 
of computing.

> I beg to disagree with those who think "Word is the best option 
> available", full stop.

Who are you disagreeing with? I don't think anyone here is saying that.

Word is the best option available -- if you need to collaborate with 
other Word users. Word X may be the best option available -- if you are 
on OS X and you have sophisticated word processing needs. It may not be 
(e.g., it isn't for me because of lack of support for Unicode) -- but 
it's difficult to match the price.

> Having used it for many years, I find it a nerve-wrecking tool, which 
> wants to "do everything for me" with no consideration for my real 
> needs. [...]

The tyranny of majority. Believe it or not, most users find such 
features useful and time-saving. Those of us that don't must master the 
programme and disable many of its built-in features. That's always the 
first thing I do, and I've never had the experience you describe. It's 
the price you pay for being a minority. As a Mac user, you should be 
used to it by now...

f