ms works 8.5 vs word 2007 - what are the functional differences?

N

nweissma

i know this is a silly newbie question. in fact, i am so confused in this
arena that i allow that i may have posted in the wrong forum.

what are the *functional* differences between word 2007 (.doc) and works 8.5
(.wps)? iow, what can i accomplish with .doc (2007) that cannot be
accomplished with .wps (8.5)?

given that i have 8.5, is there a reason to have anything legacy -- such as
the word 2003 reader -- installed? (iow, what are the shortcomings of 8.5?)
 
T

Tim

Hello,

I think there is a better way to phrase your question that may result in
some helpful responses. What is, in my opinion, the most important thing is
what your personal needs are. Why don't you post what you use, or want to
use a word processor for (i.e. corporate communications, group
collaberation, writing a manuscript, writing simple letters, etc.)? Then
someone might post a recommendation based on your stated requirements.

In the mean time...in general, Works is intended for the home use, meaning
light weight word processing. Word, on the other hand, is targeted at the
corporate user. It has tons of features for formatting, group collaberation,
etc. I believe the average user (myself included) uses only a fraction of
Word's features. So, the bottom line is, start with what your requirements
are and pick the application the best meets them (and that you can afford).

By the way...I think you posted in the correct forum.

Tim
 
H

Harlan Grove

Tim said:
I think there is a better way to phrase your question that may result in
some helpful responses. What is, in my opinion, the most important thing is
what your personal needs are. Why don't you post what you use, or want to
use a word processor for (i.e. corporate communications, group
collaberation, writing a manuscript, writing simple letters, etc.)? Then
someone might post a recommendation based on your stated requirements.
Click to expand...

Since many of the great works in history were written without the aid of
word processors, anyone WITH SUFFICIENT DISCIPLINE AND ORGANIZATION could
use Notepad or Wordpad. What word processors provide is CONVENIENCE.
In the mean time...in general, Works is intended for the home use, meaning
light weight word processing. Word, on the other hand, is targeted at the
corporate user. It has tons of features for formatting, group
collaberation, etc. I believe the average user (myself included) uses only
a fraction of Word's features. So, the bottom line is, start with what your
requirements are and pick the application the best meets them (and that you
can afford).
Click to expand...

Which would mean rational people would choose between Word and OpenOffice
(or maybe MikTex and Lyx for writing technical papers) - Word if you just
can't bear to live without some particular bell or whistle, OpenOffice if
price matters. I can't think of any good reason to spend money on Works.
While OpenOffice may not quite be at the same level as Microsoft Office,
it's way beyond Works in terms of capabilities and features. And it's free.
On a price-performance trade-off, Microsoft should be paying people to use
Works.
 
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