I use Mac Word 5.1a, which was a stable version, with almost all the
functionality that a normal writer of 20-page papers and 50-page
consultancy reports needs. I have a filter installed that reads Word 6
format with pretty high (though imperfect) reliability.
I use Mac Word 6.0.1 when forced to, which is almost always in order to
mark revisions, and send them to a colleague in visible form (i.e. I see
that as being functionality worth having, but not at the cost of always
using a buggy tool that has random user-interface differences from its
predecessor).
I've experienced serious difficulties when reading documents that were
created using Word97/98. This has been the case with all of:
- native Word97/98 format (which seem to be externally indistinguishable
from any other Word format, despite the vast differences between
the native formats of successive Word versions);
- saved-as Word 6 (which seems to be especially poor when tables are
used in the Word97/98 master); and
- saved-as RTF (which seems to be a rather different spec - although I'm
told that 'spec' rather over-states the degree of documentation ...).
The term 'serious difficulties' means that Word crashes, my Mac G3 crashes,
or it freezes. (Yes, I'll be fair: the crashing and freezing of the Mac
reflect an inadequacy in MacOS 8.1, as well as in Words 5, 6 and 97/98).
I've heard reports from reliable sources that the filters provided for Word
5 and Word 6, which purport to enable them to read native Word97/98
formats, frequently cause the same kinds of 'serious difficulties'.
Meanwhile, organisation after organisation blindly mandates abandonment of
prior versions, and installation of Word97/98 ...
Many people refuse to move 'forward' to bloatware that offers little or no
advance, is bug-ridden, and can't write reliable Word 6 or RTF formats.
I'm seriously considering WordPerfect 8, or abandoning the word-processor
as an art-form that has outlived its usefulness. Back in the 70s, I
designed editors, and published articles on the topic. So I could go back
to the future with some equanimity, if it wasn't for the fact that I have
consultancy clients and colleagues who blindly follow the MS meander.
Does anyone have any solutions to what seems to be an impasse?
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Once again, please post on link only constructive comments, not flames.
Yes, I'm happy to receive flames off-link, whether the object of the flame
lives in Redmond, or in Canberra!
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Roger Clarke http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/
http://www.etc.com.au/Xamax/
Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd, 78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916 mailto:Roger.Clarke@anu.edu.au
Visiting Fellow, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200 AUSTRALIA
Information Sciences Building Room 211 Tel: +61 2 6249 3666