25 pieces of software? Please be serious

[Writeguy]

I've been a subscriber for some time but never intended to post here, however a recent mailing moves me to speak out.
The June 11th article on software did indeed hold some good information. However, to include word for windows in any list renders the credibility of the writer to a minimal level. I wouldn't use that piece of crap on a bet, it's cluttered, crashes and doesn't allow a proper view and edit capability of hidden codes, a real necessity for professional editors.
Word Perfect has been my choice for over 20 years because it's fairly simple, has a full sized, uncluttered screen and has tools that microcrud does not, including a reveal codes option that has saved my bacon too many times to count.
WP was universally accepted and acclaimed until the good people at microcrud decided that the masses should suffer with their substandard product by forcing manufacturers to stop bundling WP in new computers. Now it's hard to find people who use it, a great loss for the good writers out there.
Please include a more honest revue in the future and include the finest word processing and publishing program ever written and stop including crapola in with the good ones.:eek:

[susabelle]

While MS Word may not be your preference, or mine either, it is still a legitimate choice for some. And many publishers expect you to be able to send your work in an MS Word format.

We all have our preferences, likes, and dislikes. In the complete list provided, it was one of many, and therefore just one more choice. In my mind, this doesn't discredit the writer of the article in any way, just because they choose to use a software that I do not.

[Maeve]

As Susabelle points out, many publishers insist upon receiving mss in Word. In my experience, most of them.

I dislike Word because of all the unnecessary defaults. Because I dislike the program I compose all my work in Apple's Pages. I then export my files to Word or RTF as necessary. Although I may swear at Word when forced to use it, I recognize that many people swear by it.

Btw--as much as I dislike Word, I dislike Word Perfect even more.:)

[Ali]

Hi Writeguy,

(Sorry for not replying sooner, I didn't see this thread before.)

I included MS Word in my post because, as Maeve and Susabelle point out, it is almost ubiquitous in the business world -- including that of publishing. I am not an especial fan of it personally (I often write in wordpad...), but I was trying to compile a list that offered a range of options.

I've not used WordPerfect myself, but I have heard it recommended a number of times -- I may have to give it a try now!

Thanks for your feedback,

Ali

[Falsafa]

Well I, on the other hand use Word almost exclusively. I have never found myself missing anything when writing fiction. True, it's not perfect for desktop publishing, but for writing? What's the problem? You type and words appear on your screen.

In professional editing I use Arbortext Epic Editor for XML, and sometimes Adobe Frame maker, but as far as word processing, those two would be like shooting an ant with a gun that fires four atomic bombs at the same time. ;) When I submit a text to the editor, I expect THEM to do the editing, that's why they are called the editor. :)