MS Word for
Windows 6.0

by Tony Curro

Word for Windows 1.0 was released in 1989. In the fall of 1991,  Word
for Windows 2.0 was introduced. Now we have Word for Windows 6.0 that
features intelligent automation, that far surpasses its two
predecessors.

Wizards, first introduced in MS Publisher, help users through unfamiliar
or complex tasks by creating a document for them. You can select Wizards
to create memos, calendars, fax cover pages, newsletters, agendas,
resumes, and more. Once you select a Wizard Word asks a set of
questions, and quickly creates the look the user wants.

Forms are one of the newest features of the word processing program.
Word provides several popular forms, such as invoices and expense
reports, plus all the tools you need to make your own.

New Features of Word 6.0 includes:

* AutoFormat -- allows the user to choose a professional document
design, and then automatically format an entire document with the click
of the mouse.
* AutoCorrect -- automatically corrects misspelled words and common
typing mistakes.
* AutoText -- allows users to store "boilerplate" text for re-use across
all their documents. The user simply inputs the abbreviation for the
text and Word 6.0 automatically expands it.
* 100 Level UnDo -- shows you a running list of past actions. You can
track what you've done in the document and undo it all with a mouse
click.
* Word 6.0 documents have a maximum size of 32MB.

Word 6.0 has OLE 2.0 support. Another new feature is consistency with
other MS products through similar menu structures, toolbars and program
behavior that reduces training time and cost. You can have as many
toolbars on screen as you want. Move them around; add or delete buttons
from the standard toolbars, or create your own. Rather than having text
with an icon on the toolbar, which can get confusing, not to mention
cluttering up the screen, MS has added "Post-it" notes-type features.
Place the pointer over an icon and pause for a second. A little yellow
box pops up that tells you the function of that icon. There are 13
predefined toolbars for specific tasks in MS Word 6.0 for Windows.

If you have text in one document, that you wish to copy or move to your
current document, you can utilize the drag-and-drop features of Word.
Open both documents and select the text you want and drag it to the 
other document.

Word gives you a wide range of numbering, automatic renumbering and
bullets. You can select bulleted, numbered and multilevel formats. For
bullet characters you can select point size, color, position and other
features. Whenever you add or remove an item, Word does the renumbering
automatically.

Envelope printing can sometimes be a chore. Word now includes a visual
clue to help the user place the envelope into the printer. It even
suggests the right way to feed the envelope based on your printer setup.
Using radio buttons you can place the text anywhere  you wish on the
envelope. If you want your return address several more characters to the
right you can move it. I found this useful with envelopes that had a
design on the left side.

Word contains label formats for many popular labels. You can look at all
labels, or select dot-matrix, Laser, etc. Word contains all Avery
labels, even those for Europe. You can also create your own custom
labels. You can print a whole page of the same label, or choose row and
column for specific labels.

WordArt 2.0 is another new feature in MS Word 6.0. I am familiar with it
from using MS Publisher for over 1 1/2 years. Using WordArt greatly
enhances your document. I use it to create my letterhead, and have
received comments on its appearance and what program did I use to create
it.

Upon opening Word you get the "Tip of the Day." Each time you start Word
there is a pop-up window that tells you of a task you can perform with
Word. You can add your own tips to this list, or even disable it. It is
always available from the Help drop-down menu.

Word features multi-page view mode that allows you to see several pages
at once. Here, using drag-and-drop, you can move or copy text or
graphics between pages.

WordPerfect users who convert to Word will be pleased. Word 6.0 has
WordPerfect Help. Once activated, when you press a key that you normally
use in WP, say F6 for bold, Word will show you how to achieve that using
Word's commands. Eventually, you will be as proficient using MS Word 6.0
for Windows, as you were previously using WordPerfect.

I have been using Word since version 2.0. I have used WordPerfect and
Ami Pro also. These were mainly for review purposes. The top two in this
category are Word and WordPerfect. The latter, however, still has some
things to get ironed out before in can become a TRUE Windows product. My
money is still on MS Word.


SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

* MS Windows  or Windows for Workgroups v3.1
* MS Windows for Pen Computing
* Computer with 80286 or higher CPU
* 4MB RAM
* 3.5" high-density drive (other disk sizes avail. sep.)
* 25MB for Full Installation. Custom install also an option.
* 15MB for Typical or Basic Installation
* 6MB for Laptop Installation
* 4MB for Workstation Installation

Product Information

MS Word 6.0 for Windows

SRP -- $495.

Upgrade -- $99 (until 3/1/94)
            129 (after 3/1/94)
            129 (Competitive upgrades)

Microsoft Corp.
1 Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6399
206-882-8080
206-93-MSFAX (FAX)
