Word-Processing
Word processors are used by writers for books, magazines and documents. They are often used for writing letters by home users, but you could use Wordpad (discussed below) for simple letters. Wordpad does not have spell checking, but even the free word processors do spell check.
Word processors are also used for mail-merge functions, which combines address books and document creation, so that you could send one letter to a group of people. Mail merge can also be used to print the addresses on the envelopes.
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Microsoft Word |
WordPerfect |
OpenOffice |
Microsoft Word is the most widely used word processing software. Microsoft estimates that over 500,000,000 people use the Microsoft Office Suite, which includes Word. Many other word processing applications exist, including:
- WordPerfect (which dominated the market from the mid-1980s to early-1990s on computers running Microsoft'sMS/DOS). WordPerfect is still available, and is still preferred by some, because it has features not found in MS Word.
- Open source applications OpenOffice, AbiWord, KWord, and LyX.
- Office Web Apps or Google Docs, Web-based word processors, are a relatively new category.
These are gaining in popularity because they are free or low cost, and they offer very powerful tools. They have a drawback in that they normally require network connectivity.
The importance of popularity, is that you are often sent Word documents as attachments, and you need something to open these documents. If you don't have MS Word, or other word processor that can open .doc attachments, the you can use:
Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel and PowerPoint Open XML File Formats
This is used to open word documents, for those who do not have MS Word installed. It is free.
For more detailed info on word processing:
Word Processing - by wikipedia
Open a Word 2007 Document in an earlier version of Word
To open Microsoft Office Word 2007 .docx or .docm files with Microsoft Office Word 2003, Word 2002, or Word 2000, you need to install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats and any necessary Office updates. By using the Compatibility Pack for the 2007 Office system, you can open, edit some items, and save Office Word 2007 documents in previous versions of Word.
Windows has 2 free word processors installed.
Wordpad and Notepad. Notepad is very limited in functions and features. Wordpad is a little better, you can select different fonts, you can do Bold, Italics, left adjust, center adjust, right adjust and justify, insert picture objects, but no spell checking. You can find these by:
click: Start
select: All Programs
click on: Accessories
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