PA and Secretary Community - Deskdemon.com

 It's not really as though there's much of a choice these days. If you know how to use something other than Microsoft it's because you know it from days of yore. So tell me, what do you use at work (not at home) for word processing? Anyone saying "my secretary" will not be allowed to play. This is about what you use at work because I know most of you can use them all.

Results (total votes = 68):

Microsoft Word	58 / 85.3%
Corel WordPerfect	8 / 11.8%
Lotus	2 / 2.9%
Claris Works	0 / 0.0%
Other	0 / 0.0%

 

I absolutely HATED the switch from WordPerfect to Word a few years ago, but I've adjusted for the most part.  I really miss reveal codes, though.

I honestly miss my Lotus Word Pro.  I wish I still had it. I can't run Lotus Smart Suite and MS Office together. Lotus 1,2,3 was just as good as Excel. I used to complain about Word Pro when I had it, saying MS Word was better, but I miss a lot of the things I could do with word pro.

Will I be showing my age and inexperience if I say that I've always used Microsoft Word, that my one foray into Word Pro was scary and hated, and I couldn't see using anything anymore?    Oh well... so be it then.

I'll jump in and show my age in the opposite direction: WordStar (with all those dot commands!), and what was that IBM card thing called?

I am "supposed" to use Word (which is the company standard), but I also have Word Perfect on my PC.  I told my boss that if someone from IT tried to take it off my machine they would do so after prying my hands from the keyboard.  



I tried numerous times to use only Word, but I lost valuable time and patience when trying to use tables, charts, etc.  It was making me crazy.



I use Word when sending documents throughout the company, but for my own use I will use Word Perfect over Word and Lotus over Excel.  Although I have kept up to date on Word for future job-hunting purposes.

I used MutliMate, WordPerfect, Lotus 1,2,3.  But now use Microsoft on a full time basis.  One person in the office still uses WordPerfect Corel Suite 8, and it's pretty good, but I do miss those reveal codes too, tells you exactly what is going on.  But of course you don't have "what you see is what you get" either with WordPerfect, and I would rather have that with Microsoft.



I've been fortunate not to have to deal with switching from one software program to another.  One company I had just left was in process of buying Microsoft software from WordPerfect, whew...missed that one, thank goodness.



Chris68

 

DonnaP99, I felt exactly the same way when we switched from Word Perfect to Word. What a struggle and I want my reveal codes!



Does anyone remember a word processing program on an IBM mainframe? That was the first one I used, but I don't remember what it was called any more. It was about 15 years ago.



Barb

I can go all the way back to manual typewriters, mag cards, MemoryWriter, stand alone word processing systems and those funky PF keys.  I, too, had a little trouble making the switch from WP to Word, but now that I've been using Word for three years, it's not so bad.



I get tired of dealing with the autoformat stuff so I've learned to turn it off.  What if I don't want a "2." when I enter?  Grrrrrrrrrrrr - that is so frustrating sometimes.  Auto indents, etc.  And when emailing the documents, sometimes those auto functions go whacky.



Now days, I guess it just doesn't matter which word processing program you have as long as you don't have to use the selectric typewriter anymore.  No More Carbon Paper!  No more chalky white correct tape!  



sungoddess (leaving on a jet plane - again)

 

I also use Word, but really do miss WordPerfect.  I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who misses the reveal codes.  



Working in Community Relations, we also use a program called Microedge Gifts for Windows.  It's a program designed to track corporate grants and other giving programs.



   

Now I'm really going to reveal my age . . . I used to work on the old Wang word processing system!  But we thought it was wonderful after the old selectric typewriters then before that the old manual typewriters!  Whenever possible I use WordPerfect everyone I have ever talked to has agreed that we like the reveal codes.  If you want to fix something you can find it really fast compared to Word.  My boss doesn't have WordPerfect on his computer so everything I send to him has to be in Word, however our email system is GroupWise which is WordPerfect based I think and it's more compatible to WordPerfect.  I wonder if they will ever invent a system that does your work before you even think of it!!!!

Wow, I've used Wang too. I used to think Wang was a program that someone from our company wrote because no one else I've talked to has ever heard of it. But that was 5 years ago. We use Microsoft Word now and I love it.



Sorry, but I hated WordPerfect. I used to work at a lawfirm and all they had was WordPerfect. I tried and tried to convince them to switch to Word but they wouldn't. I even offered to teach them how to use Word myself so they wouldn't have to spend money on classes! I guess old habits die hard.

It still won't let me vote. Why can't I vote? Help me, someone!

 

I've always used Word....at work and at home.



When I worked for a security consultant in FL, he wouldn't use anything but WP 8 for Windows, because of the ease of the tables, etc.  I still used Word, and could just convert any of his letters, etc.  The last job I had was completely Windows based, so Word was the norm.



I started a new job last Monday and had forgotten in the interview (it was 2 months from the interview to the offer) that for specs, they use WORDPERFECT 5.1!!!  AAAAAAArgh!  I used that 20 years ago for about 6 months.  I'd be better off with a chisel and a stone tablet!  



There are a couple of admins in the company who generate the specs in 5.1 and then edit in 8....which is probably what I'll be doing.  Heck, I think I'd be faster typing the whole thing on an IBM typewriter!  



tlc (trying to convince my new boss I DO need the internet and will NOT be looking at porn sites like a couple of guys in the office were!!)  (Which is the reason I don't have the internet now!!)

I haven't used WordPerfect in about 5 years, and I miss it too.  WordPerfect 5.1 was the first software program I ever used.  It was much less complicated than Word.  Every office I've been in since uses Word.



That story about WordPerfect 5.1 reminds me-a couple of years ago, I ran screaming from a temp-to-perm legal secretary job because I would be stuck using 5.1 for EVERY document, while everyone else had the latest fancy Windows upgrade!  OK, it was my first program, but I didn't ever want to go BACK to using it!  I was also afraid my skills would get rusty.  Could you blame me?    

I use BOTH!   Our office predominantly uses Corel Wordperfect but I also have to use Microsoft Word for our QuickBooks reports, so I have been deemed the Word contact when our clients or consultants send us email documents in Word.



Because SOOO many of our clients and consultants use Word, we have discussed switching, but you know how people LOVE change!     hehehe

I also had a hard time giving up WordPerfect...loved the reveal codes as well.  Does anyone click on the "paragraph" icon when using Word?  I do, its similar to the reveal codes, and really helps with formatting.

When I first learned, I was taught on WordPerfect...it was a blessing from heaven above, because I had only used a typewriter before for letters.  Then when I started here, we didn't have PC's yet, and had to use a Unix based word processing system, called Uniplex.  A manager here called it "The Stone Axe of Word Processing"...When we moved to PC's, it was with Word and all Windows based applications. Love it, missed reveal codes, but learned to function well with it.  And it definately beat the heck out of our previous system!



Now we've been merged with another major company, and their standard is Lotus.  (There are very specific reasons for this.) So now, here I am again, working with the similar, yet different enough to be confusing!



Needless to say, I'm somewhat proficient in all, excel in none!



Daisylee







 

I taught myself Word Perfect when it first came out and loved it and used it for years.  When I started my present job about 4 years ago I had to adjust to Word.  It was less of an adjustment than I thought it would be.  Now I'm very comfortable with it.  We have Word Perfect and Word at home, but I never use Word Perfect anymore.  Never thought I'd be saying that!

I am a die-hard WordPerfect user (as in don't touch this machine, IT, without losing parts of your body that you hold dear!); however, since I got Windows 2000, my WordPerfect 2000 just won't work right!  AAAAARRRGGHH!!!  So, now I am stuck using Word and I hate it, I hate it!!!  (stomping my feet and throwing a hissy fit!) ;-)  I am adjusting because I have never met a program that I didn't want to learn, but WordPerfect is sooo much more user friendly than Word.  I can't help but wonder if Microsoft designed Windows 2000 in some way to keep me out of my WordPerfect - beginning to see a conspiracy here.  I just recently got an e-mail from Amazon.com though that says WordPerfect 2002 (made for Windows 2000) is now available.  I think I'll be trying it.  Wish me luck!



OfficeDuchess (reveal codes, how I love thee!) in VA

I thought our company was the only one who used Wang!  When I came here to work 12 years ago, it was my first experience in word processing (besides a course I took in something, maybe IBM Displaywrite???) and the Olympia Memory typewriters with the little screens.  At first I thought it was great, but then I had to learn to be the back-up Wang Administrator....what a pain!  I was way too busy to have to take the time to boot and re-boot that stupid system!  And it was down more than it was up!



We converted to Microsoft Word about 6-7 years ago, and I love it!  I work in it from home, too.

I learned on Wordperfect (before it was part of the Corel package).  I've used the Lotus Smartsuite working for IBM, and now I'm on MS office.

Personally, I think Lotus notes is easier to use than MS Outlook, but they are basically all tools, like pencil and paper.  Besides, when you always get a chance to learn something new, you keep your mind active and agile (or so they say...)

 

My brain must work differently than most people because WordPerfect just baffles me while it seems like I have an instinct for Word.  (I like the mail merge in Word.  Takes you through step by step.  I couldn't screw it up if I tried.)



The best was when everybody was screaming when Windows first appeared on the scene.  Being a teacher, I had used a Macintosh, so Windows was alsomt the same basic concept.  I could not understand what everybody was yelling about.



Meanwhile, hubby is still home using (have mercy!) 5.1.  Why not just handwrite it?

Could you please send me an email?  My address is daisylee@administrative-assistants.com.  I have a question for you!



Daisylee

In defence of Word 5.1: it's a great little word processor that is so fast because its so small.

Word 2000 may do lots of things (crash, mostly, buy hey!) but I totally support the use of 5.1 for pure word processing. I still have it on my baby mac AND it carries formatting through into Quark Xpress.

Beth, lemme tell you about 5.1, I wish I had that much!  At my last job, before we had moved to our new office and everyone got a computer on their desk, I was using a community computer that I hated.  It was a Swan (?) 386 DX and it was DOS!  I had Word 5.0 and Lotus 123 in DOS.  Yep, that damn F-code card to scotch tape to the keyboard.  *shudders*  I miss Lotus Notes.  What was so great about it was the databases you could create and post messages to the database as an email message.  It was superior to anything I've seen.

DonnaP, I too used Wordstar for many years (10) then had to move to Wordperfect (grudgingly).  I loved it and used it for quite a few years - loved the reveal codes.  THEN, I had to move to Word (grudgingly again, of course).  I've used Word now for about 6 years and have grown to love it however I still can't get Word to do some of the things I could do in Wordperfect.  

ExecSec - Are you sure you're not me??  Those timelines are EXACTLY the same as mine!

Donnap, do you remember the CPT word processing machine? It used cassette tapes with a selectric typewriter.  I have also used an Autotypist before.  I think it was a word processor from the 40's (but I used it in the early 70's).  It punched holes on a roll of paper like a player piano, then played back the repetitive letters on a selectric typewriter.  The keyboard and space bar on the machine were about 3 feet wide!

OK, first off, I'm not sure if this is exactly what everyone wants, because I haven't used Word Perfect, much. I'm also not sure if this will work with editions of Word earlier than 97, but here goes...



Hold down the SHIFT key and depress the F1 key. This will change your cursor into an arrow with a "?" next to it. (You can also go to Help -> What's This?) Then click on any text within Word, and it will give you the formatting of the text.



Hope this helps.



Sabrina

I'm old too--I was trained on Wang, I have also used MultiMate and Wordstar, and I really, really miss reveal codes! And I learned on a manual typewriter and have used stand-alone word processors on some jobs.  And of course, like everyone else I'm now forced to use Word.  I don't love it, but I'm really good at it now.

I use the paragraph symbol all the time... this shows me all the spacing, types of returns, etc and is the only way I use Word in a professional arena.  Everyone hates to sit and type on my computer because they see all these dots and marks that they're not used to.    Keeps them off my machine!

Hi...

I am using Abiword which is i think the best fit for my work. I am using it since the last year and didn't felt anything missing. I need only for basic writing interface and it has what i was looking for. I also know the fact that there are many other programs which are far better than this one but i just like it because of its simple to use interface.
Thanks to a blog post at www.wordprocessorfree.com (http://www.wordprocessorfree.com) from where i had picked up this tool as there were few such programs reviewed.

I've used WordStar, WordPerfect, and now Word.

:)

I'll age myself, a floppy disc word processer with a one line screen, word perfect, and now word.
I dabble in pages for mac, but don't really care for it unless it's a one page letter, anything with real formatting I will use word.