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Subject:Re: Word versions and classes From:Beth Friedman <bjf -at- WAVEFRONT -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 24 Sep 1997 09:16:39 -0500
In our previous episode, Anne Chenette said:
> Can someone explain the versions of Word?
The very first Word was Word for DOS. I don't know the complete
numbering scheme there, but the last one was Word for DOS 6.0. Word
for the Macintosh was the first powerful word processor for the Mac, I
think. I started using it around version 3.0, so it was around in
1989. The upgrade to 4.0 came in 1992 or so. 5.0 was another major
upgrade, and 5.1 was a minor upgrade from that. I switched from Mac
to PC in 1994, and last touch with the Mac world after that. Word 6.0
for the Mac was essentially equivalent to Word for Windows, I think.
I assume that there's a later version, because my documentation for
Word 97 talks about the Mac version of the software.
Word for Windows 1.0 came out around 1991. It had a major upgrade
with a minor name change (WfW 1.1) around 1992. The next upgrade was
2.0. That was the first one that I considered better than the Mac
version -- just as stable, with a very powerful macro language. Word
6.0 (1995?) as even better, and Word 7.0 (aka Word 95) contained minor
(though pleasant) refinements on Word 6.0, while maintaining the same
file format.
Word 8.0 (Word 97) is an entirely new product in many ways. New
functions, new file format, new macro language. And while I'm sure it
has huge potential, it has bugs the like of which I hadn't seen since
I used Word 2.0, before 2.0a, b, and c.
Does that help?
> Also, can anyone in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area recommend a
> "Power Word" class for communications professionals? I know the
> basics, but I want to learn tips, tricks, gotchas, and skills for
> effectively and efficiently handling very large projects (200+ page
> manuals, large manual sets) with indexes, cross references, version
> control, master-pages/templates, on-line reviews, etc., etc., etc.
I can't recommend a class, because I haven't taken any, but I do
recommend Woody Leonhard's (sp?) books. They're definitely aimed at
power users or wannabes. He also has a Web site. I admire anyone who
can have the chutzpah to publish a book entitled WORD 97 ANNOYANCES.
(I see that we're not only from the same city, we share an ISP. Feel
free to e-mail for my phone number if I can be helpful one-on-one.
I'm a Word 6.0/95 guru (she said modestly), and I'm trying to get to
that state with Word 97.)
*********************************************************************
Beth Friedman bjf -at- wavefront -dot- com
"What happened to the kippers left from breakfast?
Or maybe there's a bit of cold roast pheasant.
I am the king now, and I want a sandwich." -- John M. Ford
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