2 Programs Give On-Screen Data a Realistic Look
The graphical powers of Microsoft’s Windows 3.0 bring its users a new dimension in software in which what you see on the screen is just about what you’ll see when you print.
That change is especially dramatic in word processing, where users of IBM and compatible computers, unlike their Macintosh counterparts, usually have seen plain, text-only renditions of documents. The type on the screen always looks the same whether or not various sizes and styles of type are called for in the printed document.
The two powerhouse word-processing programs for Windows 3.0 are Microsoft’s Word for Windows, $450, and Samna Corp.’s Ami Professional, $495.
Word for Windows is geared toward high productivity of office word processing, from simple memos to complex legal briefs. Its power comes from a set of automated templates that cause data to be placed just right in your document. For instance, filling in just a few blanks in the legal brief template will cause the entire top of the brief to be properly formatted with names of plaintiffs and defendants, case number and type of action.
Ami Professional lacks the automation features but lets you draw objects in your documents with geometric shapes and create charts as well, neither of which are features offered in Word for Windows. It also allows some modification of imported graphic images, such as scanned-in pictures, which makes the program akin to desktop publishing.
Both programs have all the features of traditional word processing software, such as spelling dictionaries, thesaurus, automatic creation of tables of contents and indexes, outlining, foot-noting and text annotation.
The latter is a feature that lets a document be locked as-is and then circulated among whomever needs to approve it. Each reader can note his or her own comments, which can then be incorporated in the final version if desired.
Each program also allows you to create tables within a document. The tables can be a mix of text and numbers, and basic math can be performed to add, subtract, multiply and divide groups of data.
Of course, for heavy-duty number crunching, you would rely on spreadsheet software, and both programs can link to spreadsheet files.
The way text looks on your screen and on paper is controlled in both programs by “style” sheets that can define all the variables from margins to the size and style of the type.
Seeing the same type on screen as you will see on paper is not always beneficial. None of the screen fonts are as clear and crisp as the standard text character set that comes on IBM and compatible computers. Thus, the letters you see on the screen tend to be thinner than what you see with a traditional text-based word-processing program such as WordPerfect or WordStar.
However, for general office word processing these programs can be a real boon. For instance, if you don’t need fancy embossed stationery or letterheads printed in some color other than black, you can use either Ami Professional or Word for Windows to print the letterhead at the same time it prints the text on the letterhead.
For many users, either program would be satisfactory. Both are quite powerful and thus quite complex. Learning how to use all the features is a major undertaking.
For example, the way each program looks on the screen and the choices of items listed in their menus can differ according to the user’s wishes. That also means it is easy to get lost, especially in the early days of use when you can’t find the menu choice you want because it isn’t in the lists you are using.
Ami Professional gets the nod for users who need to draw objects in their documents, such as simple organizational charts, or to call attention to certain paragraphs of text. The same is true for those who need charts, although it is easy enough to import an Excel chart into Word for Windows. Word is the more powerful of the two.
The templates included with the program are amazing in the way they can simplify creation of complex documents. I would think that law offices in particular would benefit. But the templates aren’t of use until you have modified them to reflect your own needs--unless of course you work for the law offices of Fellowes, Warner, Galen & Thompson in Portland or the Trey Film Co., which are the names on many of the templates supplied.
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THE SPECS Word for Windows
A $450 word processor with emphasis on document automation.
Features: Templates with fill-in blanks, powerful macros, link to Excel spreadsheet.
Requirements: IBM or compatible AT or PS/2 model running Windows 3.0 software.
Publisher: Microsoft Corp., 16011 NE 36th Way, Redmond, Wash. 98073. Phone: (206) 882-8080.
Ami Professional
A $495 word processor with emphasis on text, graphics and charting integration.
Features: Draw objects, create charts, modify imported graphics images, customize on-screen menus.
Requirements: IBM or compatible AT or PS/2 model running Windows 3.0 software.
Publisher: Samna Corp., 5600 Glenridge Drive, Atlanta, Ga. 30342. Phone: (404) 851-0007.
