


that do many things often have a variety of weaknesses. No word processing software package does everything, and those. In this study the word processing g software packages were evaluated, and a comparison was done to determine which features were available from a list of more than three hundred features, reporting and foreign language ability. Most of the documentation included with software packages could use improvement.įor many buyers, availability of features ranks higher than ease-of-use. Some manuals explain in detail how to use the program others just list the features of the program. The friendlier packages save learning time, but in the long run might cost time because they do not automate many production tasks.Īnother ease-of-use feature is the quality and organization of the software instruction manuals. Some of the more powerful packages require extensive training and practice before users can use then competently and with efficiency. The decisions involved in selecting an appropriate word processing software package often revolve around how long a learning curve the business can_ afford and which sophisticated features are needed. On long reports, for example, production goes faster with software that automatically writes tables of contents and indexes, and numbers, chapters and lists. However, if the user is expected to do a great deal of tabular typing or produce hundreds of form letters or many long reports, the business might be better off sacrificing some of those user-friendly features in favor of powerful capabilities that will make these tasks easier. They also work nicely if the major word processing application is the production of short letters and memos. Some of the easier-to-use programs can make great learning tools, especially for computer novices. When selecting an appropriate word processing software package, one must first determine how the product will be used so that the purchaser can weigh the advantages and disadvantages of easy versus powerful packages and come up with an adequate compromise. With the wide variety of products that run on IBM PC's and the IBM compatibles, it is possible that the business manager can find one that adequately fills both needs.

However, selection of the appropriate software is a complicated procedure and requires a careful examination and comparison of the complexity of the software (features available) with the ease of learning to use the software. Computerized word processing with computer software packages is common throughout industry today.
