Friday, August 24, 2007
A few more words on Word
I wrote this on another site in response to someone I respect who was sorta kinda defending Microsoft Word while also sharing his frustration with its overcomplication, after I referred to Word as being unusable...
Microsoft's single most damnable failing with Word is that tying words on the screen should be the absolute easiest thing you ever do on a computer, and they've unforgivably turned it into one of the most difficult things a typical consumer will ever do on their Mac. Think about it: if you're a Mac user using Word, then typing a simple letter to someone is a more daunting task than using the internet or editing photos. How on earth can that possibly be the case?
But it's not just that it's overcomplicated, it's that there's no logic or sense whatsoever to the complication. It's one of those apps that you can't teach yourself through any other method than metric tons of ongoing rote memorization, and that fits my definition of unusable. Such practice also tends to ruin people as computer users. They get so used to using a computer through time-wasting memorization of nonsensical procedures that they're both unwilling to try new software in the first place, and then unable to learn new software through intuition. Just like years of memorizing the steaming pile of nonsense that is Windows tends to make abused Windows users afraid to try the Mac for fear of more years of rote memorization and more years of abuse.
It's amazing how difficult it can be to transition from doing things the hard way to doing them the easy way, no?
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I wrote this on another site in response to someone I respect who was sorta kinda defending Microsoft Word while also sharing his frustration with its overcomplication, after I referred to Word as being unusable...
Microsoft's single most damnable failing with Word is that tying words on the screen should be the absolute easiest thing you ever do on a computer, and they've unforgivably turned it into one of the most difficult things a typical consumer will ever do on their Mac. Think about it: if you're a Mac user using Word, then typing a simple letter to someone is a more daunting task than using the internet or editing photos. How on earth can that possibly be the case?
But it's not just that it's overcomplicated, it's that there's no logic or sense whatsoever to the complication. It's one of those apps that you can't teach yourself through any other method than metric tons of ongoing rote memorization, and that fits my definition of unusable. Such practice also tends to ruin people as computer users. They get so used to using a computer through time-wasting memorization of nonsensical procedures that they're both unwilling to try new software in the first place, and then unable to learn new software through intuition. Just like years of memorizing the steaming pile of nonsense that is Windows tends to make abused Windows users afraid to try the Mac for fear of more years of rote memorization and more years of abuse.
It's amazing how difficult it can be to transition from doing things the hard way to doing them the easy way, no?
- visit my iPod+iPhone publication iProng.
- friend me on Facebook.
- connect with me on LinkedIn.
- follow me on Twitter.
Comments:
I 100% agree. I couldn't have said it better myself.
Don't get me started on Excel: doesn't sort properly; poor support for simple "cut-and-paste" from other applications; cryptic formulas for column operation.
Don't get me started on Excel: doesn't sort properly; poor support for simple "cut-and-paste" from other applications; cryptic formulas for column operation.
# posted by 
: 10:49 AM
: 10:49 AM
Woeird turns users into just the sort of zombies that Redmond needs as customers.
# posted by : 2:13 PM
: 2:13 PM
I think "tying" should be "typing". That sentence had me wondering for a while.
# posted by : 2:43 PM
: 2:43 PM
Such a pity. Word v3, 4, and 5.1a were the best word processors of their time. Then M$ decreed that there shall be but one version of Word for all platforms, and it shall be the Windows version, starting with v6. Even more bizarre, considering (the WSIWIG version of) Word got it's start on the Mac and the fact that starting with v6, the Mac version has always been behind the Windows version (weren't they suppose to be the same by design?).
Pages pushed M$ Word off of my Dock years ago. Now Numbers (Yay, Trapeze is back! Yes, I'm THAT old) has replaced Excel (never had a use for PowerPoint). Good riddance to bad rubbish. Don't let the door hit you in the a$$ on the way out.
Pages pushed M$ Word off of my Dock years ago. Now Numbers (Yay, Trapeze is back! Yes, I'm THAT old) has replaced Excel (never had a use for PowerPoint). Good riddance to bad rubbish. Don't let the door hit you in the a$$ on the way out.
Come on, folks. Don't you ever get tired of this silliness?
Word is a perfectly useable program and the Office 2004 package is a mainstay on the Mac platform for better reasons than simple ignorance.
Yes, Word can be complex and, as with Excel, has many more functions than most users would ever need. But guess what? The same can be said of Photoshop, Final Cut, InDesign and so forth. No one seems to complain about their complexity. Volumes have been written explaining how to tame these apps. Yet, the thought of spending 20-30 minutes working thru the various options in MS Office, getting a feel of things, sends the Mac zealots off in a fit of horror.
Word can be pared down to a clean and simple state, and users are free to expand its scope whenever needed. The Notebook Layout view is very handy - and easy to use. Also, compatibility is built-in, I don't have to export my way into it. In fairness, MS has dragged its feet over that new .docx format.
If Office 2004 came from any vendor but Microsoft then the Mac community would hail it as the greatest thing since Roberto Clemente's right arm.
Word is a perfectly useable program and the Office 2004 package is a mainstay on the Mac platform for better reasons than simple ignorance.
Yes, Word can be complex and, as with Excel, has many more functions than most users would ever need. But guess what? The same can be said of Photoshop, Final Cut, InDesign and so forth. No one seems to complain about their complexity. Volumes have been written explaining how to tame these apps. Yet, the thought of spending 20-30 minutes working thru the various options in MS Office, getting a feel of things, sends the Mac zealots off in a fit of horror.
Word can be pared down to a clean and simple state, and users are free to expand its scope whenever needed. The Notebook Layout view is very handy - and easy to use. Also, compatibility is built-in, I don't have to export my way into it. In fairness, MS has dragged its feet over that new .docx format.
If Office 2004 came from any vendor but Microsoft then the Mac community would hail it as the greatest thing since Roberto Clemente's right arm.
# posted by : 6:18 AM
: 6:18 AM
>>Yep, Microsoft Turd deserves to get wiped off the butt end of word processing existence.>>
It's clear that avoiding Microsoft Word has improved your communication skills.
It's clear that avoiding Microsoft Word has improved your communication skills.
# posted by : 8:11 AM
: 8:11 AM
"Yes, Word can be complex and, as with Excel, has many more functions than most users would ever need. But guess what? The same can be said of Photoshop, Final Cut, InDesign and so forth. No one seems to complain about their complexity."
Dear God, you have to be joking? You're comparing a WORD PROCESSOR to professional, high-end, processor intensive graphic programs?? Please, don't insult graphic pros with your care-free comparisons - just go back to fiddling with your MS Office apps so you keep up the appearance of looking busy.
Dear God, you have to be joking? You're comparing a WORD PROCESSOR to professional, high-end, processor intensive graphic programs?? Please, don't insult graphic pros with your care-free comparisons - just go back to fiddling with your MS Office apps so you keep up the appearance of looking busy.
# posted by : 5:31 PM
: 5:31 PM
>>Dear God, you have to be jokingÉ>>
If you could take a break from drawing pretty pictures, perhaps you could re-read my original post. It was not a direct comparison. It was an analogy, OK?
Photoshop, InDesign Đ these are expensive, commercial grade applications. They have a level of power and complexity far beyond the need of most Mac users. ItŐs not uncommon for customers to spend hundreds of dollars and many hours in the study of these programs. It comes with the territory.
MS Office, including Word, is an expensive, commercial grade business suite. ItŐs a very powerful package and would be overkill for the casual/home user. And yet, critics seem to expect an app such as Word to be instantly and completely accessible, with little to no effort on the part of the user. Word is not TextEdit. But in the time it takes to down a cup of coffee, users can get a handle on the program; adjust preferences, tidy up toolbars, set defaults. Granted, the more esoteric functions can be hard to find, but that doesnŐt interfere with basic usefulness.
Rational reviews of software are just fine. Choice is a good thing. But these irrational and childish rants against anything Microsoft are pointless. They serve only to reinforce the notion that much of the Macintosh community borders on cult status.
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If you could take a break from drawing pretty pictures, perhaps you could re-read my original post. It was not a direct comparison. It was an analogy, OK?
Photoshop, InDesign Đ these are expensive, commercial grade applications. They have a level of power and complexity far beyond the need of most Mac users. ItŐs not uncommon for customers to spend hundreds of dollars and many hours in the study of these programs. It comes with the territory.
MS Office, including Word, is an expensive, commercial grade business suite. ItŐs a very powerful package and would be overkill for the casual/home user. And yet, critics seem to expect an app such as Word to be instantly and completely accessible, with little to no effort on the part of the user. Word is not TextEdit. But in the time it takes to down a cup of coffee, users can get a handle on the program; adjust preferences, tidy up toolbars, set defaults. Granted, the more esoteric functions can be hard to find, but that doesnŐt interfere with basic usefulness.
Rational reviews of software are just fine. Choice is a good thing. But these irrational and childish rants against anything Microsoft are pointless. They serve only to reinforce the notion that much of the Macintosh community borders on cult status.
# posted by : 9:13 PM
: 9:13 PM
