WHY DOES MICROSOFT WORD SUCK SO MUCH?

[chronovore]

• "Save As..." and then selecting a filename that exists already; every other application in the world, even other apps in the Office suite, and the OS itself just says, "That name exists. Overwrite?" but in MS Word, it pops up an additional dialog with three choices, which is one more than the asshole in "The Lady, or the Tiger?" had to contend with. Basically it wants to know "No, really, how about a different name" or "No, no - really overwrite" and "OK, how about I fold the differences between the two documents into that older document, and let you keep working on the mutant, hellacious, and probably corrupted offspring?" And in my case, it's in Japanese with several kanji I can't read, and thanks to Microsoft, I can't highlight and copy the dialog box text to check it out via a translation software. But choice is good, right? NO, IT ISN'T.
• Highlight some text, and then start typing - again, anywhere else, in any major OS and in any application, the highlighted text will be replaced with whatever you type next. Not in MS Word. Oh, sure: USUALLY it works that way, but sometimes it decides to just take the left of the selection as the cursor point, insert the new text, and keep the old text there, just off to the right. Meaning it has to be re-selected, then deleted. What the hell causes this, and why isn't it consistent?
  
• And don't get me started on its List function. Especially Numbered Lists. Eww.

Comments

[indrigirl.livejournal.com]

Funny. I've been using TextEdit on my Mac, which is easily one of the most feature-poor word processors I've ever used (I mean: no word count function. None. I had to download some freeware for that.) I started using TE because I was too cheap to buy a "real" WP, and because it automatically saves in RTF, which my then-editor preferred.

And not only have I gotten used to it, I like it. I like it that it's sort of an idiot child. Because it's not clever enough to have any of these kinds of problems.

[chronovore.livejournal.com]

You're on Mac?

Open Office has just gained a Mac specific version, if you're interested. I think this is it:
http://www.neooffice.org/

But I know what you mean. I prefer working in HTML or plaintext, because it doesn't end up getting all messed up, and there will ALWAYS be a way to read it. I've got files from MS-DOS MS Word, and that shit can't be read BY ANYTHING, even though the import filters are supposedly in place.

[indrigirl.livejournal.com]

I used OO when I was still using my HP. Funny thing about that: I had Word, and then I got all infested with virii, and let bluestatebabe's boyfriend fix my laptop. Which he did by re-bricking the HD, right? Bye-bye, all software. So I'm at their house poking around on my desktop, trying to find everything as he extols the virtues of the various questionable softwares he's installed, and when he pauses, I ask, "where's my WP?"

Pause. "I didn't know you needed one."

"Muscles, I've been on you about this for days because I have a deadline. A deadline for an article. That I need to write. That's what I do.

"Oh. Well, you don't want Word anyway, it's all buggy and Microsoft is Satan. I'll find you something else."

Which is how I came to OO.

[chronovore.livejournal.com]

And now you're not. Text Edit is neat because it's simple. You'd think Adobe's Acrobat Reader should be equally simple; printing documents through its Print dialog pull-down menus is like Chinese algebra or brain surgery. And if I have trouble with it, the Mom Test is definitely fail-at-life.

[chronovore.livejournal.com]

Was he actually rife with muscles, or was it an ironic nickname?

[(Anonymous)]

No, he is actually quite muscular, and a very good-hearted guy; when I couldn't go back to Detroit to help my mother move out here, I sent him instead. He spent a week immersed in teh crazy there with exceptionally good grace, and then wouldn't let my mother drive *once* during the days it took them to get here.

i just don't take my 'puters to him anymore.

[hideehogal.livejournal.com]

Oh man preach it brother. I'm using MS Word 8-9-10 hours a day too. Grmf.

MPOW uses MS Word + Dictaphone EXText for their transcription app. I have pretty much had to program my own macros around the usual MS functions. Grmfff. My tweaks make it bearable.

[chronovore.livejournal.com]

Can I get a hallelujah?
I think I'll be on dictaphone before too long; or whatever the one from Australia is that crops up in search results first. I just need system-wide control over play/pause/rewind-jump. Right now I'm an alt-tab freak between VLC and MS Word.

Word.