The World of Word Processing - Essay Example

? The World of Word Processing Word processor is a facility that records keystrokes from the keyboard and prints the same onto a paper in a separate operation system (Castro, 2003). It is used in the production of any sort of printable material. The word processor encompasses a stand-alone machine that combined the keyboard text-entry and printing function with a dedicated processor for the editing of texts. The features and the designs varied between the manufacturers but new features added advanced the technology. The word processor for several years featured a monochrome display and the ability to save documents on diskettes or otherwise. The later models had innovations like grammar checking, formatting options, and the dot matrix printing (Ward, 2005). This Microsoft word is the most widely used processing software with over one billion users across the globe. Other commonly used word processing applications are the word perfect that dominated in the years of the mid 1980s and early 1990s, the Microsoft MS-DOS, and the open source application. The current word processor is very power and consists of images, graphics, and the text latter handled with typesetting capability. The term word processing, invented in the late 1960s by IBM, got recognition by the by the New York Times as a buzzword in 1971. The international Business Machines provided a program that would generate printed documents on a mainframe computer and described it as a word processor. The new software combined peoples, procedures, and applications that would transform idea into printed communications. The original Microsoft word contained a dictating machine and a manually operated S electric typewriter. The term word processor was taken to mean a semi automated typewriters with some form of electronic editing and correction ability (Gordon, 2010). Most of the persons working in the United States as secretaries utilized the word processing and it had impact on their careers. By this time, the word processing replaced the traditional secretary and emphasized more on the administrative roles of the businesses and industry. The invention of the word processor occurred in two phases. There was first the standard operating system control program that vastly brought increased standardization in the 1970s. The format for all the files and memory had similar structure across all the machines of that class. To change the type meant stopping the printer and a manual change of printing element (Castro, 2003). The additional memory made bi-directional printing possible hence eliminated delay caused by the return of print head to the left of the margin possible at the start of every program. The second phase was the introduction of the Microsoft disk operating system to replace the control program Microsoft (Word processor is a facility that records keystrokes from the keyboard and prints the same onto a paper in a separate operation system. It is used in the production of any sort of printable material (Ward, 2005). The word processor encompasses a stand-alone machine that combined the keyboard text-entry and printing function with a dedicated processor for the editing of texts. The features and the designs varied between the manufacturers but new features added advanced the technology. The word processor for several years featured a monochrome display and the ability to save documents on diskettes or otherwise. The later models had innovations like grammar checking, formatting options, and the dot matrix printing. This Microsoft word is the most widely used processing software with over one billion users across the globe. Other commonly used word processing applications are the word perfect that dominated in the years of the mid 1980s and early 1990s, the Microsoft MS-DOS, and the open source application. The current word processor is very power and consists of images, graphics, and the text latter handled with typesetting capability (CP/M computers). The IBM for its microcomputers first chose this system though it was not that successful in the IBM-compatible computers. The mid of 1980s saw spread of the laser printers which was a topographical approach of the word processing (Gordon, 2010). The standalone word processors adapted strategic plan to replace CRTs with small character-oriented LCD displays. This marked a major evolutional change in the technological advancement. The development continued until the late 1980s when the Apple Macintosh screen introduced the first WYSIWYG word processor. The most current invention was the Microsoft windows, which have significantly improved the word processing. Microsoft Word in business The Microsoft word processing program is robust in the modern business world ranging from the small offices to the complex academic dissertation. Modern businesses have a wide application of the Microsoft word. The Microsoft word form part of the Microsoft office suite, has much iteration, and currently entails email, database, and desktop publishing software. In the business, the Microsoft word is used in the businesses to process word offers and lay out reports like reports, memos, letterheads, and other business written documents (Gordon, 2010). The word has in built functions like bold, italics, underline, and other line formatting facilitates. The Microsoft word also has multitude shapes, lines, and crafting flow charts that direct the reader’s attention to the flow of the project. The businesses also use the Microsoft word to mail labels. These businesses type then print the mailing labels through the preset layout that makes the mailing than the traditional easier hand written procedures. The Difference between Open Office & Microsoft Office Microsoft office and the open office are both software programs for editing and writing texts. However, they are different in that the open office is free and an open source for all computer accesses whereas the Microsoft offices is purchased for several hundreds of dollars in order to acquire a software license. The Microsoft word contains programs depending on the license acquired, where the limited version contains Microsoft word, excel, power point, and a Microsoft One Note, which stores and organizes notes (Castro, 2003). The open office contains programs that are uniform to all computers of same class. The Microsoft and the open office have differences beyond the programs offered. They firstly differ in the interface. The open office was similar to the Microsoft office 2003 whereas the Microsoft Office 2007 has a user interface with tabs that makes it much easier to edit and format many options concurrently that are not present in the open office. The two also differ in that the Microsoft Office is only available for windows and Mac operating system while the Open Office has versions for windows, Mac, Linux, and Solaris. The Microsoft office offers more programs than the open office of which most of the versions are geared towards business. In addition, many people know how to use the Microsoft office than the open office. The files formats of the Microsoft Office are easily recognizable than the office formats. The Microsoft word created as free online version in 2010 after realizing that the price was steep for the home use. The open office is free and its codes are free for anyone to view and edit hence has many additional feature from where one can choose the one that best suites him. The open office also supports different file types like Microsoft word, word perfect making it easier for exchange files with people who do not have Microsoft office (Ward, 2005). The Microsoft word ahs a spell checker and a grammar checker whereas the open office has a spell checker alone. New features of the new Word 2012 The Microsoft dynamics 2012 introduces many features that were unavailable in the previous releases. The changes found in the Microsoft Office 2012 have updated the existing features and technologies. The current software has a Microsoft dynamics AX2012 pack that has a depreciated feature release and feature notices. The new release also has the ability to support e-book standard, can sort data in a mapping result and can isolate code generation from the UML sequence diagrams. Office 2012 is more flexible for the users and helps access of documents from all over the world (Gordon, 2010). The Microsoft word 2010 has an integration screen shot feature and artistic effects like pencil sketch, Glow Edges and photocopy. The office 2012 will be a great fun. References Castro, E. (2003). HTML for the World Wide Web. iCloud: Peachpit Press. Gordon, P. (2010). Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 for Law Professionals Unveiling the Rules and Secrets of Legal Word Processing. New York: KAS Training & Development. Ward, M. (2005). Fire Officer: Principles and Practice. Sudbury: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Read More