🚀 go-pugleaf

April 24, 1989

Microsoft Customer Service
16011 NE 36th Way
Box 97017
Redmond, WA   98073-9717

Dear Microsoft:

     I have just spent a few hours with Word version 4. From this short exper-
ience, I can only conclude that I will not use this upgrade, even though I
paid for it.

     I am not a complainer by nature. When version 3 came out, I was enthus-
iastic about the program, the performance, and the documentation. I was amazed
that it got a bad rap. However, in version 4 I have encountered bugs (some left
over from version 3), dropped features, feature implementations that do not
support the simple specifications I need, and instances where non-standard
implementation leads to inconvenience. Here's the list:

*    When the Page Setup... setting for unlimited downloadable fonts (in the
     Options button dialog) is checked, documents using downloadable fonts show
     major portions in Courier font. This indicates that the LaserWriter is not
     getting the downloaded font when requested. Unchecking the unlimited down-
     loadable fonts option fixes the problem, but limits you to a very few
     downloadable fonts. This bug remains from version 3.

*    With page view on, I cannot place the insertion point in the header. The
     conditions for this are complex:  I have a header that is a table. The
     table has one row of cells. The cell where I want to place the insertion
     point has three lines of text. Below this cell, on the page and not in the
     header, is a positioned paragraph in the right margin area. The vertical
     alignment of the positioned paragraph is in line. When I try to put the
     insertion point in the bottom of the cell, the cursor is placed in the
     positioned paragraph instead. I can get around this by going out of page
     view and opening the header. This is simply a bug.

*    In version 3, there was a difference between shift-return and command-
     return, when they were applied to justified text. Shift-return created an
     in-line return, where the last line before the return was justified to
     full paragraph width. Command-return also created an in-line return, but
     the last line was not justified. Though this was not a documented feature
     of version 3, it was well-known enough to be published in magazines such
     as MacUser. Version 4 has dropped the command-return feature, and does not
     use the command-return sequence for any other purpose.

*    I cannot adequately control the vertical placement of positioned para-
     graphs. I want to have a side paragraph appear in the margin area, at the
     same vertical height it would be placed if it were not a positioned para-
     graph. I assumed in line would do that, but it doesn't. Not having that,
     I could get by with vertical positioning relative to the top or bottom
     margin, just as I can do with horizontal positioning. After a long period
     of trying and playing, it appears I cannot do what I need at all. This in-
     dicates one of two problems: either the design of the human interface is
     too confusing (always a Microsoft weak point), or the feature which is
     otherwise fantastic has not been completely implemented.

*    The menus have been implemented with a custom font, one that mimics the
     standard Chicago font. Many Macintosh users have long since replaced the
     standard Chicago font with something more readable. For those users, Word
     menus appear as a sudden return to the bad old days. Of course, such a
     user is sophisticated enough to perform the same modifications on Word's
     fonts as on the System fonts. However, such non-standard implementation
     can indicate an attitude orientation within Microsoft that "we don't have
     to be standard, we're better." Microsoft should have learned by now,
     though the continued existence of such things as non-standard print dialog
     boxes indicates otherwise.

*    The Print... dialog box provides a series of boxes into which the user can
     type numbers. There are the typical boxes for number of copies, and for
     page range if a portion of the document is to be printed. There are also
     boxes for a range of sections, which is a new and useful feature. However,
     the tab ordering of these is non-standard. Usually, a Print... dialog box
     comes up with the number of copies selected, and tabs move you successively
     to starting and ending page boxes. Word 4.0 tabs you first to the starting
     and ending section boxes, and only then to the starting and ending page
     boxes. Thus, you have to remember when using Word 4.0 to hit two extra
     tabs to get to the normal function (page range), or else you get the
     unique feature instead (section range). Simply re-ordering the tab sequence
     of this dialog box would make the program standard and friendly.

*    The "feature" of having menus that are completely reconfigurable is two-
     edged. Version 3 got lots of complaints, many of which indicated that
     people were not willing to spend the time to learn to use their tools.
     However, version 3 was difficult to learn not only because it was powerful
     and feature-rich, but also because of its human interface. In version 4
     the human interface problem has not been addressed, it has simply been
     thrown back at the user to solve as best he may. Word is the only Mac-
     intosh program to resort to this "solution," or to find it necessary to do
     so. It is a symptom of greater problems.

Word version 4 is well-known in the industry as having been tested thoroughly.
The fact that this user has encountered this variety of problems in a short
time is symptomatic of beta-testing that does not rely on a wide-enough range
of users. It might be that testing is being done by people familiar only with
the Macintosh market, and not by people who are familiar with such top-end
publishing tools as Interleaf running on Sun workstations. Without such a depth
of background, testers might not have the experience with such page layout
capabilities to thoroughly understand the usage of the features. I would hope
that testing is being done by a wide range of users, with widely varying
backgrounds.

I would be interested in being such a beta-tester for the bug-fix release of
Word version 4. From what I see, Microsoft needs to begin development im-
mediately.

Sincerely,


Brian Diehm

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three additional notes:

First, yes, this is the OFFICIAL, COMMERCIAL release of Word 4.0. I am NOT a
beta site, and yes, I've been waiting for this for a long time too.

Second, the program has crashed on me, for no apparent reason. I realized when
this happended that it has been a LONG time since a commercial program has
done that to me. Like a couple of years. Still, it wouldn't be worth mentioning
on a huge new release except for Bill Gates' arrogant promise.

Third, I realize that Chuq has been a beta-test site for Word 4. Sorry Chuq,
I do not question your capability or depth of experience with desktop publish-
ing tools. But golly, Chuq, how much did you wring this howling dog out, anyway?
-- 
-Brian Diehm     (SDA - Standard Disclaimers Apply)
Tektronix, Inc.
briand@tekig4.TEK.COM   or  {decvax,cae780,uw-beaver}!tektronix!tekig4!briand