If you think that your only business productivity software options are an old version of Microsoft Office or a new version of Microsoft Office, think again: Corel has released a new edition of its venerable WordPerfect Office suite.
WordPerfect offers one key feature that Word currently doesn’t: Reveal Codes, which allows you to view and make changes to a document’s formatting. In my tests, I found that function complemented the ability to print formatting codes, which allows multiple users to collaborate on documents more easily (see here for a screenshot).
WordPerfect Office 11 makes files universally accessible, no matter which office suite created them. The new WordPerfect Office Conversion Utility, for example, lets you convert batches of any type of Microsoft Office file to the WordPerfect format, and a new Document Map (similar to Microsoft Word’s) makes it easy to move from page to page in lengthy documents.
Other updates: the suite’s Quattro Pro 11 spreadsheet now features QuickSubtotal, which simplifies data analysis by letting you apply totals to a selected column. And the Show On The Go feature in Corel Presentation 11 converts presentations into self-executing slide shows that you can play on any Windows computer. Presentation even allows you to save your work in the PowerPoint 95 and 97 file format (.ppt), just as WordPerfect supports Word 2002 (.doc) and Quattro Pro supports Excel 95 and 97 (.xls).
People who loved WordPerfect’s old DOS interface (circa version 5.1) will be pleased to know it’s back. Just choose the Classic Mode option. WordPerfect Office 11 is a slightly less expensive alternative that doesn’t sacrifice features, functionality, or any Microsoft interoperability.
In brief: Corel WordPerfect Office 11 Standard
Basic office suite features and functionality that cost less than the market leader.
Price: $649
Vendor: Corel
Phone: 1800 658 850
URL: www.corel.com
