WordPerfect provides excellent desktop publishing–like control over formatting. Moreover, Real Time Preview lets you see how typesetting changes would affect a document if applied; for example, you can scroll through fonts and automatically see how your document looks with each. There is also a new drop cap toolbar icon. Moreover, WordPerfect now offers enhanced user control over tables and formulas. Convert Text to Tables (and vice versa) works quickly and intuitively.
WordPerfect now supports digital signatures, allowing users to determine if a document has been changed since it was last edited and to review those changes. Unlike Microsoft Word, WordPerfect can export documents to PDF files without additional software.
Other enhancements extend WordPerfect Office’s versatility. For instance, by using the CorelDraw engine, QuattroPro’s charts have been revamped, allowing greater creativity. Wizard-like interfaces let you customize charts, change fonts, plus use 3-D texture rendering with light controls and semitransparency. Presentations 10 now supports Macromedia Flash, MP3 and Windows Media Audio sounds, animated GIFs, and TrueDoc (for font-embedding and matching). CorelCentral also features e-mail digital signature and encryption support.
A piece of advice: If you use WordPerfect Office 2002 on Microsoft Windows 2000, be sure to download the service pack, which solves a sporadic memory allocation problem.
For those who like to have comprehensive, hands-on control over the appearance of their documents, plus robust compatibility with industry-standard formats (including Microsoft Office), WordPerfect Office continues to be a stellar choice. We can find no flaws. But if this is your first time investing in an office suite, consider that, compatibility aside, sometimes it’s easier to work with a package that your colleagues already use.