ID: Q105775
The information in this article applies to:
This article contains questions and answers about what's new in Word 6.0.
MORE INFORMATION
This FastTip assumes you are familiar with a previous version of Word
for Windows and that you want more information to help you decide
whether to upgrade to Word 6.0. If you have already upgraded to Word
6.0, the information below is contained in Chapter 2, "What's New in
Word 6.0?," in the "Microsoft Word Quick Results" guide.
If you do not own a previous version of Word for Windows and want
general information about the product, call Microsoft Sales Information
Center at (800) 426-9400. If you are outside the United States, contact
your local subsidiary. To locate your subsidiary, see the Microsoft
World Wide Offices Web site at:
http://www.microsoft.com/worldwide/default.htm
1. Q. Why did Word for Windows suddenly jump from version 2.0 to 6.0?
A. This is the first version of Word in which we use the same core
code for both Word for Windows and Word for the Macintosh(R).
This means both products share the same file format, features,
appearance, and documentation. To reflect this similarity, we
decided to give both products the same version number. The
current version of Word for the Macintosh is 5.1, so we
couldn't use version 3.0. Therefore, version 6.0 was the
logical choice.
2. Wizards and "Auto" Formatting Features
Word includes the following features to automate and simplify the
creation, formatting, and production of documents:
a. Wizards: A "wizard" is an interactive Word feature that asks
questions and then uses your answers to automatically lay out
and format a certain type of document. A wizard is often the
fastest way to create a letter, memo, resume, newsletter, or
insert a table in a document.
b. AutoCorrect: The AutoCorrect feature automatically corrects
common typing mistakes as you work. For example, if you type "t-
e-h", AutoCorrect replaces it with "the" as soon as you press
the SPACEBAR. You can also use AutoCorrect to quickly insert
words or phrases that are long or difficult to type. For
example, use AutoCorrect to automatically replace "ASAP" with
"as soon as possible".
c. AutoFormat: The AutoFormat command formats document elements
such as headings, tables, and bulleted lists by applying styles
to each paragraph in the document. Once AutoFormat has applied
styles to your table or text, you can quickly change the "look
and feel" of your document using the Style Gallery command.
Using AutoFormat, you can produce professional-looking letters,
memos, and reports even when you're in a hurry.
d. Heading Numbering and Bullets and Numbering: You can create
numbered headings that Word automatically updates whenever you
move, add, or delete a heading. You can create bulleted and
numbered lists - even multiple-level lists for legal and
technical documents. As you edit your list, Word renumbers the
items automatically.
e. AutoCaption and Cross-Reference: The AutoCaption feature
automatically adds a caption label and number (such as "Table
1") to a series of tables, graphics, or other items in a
document. If you add, move, or delete items in a series of
items, Word automatically updates the caption numbers. Use the
Cross-Reference command to easily create cross-references to
captions, headings, tables, and other items.
3. New Editing Features
a. Multiple-Level Undo and Redo keeps track of your last 100
editing and formatting changes. You can select one or more
actions to undo using the Undo button on the Standard toolbar.
If you decide that you'd like to keep one or more changes after
you undo them, use the Redo button. For example, if you apply
the wrong style to your document, you can undo it; then, if you
change your mind, you can reapply the style using Redo. Of
course, there are certain actions you cannot undo, such as
saving or printing your document.
b. You can now drag and drop text and graphics across windows. You
can also drag items between applications.
c. The Find and Replace commands are now both more flexible and
more straightforward.
4. New Formatting and Style Options
a. Format Painter: Using the Format Painter button, you can copy
formatting. Just "pick up" the formatting that you want to copy
and then "paint it" onto the text you want to format.
b. Drop Cap: Automatically add a dropped capital letter, word, or
graphic to a paragraph.
c. Character Styles: Save character formatting as a character
style and apply it in one step.
d. Character Spacing and Automatic Kerning: Use character spacing
to adjust the spacing that follows a letter or symbol. Use the
new kerning capabilities of Word to control the spacing between
certain letter pairs.
e. Organizer Feature Helps You Copy and Manage Styles: You can now
copy individual styles, macros, AutoText entries, and toolbars
between documents and templates.
f. Reveal Formats: You can use the Help button to display all the
formatting information about selected text.
5. New Page Layout Choices
a. Columns: Create newspaper-style columns of unequal width. You
can now set the width of each column individually.
b. Print Preview: Print preview can now show you more than two
pages so you can get an overview of your entire document. In
addition, you can drag text and graphics from one page to
another and zoom in to edit text.
c. Display Multiple Pages in Page Layout View: Using the Zoom
command, you can display and edit multiple pages in page layout
view.
d. Table Headings: If a table spans more than one page, you can
use the Table Headings command to automatically repeat the
table headings on each page.
6. Mail Merge, Step by Step
The Mail Merge Helper simplifies the creation of form letters by
taking you through the basic steps for creating any type of mail
merge document. You can create a letter and mailing list from
"scratch," or use an existing document and data from Microsoft
Access(R), Microsoft Excel, or another application.
Print Envelopes and Labels Easily: Word walks you through the
formerly time-consuming process of creating envelopes or mailing
labels. You don't have to measure labels and change page setups
anymore. Word can even add U.S. postal bar codes and Facing
Identification Marks (FIM) to your envelopes.
7. Easier-to-Use Interface
The following features make Word 6.0 easier and quicker for you to
use:
a. Toolbars: Word now has specialized toolbars that you can use
for tasks that range from applying formatting to adding line
drawings. You can display or hide toolbars individually, and
you can move them around on the screen so they're accessible,
yet out of the way as you work. You can also add, remove, and
rearrange toolbar buttons. You can even create custom buttons
(and create graphics for them) to run macros, apply formatting,
or carry out commands that you use often. Word provides more
than 300 built-in button faces that you can use to customize
your toolbars.
b. ToolTips help you identify toolbar buttons by displaying the
name of the button when you point to the button and pause.
c. Context-sensitive shortcut menus and an improved status bar
help you work quickly.
d. Full Screen View hides menus, toolbars, rulers, and other
elements to maximize the text area on your screen.
e. Drawing Layer: By using the tools on the Drawing toolbar, you
can create drawing objects such as squares and polygons that
you can use to create organization charts, flow charts, maps,
and other line drawings. You can also add callouts to graphics.
You can move a drawing object behind text and behind or in
front of other drawing objects, and you can align objects by
"snapping" them to a grid.
8. Customize Word with New Options
The following new options make Word even more flexible than ever:
a. You can add top-level menus to the menu bar, and you can place
items on a menu in any order or position.
b. You can create your own custom toolbars, and you can drag
toolbar buttons from one toolbar to another.
c. You can delete toolbar buttons or menu commands you don't use
and add or regroup those you use most.
9. Workgroup Features
Word includes the following new features to help you create,
distribute, and produce documents in a workgroup:
a. Master documents organize large, complex documents. Use a
master document as a "container" to manage a long document that
includes many subdocuments.
b. Send documents to reviewers through electronic mail with the
Add Routing Slip command. You can send a document to several
reviewers simultaneously or route a single copy from one
reviewer to another in the sequence that you specify.
c. New Annotation features speed up reviews. You can now mark text
for annotations so you don't have to retype it or describe it
in your annotation. When you consider comments from others, you
can view all annotations at once or only those from a single
reviewer.
d. Revision Tracking shows you who did what when. Revision marking
now shows you who made a change and when the change was
entered. You can display or hide revision marks as you edit a
document and select the color and character formatting used to
mark changes.
e. Create Forms to fill in on-screen. The new Forms toolbar makes
it easy to create a complex form with text fields, check boxes,
and drop-down lists. You can even produce customized help text
for each part of a form, and you can protect the form so users
can only type in the designated spaces.
10. Getting Help and Learning Word
Online Help is more accessible, context sensitive, and useful than
ever before - just double-click the Help button and there it is!
You can even keep step-by-step procedures in a separate How To
window that remains visible as you work. Each command dialog box
includes a context-sensitive Help button that takes you directly
to Help for that command. Help includes examples and on-screen
demonstrations, and it also contains extensive troubleshooting
steps you can follow when you have a problem.
Each time you start Word, you'll see a "Tip of the Day" about how
to use Word more effectively. Tips tell you about new features,
shortcuts, and new ways to use familiar features.
11. System Requirements
If your computer can run Windows version 3.1, it can run Word 6.0.
The hard disk and memory requirements vary, depending on how you
install Word and how many Windows-based applications you run
simultaneously. The following are the minimum requirements for
installing and running Word:
- An industry-standard computer with at least an 80286 or
compatible microprocessor.
- Microsoft Windows version 3.1 or later.
- A hard disk and a 1.2 megabyte (MB) or greater capacity floppy
disk drive.
- To install Word, you need at least 5 MB of space available on
your hard disk. To install the complete Word package, you need
at least 24 MB of disk space.
- To run Word, you need at least 4 MB of RAM.
- EGA or better resolution monitor.
- A Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device is recommended,
but not required.
- A printer is optional.
Keywords : kbdta winword macword word6
Version : WINDOWS:6.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbinfoLast Reviewed: May 20, 1999