I just read my blog sister's post and I certainly can sympathize. I just spent too many hours trying to get Word on my new computer. How is it that things are much more complicated than they used to be?
It used to be that you went to Office Depot or Best Buy and bought a program. There were discs and instructions that were easy to follow. All you had to do was put in the disc and it took over.
The first hurdle was getting past being coerced into subscribing to Office 365. Then to sort through the websites selling office. I found one with a cheap price and a lot of good reviews and bought. The product key showed up on the screen which I luckily wrote down because the web page I was looking at disappeared after that. And then I had no idea if the program had downloaded or where it was. I found my way back to the website I'd bought it from and they offered help. And then began a long back and forth as again and again error messages came up with product key. I will say the help person was patient probably because this happens all the time. It went on and on when he had me try something that didn't work. Finally there was a call Microsoft option. It was really laughable a recorded voice answers and says they will text me a code and then I can hang up. The code had what seemed like a million numbers that I had to type in on the computer. More error messages and there was a written prompt to check over the numbers. I had transposed a couple and then finally it was downloaded and activated. I thanked the help person and had a headache.
I needed to get WordPerfect, too. I have a lot of old files that will only open in WordPerfect. I always liked it better than Word and used to start my manuscripts out in it and then save them to Word. But when I got the Mac and found out after the fact that WordPerfect didn't make a version for Mac, I started using Word most of the time because I was going back and forth between my Windows 7 machine and the Mac.
It was almost too easy and retro to buy WordPerfect. It was easy to find what I wanted and they are sending a disc.
But it's done or almost still have to put in all the mail accounts I have. I downloaded Dropbox and have access to all my old files. The new version of Word doesn't look too bad. What I don't like is that Microsoft has too big a presence on the computer. The hassle I got when I wanted a different browser than their precious Edge.
And now back to thinking about what I use the computer for. I just heard from my editor about BUT KNOT FOR YOU. He said he thinks it's the best book in the series and gave me three weeks to go through the edits. Meanwhile I have finished plotting the next Writer for Hire book and have started writing it. I will be glad to be working on a desktop again. I can close myself off in my room. The only place comfortable to use the laptop was in my living room and there was a lot of activity swirling around me and a cat threatening to step on the keyboard.
Drusbookmusing.com will have an interview with Veronica Blackstone today.
3 comments:
I sympathize with your whole experience, but my biggest takeaway was that you were able to buy a version of WordPerfect? Oh gosh. That was/is the most friendliest word processing program. I was the WordPerfect expert - was on my first desktop starting in 1994 and I was able to attend classes on all updates through my work. I took two classes at our local community college on special features such as it's formatted legal documents and publishing options. I worked in an office that published multiple newsletters on a monthly basis and WordPerfect was the bomb. I still discover that Word lacks features I took for granted in WordPerfect.
Miss Merry, when I got my first computer in the 80s with my brother the computer expert's help, I got WordPerfect at his suggestion. I didn't even know what a word processing program was. I got involved with Word because it was what my publishers used, though I would often start a manuscript in WordPerfect because it was so much easier to format and then I'd save it as a Word document. I may do that again. Also as I said I have a lot of old files that are in WordPerfect. I agree that it is the most friendly program. Hearing you used it for newsletter has inspired me to try it. I would like to put out a newsletter, but found working one in Word frustrating.
Your issues sound even more complicated than mine in some ways, Betty. But it also sounds like you're a lot more techie than me and can deal with a lot of the issues. I'm impressed!
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