Word processors: Can one fit all? Is your word-processing software well suited to your business tasks? This guide will help you find the right tool for the write job

Home Office Computing, Dec, 1990 by Steve Morgenstern

Address list. Several programs in this category, such as Professional Write and Q&A Write, offer convenient ways to maintain a list of addresses and quickly insert them in a letter--a valuable feature. Two Macintosh word processors, QuickLetter and Letter Writer Plus, operate as always-available desk accessories with on-line address books.

Macros/glossary entries. Most of us have phrases we frequently insert in our written communication. A program with macro or glossary capability lets you prepare so-called called boilerplate text and insert it with one or two keystrokes. Letter Writer Plus takes another tack with a "standard paragraph" function that lets you insert often-used text from separate disk files.

Low price. Programs in this category have list prices below $200 and often sell on the street for around $100. That's significantly less than so-called professional word-processing programs, which usually list in the $500 range.

TASK 2: MASS MAILINGS

In evaluating word processors for mass mailings, first decide whether you want to maintain the mailing list using a separate database program or prefer to have your word processor do the entire job. Some word processors, such as the ones mentioned under the address-list feature above, offer built-in list-handling capabilities. That's valuable if preparing form letters is the major use of your list information, but redundant if you already use a capable database program for keeping your contact list.

If you maintain your list with a separate database, you might look for a word processor that directly reads the data files created by that software. However, I wouldn't use that as a make-or-break consideration when choosing a word processor. Nearly any database program can output its data in a standard delimited ASCII format, and most word processors with mail merge can accept ASCII files with minimal tinkering.

Basic, adequate mail merge has become a standard feature in most word processors. But for more than the basics, note the following capabilities.

Built-in list management. Some word processors pretty much hold your hand during the process of building your mailing list. MultiMate is notable in this area for its well-thought-out database setup procedure based on an on-screen template.

Sorting. You will probably want your list kept in some order--perhaps alphabetically by last name, perhaps numerically by zip code (there are discounts on bulk mailings for presorted mail). Some word processors offer more sorting options than others, including several levels of sorting (by last name and then by city, for example), sorting in ascending or descending order, and sorting by date.

Selectivity. You have two factors to consider here. The first is the ability to print out form letters only to customers who meet a certain set of criteria--for instance, everyone in a particular state, or everyone who hasn't placed an order in 60 days.

The more sophisticated side of the selectivity coin is the ability to insert different text blocks in the form letter based on criteria in your database. For example, those customers who ordered the Miniature Screwdriver Set might get a paragraph announcing a sale on Tiny Toggle Switches, while customers who previously purchased a Big Box of Bolts might read about your Socket Wrench Sale of the Century.