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CNET editors' rating:
4.5 stars
Outstanding
Detailed editors' rating - Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 31 reviews
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Product summary
CNET Editors' ChoiceApr 01
The good: Tons of new collaboration and formatting tools speed up complex document creation; better file recovery tools help reclaim data after system or application crashes.
The bad: Poor language translation tool; doesn't work with Windows 95.
The bottom line: This is the first version since Word 97 that's a gotta-get upgrade. With tons of new tools for the single user and a renewed attention to collaboration for those who work in groups, Word 2002 is the best writing tool on the planet.
Specifications: License qty: 1 user; License type: Complete package; Min Operating system: Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6, Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, Microsoft Windows 98; ; See full specs
Price range: $45.08 - $45.09
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 04/12/2001
- Updated on:01/14/2003
Power for more productivity
At first glance, you'll be hard-pressed to notice any changes in version 2002 (which also comes bundled in the upcoming Microsoft Office XP). Word's menu structure and toolbars haven't appreciably changed. You can still view documents in a WYSIWYG layout, and Word still automatically corrects misspellings and poor grammar. Fortunately, Microsoft didn't dare mess with file format; Word 2002 can open docs from Word 97, Word 2000, and WordPerfect.
Dig a bit deeper, and you'll notice that Word 2002's structural changes boost wordsmithing productivity. The Task Pane, a side-mounted vertical panel that's reminiscent of IE's Explorer bars, is tops on our list of improvements. In the Task Pane, you can open old documents or create new ones, format documents, translate text into other languages, view the Clipboard contents, and even initiate a mail merge (a mass mailing with recipient-specific content). All these tools are already accessible through Word's menus, of course, but the Task Pane puts them all in plain sight, just one click away.
Word's Smart Tags, tools that appear in certain circumstances (such as when you hover the cursor over a name or address) are less useful than the Task Pane. When a Smart Tag pops up, click it, and it reveals a context-sensitive menu that lets you, for instance, add a name to your Outlook address book or send e-mail to that contact.
No more lost files
Version 2002 attempts to make up for Windows' own instability by building more document recovery tools into the application. Word now lets you save open documents after the app crashes or locks up, and it automatically repairs damaged files when you try to open them. If you run Word on Windows 95/98, which are notoriously prone to crashing, these antidisaster tools are a godsend. (They're less useful, however, on more stable Windows 2000.)
As part of Office XP, Word relies on the suite's speech recognition engine for hands-free program control and dictation into documents. In general, speech recognition these days is slow and inaccurate, but Microsoft's speech tool is especially lame. It doesn't recognize voice-activated editing commands such as "Select the sentence" and doesn't automatically switch between command and dictation modes. Word's speech recognition doesn't hold a candle to a first-rate, third-party program such as IBM ViaVoice.
User reviews
- Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 31 reviews
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Where to buy
Microsoft Word 2002: Win98/ME/2K:
$45.08 - $45.09
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$45.09 | Yes |
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$45.08 | Yes |
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