Rating: 
Summary: Great update for an already highly capable program
Review: As an avid user of Microsoft Office programs, I was interested in the new version of Word, after the more than adequate changes made to Word 97 with Word 2000. While Word 2002 doesn't totally break the mold from pervious versions of Word, I'm glad it didn't. Microsoft has already got a great product, with only a few egregious things that needed some fixing and altering. First off, the look of Word 2002 is more classic and softer to the eyes with soft hues of gray and white. Words in the menu bar are spaced out more, and highlighting is done in lavender as opposed to black. Language tools have also been improved. Basic (stress on basic) word translation, can be done within the program, from English to Spanish and French - a useful tool when composing documents in various languages and that translation dictionary is not as handy as it could be. Spell checking is more seamless, and some foreign languages can now be detected automatically. Word count has its own toolbar now, which is very convenient. With a click of a button (not a click of a toolbar, et cetera), automatic features can be turned on and off. Task panes aren't as obtrusive as I thought they might be, and are actually useful once you get accustomed to them. The Clip Art gallery gets its own task pane, although I prefer clip gallery version 5 (with Office 2000) to the new version packaged with Office XE. The obtrusive and marginally helpful office assistants (no new ones have been added to Office XE) have been exiled to the menu bar, but can reappear with a click of the mouse. Now, questions can be typed into an "Ask a Question" box in the menu bar. More intuitive, and streamlined, Word XE is a pleasant and effective update of an already fully functional program.
Rating: 
Summary: More is worse
Review: Every time Microsoft dinks with Word and creates a new version, their geniuses take out or modify features users have come to depend on. Thus Word becomes less user friendly and more cantankerous. After trying Word 2002, our office is switching to FrameMaker 7.0. The learning curve was much gentler than we expected, and the power to create simple documents and complicated tech manuals that number correctly is beyond price. The new version of Word finally forced us to change and we'll never look back.
Rating:
Summary: More is worse
Review: Every time Microsoft dinks with Word and creates a new version, their geniuses take out or modify features users have come to depend on. Thus Word becomes less user friendly and more cantankerous. After trying Word 2002, our office is switching to FrameMaker 7.0. The learning curve was much gentler than we expected, and the power to create simple documents and complicated tech manuals that number correctly is beyond price. The new version of Word finally forced us to change and we'll never look back.
Rating: 
Summary: Why Can't They Do As Well As WordPerfect???
Review: Every time MS comes out with a new version of Word I keep hoping they will completely revise the product and do better than WordPerfect. No such luck in the last 15 years, and not this time around. Sure glad my employer is the one paying for my copy. At home I'll stick with WordPerfect, which beats Word hands down. I mean it isn't even a contest. I'm sure MS can do better than this -- the question is: why don't they?
Rating:
Summary: Received "For New PC only" version
Review: Having ordered MS Word 2002 I received MS Works Suite 2004 which includes MS Word but a version intended to be distributed with a new PC only and as such would not load on my old system. No refund available because I broke seal before finding out it was a for-new-system only package.
Rating: 
Summary: Awesome!
Review: I am taking a Microsoft Word 2000 class at my college where I live. I cannot wait to order this and install it into my computer. I just am amazed at what all this program can do. The only thing holding me back? The cost. Microsoft Word really is a great program. The one thing I dislike is Mr. Clippet. But you can hide him until you are finished with your item you are working on.
Rating:
Summary: Microsoft hits a home-run with this one
Review: I can't believe it. The XP team has done it again. Not only does it uphold the good "Word" reputation, but that have added new, comprehensive features, and phased out the old and annoying ones. To elaborate, the old "Word thinks it's smarter than you" complaint about the auto-formatting doesn't cut it anymore. If Word utilizes it's auto-formatting, it displays a button that you can click if you are unhappy with its vigilant decision. When you click the button, you are given several options: "Change back [to how it was before it was auto-formatted], or "Never change again". This is extremely useful when you are formatting the page differently than usual or "copying and pasting".
Rating:
Summary: The gold standard in word processing
Review: I don't write many reviews, but the misleading reviews below forced my hand. In one, Word 2002 is dinged because it doesn't open quickly on that person's outdated computer. In the other, it's dismissed as being crash-prone. I have found neither to be true. Running Word 2002 on a desktop (1.5 P4, 52 MB RAM, Windows XP), I find the program to be fast, stable, and able to help me in any document-related task I need to get done. I'm not a fan of Microsoft, but I have to give them props for a terrific WP program and a great new OS to run it on.
Rating:
Summary: That's Not True! Word 2002 is the best!
Review: I have been using Microsoft Word 2002 since it's debut and I have not had any problems using the progam. A reviewer said they had about 200+ problems with the application but, I think that's plain exageration and jealousy from probable WordPerfect user. The application is easy use,that's why most businesses and schools everywhere use it including college students. With intuitive menus and a great help assistant "not Clippy" Word "2002" allows you to make professional looking documents and my brother is studying for his bachelors in education and he is not good at using computer programmes but he sure does use Microsoft Word 2002 like an expert. He also types 20 to 30 page thesis sometimes 60 and he does not have one bit of a problem. It's very easy to insert headers and footers, you have quicker access to hidden menus with the task pane unlike previous versions of Word where you had to dig through menus to find that special feature. The grammar and spell checker are more powerful and easier to use e.g. if you set the grammar for U.K. English it stay's U.K. English. For users who are new to WordProcessing Microsoft Word especially version 2002 is an excellent choice for all beginners to learn, it's very easy to learn & use. You are able to create all types of content with Word from Newsletters to simple brochures. But most Microsoft Word 2002 is more reliable and I think it's the most stable word processor out there, with the document recovery feature. My brother has had a lot of power cut's in his time and trust me Word 2002 has been an ultimate saviour. You can even create a website with the darn program, now tell me if this is not a powerful program. If there is at least one application out of the Office XP suite it's Word. That's why I think word is the best Word Processor plus almost everybody is using it.
Rating:
Summary: Just because of the MS-haters in the room (shhhh)
Review: I intend to rush right out to buy a copy of this product right away, simply because the techno-geeks forget that there are some of us out there who actually like the changes that are made between certain versions. One of you is a Linux-head, aren't you! Anyway, with a few notable exceptions, MS Office products have served me well over the years, and I don't have any intention of changing my mind about that now. Thanks for your input though, guys! By the way- I'll bet none of you were very cooperative at nap-time when you were kids, were you! get a life.
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