-PreMeds- Preference: Microsoft Word or Wordpad?

[juiceman311]

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I'm just wondering, which do you prefer for at least 78% of your word editting? I'm a huge fan of MS Word because it promotes capitalism (i.e. Bill Gates), but I can see how one would prefer Wordpad, since it has the easy access options, such as the Search command.

Discuss!

 

[masterMood]

ummm i prefer a typewriter

 

[C.P. Jones]

people use wordpad? and what's wrong with Word's search command...it's right in the corner...or CTRL + F what is wordpad used for anyway, and notepad, what's that for?

 

[BozoSparky]

word... 😎

 

[masterMood]

wordpad is the stripped down version of word. it lacks many of the features that word has such as clipart like a picture of a gynecologist or a poop hot dog, and it's typically a pain in the ass. notepad is a simple text editor that doesn't have anything fancy. all it does it let you type and print a very basic page of print with no formatting

 

[DoctaJay]

Microsoft Word. I would never use WordPad, and the only time I would use Notepad is when I'm transferring my personal statement there in order to take out any formats, then pasting it into my AMCAS application.

 

[DrBowtie]

LaTeX...the only way to go.

 

[juiceman311]

LaTeX...the only way to go.

What do you mean by "LaTeX"? Is that the new text-editing/HTML-formatting editor put out by one of the software conglomerates?

 

[Nikki2002]

LOL at wordpad

 

[juiceman311]

LOL at wordpad

So you're a fan of the easy-access Search command as well?

 

[deuist]

What do you mean by "LaTeX"? Is that the new text-editing/HTML-formatting editor put out by one of the software conglomerates?

No, LaTeX is one of the oldest (and still the best) text formatting program out there. It's used a lot by physicists and mathematicians to properly format equations. I imagine that your calculus book was written in LaTeX. I also used it the writing The Not So Short Introduction. The program is so easy to use:

I write \chapter{Applying} and then LaTeX takes over and creates a new chapter with proper formatting and numbering. It will also update the table of contents. Let's say that later I want to re-arrange the book and insert a chapter somewhere in the middle of the book, all I have to do is write \chapter{MSTP Programs} and LaTeX and will automatically redo all of the chapter numbering, headers, and table of contents.

LaTeX can be used to write webpages, but I don't recommend it. It is, however, useful for translating a book into a webpage. I think that at a later date I'll translate the Introduction into a webpage. Finally, LaTeX is completely free and available online under the GNU GPL. No software conglomerates control its development.

 

[deuist]

Microsoft Word. I would never use WordPad, and the only time I would use Notepad is when I'm transferring my personal statement there in order to take out any formats, then pasting it into my AMCAS application.

If you want everything to be properly formatted for AMCAS et al, go to Word's "Tools" tab and choose "Auto Correct" ---> "Auto Format as you type" ---> then unselect everything in sight. Now you can type your online essay without worrying about the quotation marks' turning into question marks.

 

[juiceman311]

Oh wow that's super exciting. Can you purchase LaTeX from any standard retailer or do you have to *quivers* pirate it?

 

[DrBowtie]

Oh wow that's super exciting. Can you purchase LaTeX from any standard retailer or do you have to *quivers* pirate it?

There should be a free version from GNU. Im not even sure it you can find a windows port since it runs on mostly Mac/Linux boxes.

I will warn you though, when you first start out you will have no idea what to do. Find a good online manual and read it before taking the plunge.

 

[juiceman311]

There should be a free version from GNU. Im not even sure it you can find a windows port since it runs on mostly Mac/Linux boxes.

I will warn you though, when you first start out you will have no idea what to do. Find a good online manual and read it before taking the plunge.

Trust me "BrettBachelor", I can figure it out! My finals are weeks away and I will have little to do from now until then, so LaTeX it is!!! I prefer animal skin though.

 

[jebus]

writely (I, for one, welcome our new google overlords.)

 

[LO281OK]

AMCAS

That's the only time I used WordPad... AMCAS.......

 

[combatmedic]

MS Word

 

[SomeGuy]

OpenOffice 2.x

You can download it if you want, but I hear BrettBachelor will sell you a legal copy for $5 on his stand in the dark alley, right next to his copies of LaTeX.

 

[masterMood]

99 percent of the users here will never have a use for the TEX editor. Just stick with your basic WSYIWYG editor and/or typewriter.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Microsoft Word sans that annoying, condescending know-it-all paper clip lurking in the corner waiting for you to misspell mississippi with malicious and malignant intent.

 

[blackle]

Microsoft Word sans that annoying, condescending know-it-all paper clip lurking in the corner waiting for you to misspell mississippi with malicious and malignant intent.

I think everyone in the world has seen this but it's still funny to me:
http://www.vaxer.net/~jeeves/assistant.gif

 

[deuist]

Oh wow that's super exciting. Can you purchase LaTeX from any standard retailer or do you have to *quivers* pirate it?

LaTeX is totally free and licensed under the GNU GPL (i.e., it's free!). If you are using Windows, go to MiKTeX.org and download the setup wizard under the header "Installing the complete system." Next, open the wizard and download the whole system (over 500 MB but well worth it). To learn how to use LaTeX, I suggest using The Not So Short Introduction to LaTeX. The book has everything you need to get started. You can teach yourself the basics in about a week or two, but mastering TeX will take a lifetime.

When you finish that guide and want to learn more, use this Google search to get lots more e-books on LaTeX. You can then begin lurking on the TeX newsgroup where the users are much friendlier than the people on SDN. You can also start making contributions to The Comprehensive TeX Archive Network. I put all of my creations (all 2 of them) there. Just do a search for mla-paper and scientificpaper.

 

[deuist]

OpenOffice 2.x

Gag me! Is there a program out there with more bloat, fewer features, and that is great deal slower than O😵rg? It even looks ugly! If you feel that you have use a FOSS alternative, at least go with AbiWord.