WORD PROCESSORS

Word Processors known as document preparation system. It is a computer application used for the production including composition, editing, formatting, and possibly printing; of any sort printable material. It may also refer to an obsolete type of stand-alone office machine combining the keyboard text-entry and printing functions of an electric typewriter with a dedicated computer for the editing of text. Although features and design varied between manufacturers and models, with new features added as technology advanced, word processors for several years usually featured a monochrome display and the ability to save documents on memory cards or diskettes.
The words processors have different kinds which are; Microsoft Word, AbiWord, Kword, LyX, MacWrite II, Wordstar.
Microsoft Word is the most widely used computer word processing system.
AbiWord is a free software word processor. It was originally started by SourceGear Corporation as the first component of AbiSuite, as part of a plan to create a full Office Suite that would be Free Software. AbiWord is part of GNOME Office, a collection of office applications with some degree of integration.
Features, AbiWord has a comprehensive language database with multiple languages. It also has support for tables and footnotes, as well as a spell checker and an advanced grammar checking system.
Interface, AbiWord has a similar user interface to classic versions (pre-Office 2007) of Microsoft Word, which is intended to ease migration for new users.
File Formats, AbiWord is packaged with several import/export filters, including HTML, Microsoft Word (DOC), Office Open XML (DOCX), OpenDocument (ODT) and Rich Text Format (RTF). LaTeX is supported for export only. Plug-in filters are available to deal with many other formats, notably WordPerfect documents. The native file format, .abw, uses XML, so as to mitigate vendor lock-in concerns with respect to interoperability and also digital archiving.
Version Differences, AbiWord 2.6.x does not support Windows 9x. Users of these systems can still use AbiWord 2.4.6.
KWord is a free word processor, a member of the KOffice project and of the K Desktop Environment. The text-layout scheme in KWord is based on frames, making it similar to Adobe Frame Maker. These can be placed anywhere on the page, and can incorporate text, graphics and embedded objects. Each new page is a new frame, but the text is able to flow through KWord’s ability to link frames together. The use of frames means that complex graphical layouts can be achieved relatively easily in KWord.
LYX may also refer to the IATA airport code for Lydd Airport, which is operated by London Ashford Airpor LyX is designed for authors who want professional output with a minimum of effort and without becoming specialists in typesetting. The job of typesetting is done mostly by the computer, following a predefined set of rules called a style, and not by the author. Specific knowledge of the LaTeX document processing system is not necessary but may improve editing with LyX significantly for specialist purposes. It is a document processor following the self-coined "what you see is what you mean" paradigm (WYSIWYM), as opposed to the WYSIWYG ideas used by word processors. This means that the user only has to care about the structure and content of the text, while the formatting is done by LaTeX, an advanced typesetting system.
MacWrite II was the first really new version of the software. The first version of MacWrite was actually rather limited, and could handle only a few pages of text before running into performance problems. Nevertheless, it increased user expectations from a word processing program.
WordStar was originally developed for CP/M. It was the most feature-rich and easy-to-use word processor available for this operating system, and became a de facto standard. WordStar is still considered by many to be one of the best examples of a "writing program. Because it was designed for text-only display devices with only a single, functional typeface, the primary focus was on the text, without direct onscreen WYSIWYG formatting. Because typesetting and layout were secondary or tertiary functions left for after the document was written, edited, and proofread, the writer was not distracted by the many formatting possibilities presented by later word processors.



References
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2. ^ "AbiWord v2.6.0 Released". www.abisource.com. http://abisource.com/release-notes/2.6.0.phtml. Retrieved on 2008-03-24.
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10. ^ The first WYSIWYG version of WordPerfect was 6.0, released in 1993: http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/chronology.html
11. ^ "Free version of Microsoft Word 5.5 for DOS (EXE format)". http://download.microsoft.com/download/word97win/Wd55_be/97/WIN98/EN-US/Wd55_ben.exe. Retrieved on 2008-02-14.