Corel WordPerfect

Corel WordPerfect. It is a word processor now owned and developed by Corel, with its origins tracing back to a program written for the Data General minicomputer system. The application became the dominant software in its category during the mid-to-late 1980s, particularly on IBM-compatible personal computers running DOS. Its evolution through various corporate owners, including WordPerfect Corporation and Novell, reflects significant shifts in the software industry before its acquisition by Corel in 1996.

History

The software was originally created by Brigham Young University graduate Bruce Bastian and computer science professor Alan Ashton for the Data General minicomputer platform. They founded Satellite Software International to market the product, later renaming the company WordPerfect Corporation. Its rise to prominence was fueled by meticulous technical support and powerful features that appealed to the legal and governmental sectors. The release of WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS in 1989 is often cited as a high point for its balance of power and stability. Following a period of intense competition with Microsoft Word, the company was sold to Novell in 1994, which struggled to integrate it before selling the assets to Corel in 1996, a move that included the WordPerfect Office suite.

Features

The application was historically renowned for its comprehensive suite of advanced formatting tools and precise WYSIWYG page layout capabilities. A defining characteristic was its use of function keys for commands, often aided by a keyboard overlay template, which provided efficient access to a deep, modal interface. It offered powerful features like Reveal Codes, which allowed users to directly view and edit formatting commands, a function cherished by power users in fields like legal document preparation. Other notable capabilities included robust mail merge, sophisticated macro programming, and extensive support for legal numbering and table of authorities generation, making it a staple in law firms and academic publishing.

File formats

The primary file format uses the filename extension .wpd and employs a binary file structure that encapsulates both text and complex formatting information. For document interchange, it supports Rich Text Format (.rtf) and can import and export Microsoft Word .doc and .docx formats, though complex formatting may not always translate perfectly. The software also has a long-standing ability to handle Desktop publishing formats and supports direct exporting to Portable Document Format (.pdf). Its suite compatibility includes native formats for other WordPerfect Office applications, such as Quattro Pro spreadsheets and Presentations files.

Versions

Major versions include the seminal WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS, which achieved legendary status for its reliability. The transition to Microsoft Windows began with WordPerfect 5.2 for Windows, but version 6.0 for Windows faced criticism for being resource-heavy. Under Corel, development continued with versions like WordPerfect 7, WordPerfect 8, and the WordPerfect Office X3 suite. Modern releases are bundled as part of the WordPerfect Office suite, with recent versions such as WordPerfect Office 2021 focusing on compatibility with Windows 10 and Windows 11, and maintaining a dedicated version for Linux distributions.

Reception and market share

The software was critically acclaimed throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, consistently receiving top ratings from publications like PC Magazine and InfoWorld for its powerful features and exceptional customer support. It commanded a dominant market share, estimated at over 50% on DOS systems, before losing ground to Microsoft Word during the transition to the Microsoft Windows graphical user interface. Today, it maintains a strong, niche presence within specific professional communities, particularly in the legal profession, government agencies like the United States Department of Justice, and within certain Canadian government departments, valued for its stability and specialized tools.

Category:Word processors Category:Corel software Category:Proprietary software