Corel WordPerfect Office X6

As I reviewed this version, I really got the feeling that its development team must believe that even one step saved is productivity earned.

While some features such as multi-monitor support are nothing novel for users of Microsoft Office, for example, the fact that WordPerfect now boasts such features certainly makes it more appealing.

Too lazy to open up an emailed file attachment, perform a lot of steps you use often, or update your document on ever-fluctuating information? Here's how WordPerfect X6 helps:

• The preview abilities of WordPerfect X6 allow you to not only get a glance at the document without committing to opening it, but you can also search, copy, or print the file's contents.
• This suite contains additional macros compared to previous versions, and in my opinion, from other suites in general.
• And my favorite: Using Web Services Integration, you can have document information update upon opening--similar to when some programs change the revision date upon opening.

Two additional hold-overs from previous versions, one that appreciated more than the other:

• Make It Fit™: The genius behind this tool is, it adjusts more than only the font in order to make your sprawling document fits a set number of pages. While it can't make 55 pages into 1 page without considerable change to the esthetic, more moderate feats are definitely impressive.
• Reveal Codes: This feature has never ultimately impressed me, though I appreciate its loyal following. By clicking this option, an advanced format editing pane opens below your document. I simply feel that the average user is more distracted than helped.

Portable Document Format is a file type created by Adobe, so for years it was necessary to use their products in tandem with productivity suites. Corel's built-in Nuance PaperPort 12 SE allows you to open, edit, copy and paste, edit, and publish PDF files. Technically, you can't edit the PDF, only open it, convert to a WordPerfect file, then convert it back to PDF, but this was handled well in the tool and did not bother me.

The included eBook Publisher was easy to use and makes a unique addition to the suite. The technology itself is easy to perceive: eBook pages are just PDF's, and this is a PDF-centric suite. It is nice to take the intermediary steps out of a process that will be new for business and consumers alike.

More and more, productivity cannot be naïve to concerns of confidentiality. Intellectual property and information do need to be protected, just as any physical valuables would be. Corel's latest office suite offers:

• Metadata Removal - You're probably aware that a document's history can be accessed, even by those who did not originate it. In WordPerfect X6, you can now customize whether this potentially sensitive information should be removed: document summary data, hyperlinks, reviewer's notes or comments, routing slips, and more.
• Redaction - This allows selected text to be blocked out in black.As opposed a highlighting tool, redacted versions of a document cannot be reversed or manipulated.

Corel offers the following bundling for its office productivity software:

• WordPerfect Office X6 - Standard Edition
• WordPerfect Office X6 - Professional Edition
• WordPerfect Office X6 - Home and Student Edition
• WordPerfect Office X6 - Legal Edition

A 30-day free trial is available. Additionally, Corel offers a nice Upgrade program for past customers.

I would also suggest checking out what Corel calls its Utilities. You'll likely recognize the famous one: WinZip, which extracts zipped, or compressed, files.

Corel does command a sizeable market share for office productivity suite software. This latest version of the WordPerfect Suite is promising and the development behind it is evidenced in a cohesive, efficiency-oriented user experience. Your thoughts?