TextMaker 2008 for Windows Word processing ... hasn't everything about it been invented already? Definitely not! TextMaker 2008 offers several new features that are not available in other word processors. On top of this, it is very easy to use and provides seamless compatibility with Microsoft Word.       The Compulsory Exercise: Compatible, Fast, Reliable. This is what we expect from a word processor: it should be compatible, fast, and reliable. TextMaker 2008 masters this duty with ease. It starts and works lightning fast and handles even large-scale documents with aplomb – check out this review. TextMaker offers superior compatibility with Microsoft Word. In fact, you won't find any other word processor that is as capable of handling intricately formatted Microsoft Word files as TextMaker. Many of the new features in TextMaker 2008 have been designed with the goal of allowing TextMaker users to work seamlessly in Microsoft Word-dominated environments: Track changes. As soon as you switch on the Track Changes feature, TextMaker records all changes made to a document. If you let a colleague or superior review this document, he or she can accept or reject your changes one by one, no matter whether they work with TextMaker or with Word. Comments. TextMaker's comments feature is just as compatible: Comments and annotations appear as balloons in the right page margin – just like in Word 2003. AutoShapes and TextArt. TextMaker offers a complete set of drawing functions that let you create arbitrary geometric shapes or freehand drawings, and insert symbols from its vast symbols library into your documents. You can customize drawings with a huge selection of filling options and you can rotate, mirror, flip, and otherwise reshape them. TextMaker also supports text effects that let you put together stunning headlines and attractive logos, like with Microsoft WordArt. Of course, AutoShapes and TextArt are compatible with their Microsoft Word counterparts. By the way, TextMaker doesn't restrict itself to just providing excellent document exchange with Word, but also reads and writes OpenDocument files and numerous other formats. Some outstanding TextMaker features Desktop publishing capabilities such as master pages, flexible frames, object mode, contour wrap, and kerning Create PDF files directly from the application Can be installed to USB flash drives Track changes and add comments like in Word 2003 AutoShapes and WordArt-compatible font effects ("TextArt") like in Word 2003 Five-language translation dictionary Spell-checking in 17 languages Easy-to-use built-in address database: builds letters and mail merges in seconds. Envelope creator Menus and dialogs in 14 languages (switchable on-the-fly) The Voluntary Exercise: Where TextMaker cuts a better figure. Layout capabilities like in desktop publishing programs. If you want not only correct but also attractive documents, you'll find a competent partner in TextMaker. It offers layout capabilities that can usually be found only in desktop publishing programs. Among its capabilities are kerning, master pages, sophisticated typographic functions, contour wrap, flexible handling of frames, powerful tools for creating forms, and most importantly: predictable text formatting. With TextMaker, pictures don't jump from one page to another, "just because", or disappear entirely. Better proofing tools. TextMaker comes with advanced proofing tools – the German government's commission on the German language preferred TextMaker's spell-checker over all other word processors! Of course, TextMaker doesn't limit itself to the German language: it comes with spelling dictionaries in 17 languages, thesauri (synonym dictionaries) in 10, and reliable automatic hyphenation in 33 different languages. It even includes a translation dictionary for instant translations between English, German, Spanish, French, and Italian. SmartText is a great way to save typing time: SmartText lets you define abbreviations for common phrases. Define "NYC" to mean "New York City", and the next time you type "NYC" it is automatically expanded to the city's name. Address letters and envelopes faster than ever before. Mail merging doesn't have to be complicated. With TextMaker, creating serial letters and even serial faxes is child's play! The built-in database not only stores addresses for mail merges but also lets you insert single addresses into single letters with a few mouse clicks. Now, with TextMaker 2008, you can even create envelopes with sender and recipient automatically filled out – envelopes that print right even on the first try! You don't need to speak English to use TextMaker. The menus and dialogs of TextMaker are available in 14 languages. Moreover, TextMaker provides a full set of ready-made document templates in many different languages.   New Functions in TextMaker 2008   NEW: Create PDF files at the touch of a button TextMaker can export any document to the PDF format. These files can then be read and printed with Adobe Reader and any other PDF viewer. Hyperlinks and tables of contents are also exported, and you keep full control of the graphics quality and the type of font embedding. You can even create PDF forms to be filled out by the recipient.   NEW: Perfect data exchange within SoftMaker Office ... and outside! TextMaker, PlanMaker, and SoftMaker Presentations now exchange data perfectly with each other. If you wish to insert a PlanMaker table into a TextMaker document, for instance, you don't need to use the detour via the clipboard. Instead, simply insert a PlanMaker object as an OLE object. PlanMaker launches and you can enter data and calculations in your worksheet. One more mouse click, and you are back in TextMaker. There you'll see the sheet exactly in the layout you created in PlanMaker – including all formatting like fonts, shadows, colors, etc. In the same manner you can insert charts from PlanMaker into TextMaker or into Presentations. Or a TextMaker object into SoftMaker Presentations. Or a SoftMaker Presentations slide into PlanMaker ... or into any other OLE-capable Windows program.   NEW: Improved master pages With new TextMaker 2008, you can create a separate master page for the first page of a chapter. This can save you a lot of work; for example, when writing letters, the first page often contains a letterhead which should be omitted on the following pages. Furthermore, you can now create borders and shadows for whole pages as well as set up the vertical alignment of complete chapters.   NEW: Page breaks are now printer independent TextMaker 2008 calculates all line breaks and column breaks independently from the active printer driver. Changing the printer driver does not lead to surprises like changing page breaks. You don't need to worry about your existing documents either: TextMaker keeps formatting them correctly. If you switch from TextMaker 2006 or from SoftMaker Office 2006 to the new SoftMaker Office, all settings, user dictionaries, SmartText entries, etc., will survive. Simply install and keep on working!   NEW: Manage styles with ease Paragraph and character styles are a popular aid to set up recurring formatting and apply it anytime thereafter. The new style manager in TextMaker allows you to copy paragraph and character styles as well as numbered lists from one document to another. This way, you can synchronize the styles of your documents and apply new formatting to documents retroactively, letting you match the layout of other documents.   NEW: Envelopes TextMaker 2008 contains a new envelope generator to create and print envelopes. This new tool saves you the trouble of measuring and positioning the address fields. Just enter the sender's address or insert it with a few mouse clicks. Then choose the recipient fields from the address database – ready! You can now print the new envelope, save it together with a document, or create a new document from it. It's as easy as that!     Features Easy data exchange Direct document exchange with TextMaker 2006 and 2008 for Linux, Pocket PCs, etc. Seamless document exchange with Microsoft Word 6.0, 95, 97, 2000, Word XP, Word 2003, and Word for Macintosh Opens password-protected Microsoft Word files Reads and NEW: writes OpenDocument and OpenOffice.org documents Reads and writes numerous additional file formats – HTML, RTF, Pocket Word, ASCII, Unicode NEW: Create PDF files (even PDF forms) directly from TextMaker NEW: Print preview NEW: Print 2, 4, 8, or 16 pages on one sheet of paper Editing text Nearly unlimited undo/redo Insert fields like date, time, page number, author, auto-numbers, etc. Bookmarks "SmartText" feature: just type e.g. "asap" and "as soon as possible" will appear (fully customizable) Calculations in text and tables NEW: Shift+F3 lets you switch between uppercase and lowercase: word, Word, WORD Formatting text All of the character and paragraph formatting capabilities you expect from a high-end word processor Extended character formats like small caps, font color, hidden text, adjustable character spacing and character width Extended paragraph formats like automatic numbering, bullets, borders, shading, fill patterns, widow/orphan control Character and paragraph style sheets NEW: The stylesheet manager lets you manage your styles and copy them between different documents NEW: Kerning Transfer formatting with the format brush Line, paragraph, and headline numbering Headers and footers, master pages (e.g. for watermarks) NEW: Borders and shades for whole pages    Complex documents Outliner that lets you easily promote, demote, and rearrange passages of text NEW: Numerous new keyboard shortcuts for the outliner "Track Changes" tracks all changes made to documents and lets you accept/reject them later Comments – add annotations to any part of your documents Cross references, footnotes, endnotes, tables of contents, indices, bibliographies Easy creation of forms with input fields, checkboxes, drop-down lists etc. Drawing and Designing Comprehensive drawing and image functions: Draw and design directly in your documents Insert images in all common formats Object frames can be anchored to paragraphs and NEW: tables or positioned freely. Change brightness, contrast, and gamma of images directly inside TextMaker Drawings can be filled with colors, patterns, bitmaps, and gradients Contour wrap – correct wrapping of text, even around drawings, NEW: even respecting transparent areas (alpha channel) "Sticky" connector lines between objects Large symbols library for flowcharts and org charts TextArt gallery for easy pick-and-choose selection of pre-built type effects Tables Compley and true nested tables, tables on more than one page Merge, split, and rotate cells Repeating header rows (rows with headlines automatically repeat on every new page) Sorting of text and tables    Unicode support TextMaker is Unicode-enabled. It can be used for writing documents in all Western, Central European and Baltic languages, Russian, Greek, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Extended support for Asian scripts Proofing tools Multi-language spell-checking, thesaurus, and hyphenation Automatic spell-checking: typos will be underlined in red. Built-in five-language translation dictionary: English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish Extras NEW: TextMaker works as an OLE server and lets you insert its documents in any other program. The SoftMaker Equation Editor for easy creation of complex mathematic formulas Comprehensive built-in address book and database (dBASE format) Creates, at the touch of a key, letters and faxes with letterheads, recipient's address, and salutation already filled in NEW: Envelope assistant: Create envelopes that print right even on the first try. NEW: Full-screen mode hides all menus and toolbars NEW: Macro programming with BasicMaker and other programming languages NEW: Toolbar with integrated word counter Sorting, searching, selecting, filtering by condition Create lists and labels Easy creation of mail merges and fax merges System requirements Windows Vista, XP, or 2000 Order: Please click on one of the links below for ordering and eligibility information regarding software in SoftMaker's educational program:   Order license for teachers   Order license for students and pupils   Order site license for schools   Order site license for university chairs Back to overview