The official title is Microsoft Word but after a name change from Microsoft Office Word to simply Microsoft Word, this application is commonly referred to nowadays as just plain and simple Word.

Highly relied upon, Word software made its debut back in 1983 as a tool for the Xenix system. Since then, it has reincarnated itself under many guises. Despite its humble beginnings, Microsoft Word has risen to become one of the most trusted and relied upon word processing applications in the world.

In a nutshell, what is Microsoft Word?
Primarily, it is a blank canvas on which you can express your thoughts with words. Its usage propels into infinity and it is a wonderful way to convey language across the continents with just the warm hand-clasp of a mouse. Whether you want to compile text for family and friends or within the workplace, Microsoft Word allows you to be creative and neat. Use it to compile birthday thank you notes through to business presentations. In fact, this very article has been created in Word!

Why has Microsoft Word reached such dizzy heights?
The reason for its continued success is found through its simplicity of use. This was welcomed at the dawn of the computer age as tasks were made easy for those with very little computer knowledge. Equipped with a team of home computer features, Word gave users the freedom to operate, edit and publish data rapidly without the need for complicated programming knowledge. It was this which drove a great divide between professional computer users and the general public back in the late 1970s to early 1980s.

The joining of words has never been so easy with Microsoft Word. This is the only application where you can combine solitude with good company as this software is ready to create a polished, professional look to any of your documents. Open the Word program and you will be presented with a blank page in which you can instantly insert text. If the finished document looks a bit plain, jazz it up with some of the following features.

Pre-formatted Templates
When it comes to drafting a business letter, the simple touch of a button can save you hours of time and frustration in trying to create a professional look. Even if you have never constructed a business letter in your life, Microsoft Word is there to take the effort out of such a task and offers a plethora of drag and drop options to improve your document presentation. Use these tools to create visually impressive work from company figures through to simple, basic text.

Tabs
The earlier versions of Word left many of us aimlessly clicking around menus to locate the function that we were looking for. The 2007 version has taken care of this with a 'Ribbon User Interface' feature. This is displayed in a series of tabs which are easy to dip in and out of to select appropriate font styles and page layout. Click your mouse and watch the options open up in the top bar in easy to recognize icons. Microsoft really have done their research with this version as the most commonly used functions have been placed at the top left and the more select functions positioned to the right.

PDF
The Portable Document Format or PDF is an absolute blessing as it provides the flexibility to publish a document as you wish others to view it. Great when sending work to the printer or to someone who does not have the latest version of Word. In the past, it was not so easy to convert a Word document to PDF Format. You had to go through the laborious process of finding an outside source which was either limited in its functionality or expensive to buy. No hassle anymore though as with the latest version of Word, converting a file to PDF is easy. Simply select the relevant file extension in the 'Save As' option and you're done! You could even go one step further and decide on the print quality you would like so as every document has the correct display resolution and file size for its intended purpose.

If you are looking for one of the best publishing tools on the market, then Word really does have the final word on this subject as it produces straight forward, no hassle documents in minutes. There are also a multitude of advanced tools for high-end users.

If you should encounter problems (and this is very unlikely), there is a searchable 'Help' feature which will help resolve any queries in an instant.

Microsoft Word 2007 isn't just a figment of your imagination; it truly is one of the best applications for creating a masterpiece out of every task.