Windows XP Power Hound

Microsoft Word

No doubt you've already used Microsoft Word. Love it or hate it, you really can't avoid it; air is less ubiquitous.

But no matter how much you've used Word, you probably don't know all the cool stuff it can do for you. The following section explains a few handy tricks, like how to turn on or reveal text using "invisible ink," use Word as a personal translator, insert special characters, and create keyboard shortcuts for menu commands.

Figure 5-3. You can hide text using this dialog box. To delete hidden text, you first have to make it appear, then you can delete it as you would any other text.

ALTERNATE REALITIES: A Free Office Suite

Full-blown office suites with word processors, spreadsheets, and graphics programs commonly cost several hundred dollars—the most popular being Microsoft's Office suite. But if you're willing to sacrifice a few bells and whistles, you can still get a very effective alternative for free.

The 602Pro PC SUITE 2001 includes a word processor that can create files Word can use, an Excel-compatible spreadsheet program, photo-editing software, and a photo album. And it's free. It's available from 602 Software at http://www.software602.com/products/pcs/ . It doesn't include all the features that Microsoft Office has, and it doesn't include a presentation program like PowerPoint. But if you can live without those features, and you're allergic to stuffing ...