[DM-MUG] word processors

[John Kisner]

I have been doing some investigating of alternatives to MS Word, which 
I feel has so many features that I find it hard to use.  I've mostly 
been using AppleWorks since switching to OS X (since WriteNow never 
made the leap), but am increasingly unhappy with the way documents 
print.  I'm left with a few questions, and a call for comments:

1) Is Office 2004 "carbonized" or "cocoa"?  I'm not sure how much this 
really matters, but I have found that Nisus and Mellel are both cocoa 
apps, which is supposed to be better.

2) Regarding #1, the claim is made that Nisus and Mellel look better 
on-screen than do the carbonized Word and Mariner Write apps.  Does 
anyone out there agree/disagree with that statement?

3) UltraMookie has a comparative review 
(http://www.ultramookie.com/more/817_0_1_0_M/).  Mellel has a features 
comparison (http://www.redlers.com/generalcomparison.html).  These have 
left me torn between Mellel and Nisus.  Aside from neither having all 
the features I might like at some theoretical level, both would do just 
fine for most of my writing.  Anyone out there a big fan of one over 
the other?

John Kisner

PS-- Has DM-MUG ever done a presentation comparing alternatives to 
Office?  It might be a case of foolish stubbornness to be anti-MS, but 
the habit does not die easy.