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I've been trying to switch to LaTeX from Word (with which I have good experience) And I've been disapointed after some days of LaTeX learning and creating.

I like the layout of the report class of LaTeX. And I like its way of organizing informtions, math and bibliography.

But ...

Installation and price :

I won't talk much. Now with MikTeX it's fast. And everybody has Word. The text editor of MikTeX is not good. But that doesn't matter, we can get another. For the price, LaTeX has the big advantage of being free even if everyone has Word nowadays. But this is a good point for LaTeX

Compatibility :

Don't tell me Word can't output PDFs please ... For the rest, Word is only on Windows. That sucks.

LaTeX is multiplatform. That is cool !

Table of Contents, Index, etc ...

The only difference is that instead of a command you need to insert it manually. It doesn't not update automatically on Word. But CTRL + A, then F9 updates it.

You can apply a style far more easily on Word.

Coding :

I've been studying Computer Science. I know HTML, PHP, C++, etc ... So I won't talk about the time I took to master some of the LaTeX concepts.

However, once I want to modify my default LaTeX template, I always end to looking for :

  • A package
  • A command
  • A way to make a simple exemple of the command work
  • A way to modify an existing command in order to make my template be modifyed

This takes times. And has to be repeated for each type of modifications.

I find it much more easier in Word, clicking on the text, modifying it. Clicking the header, change the size, etc ...

Templating :

People say that once a template is made on LaTeX, it's easy to maintain for large documents. Whereas for Word this is not true. I think this is false. Styles in Word is the same as a simple \chapter{} command. And once set (like a preambule command configuration) it stays forever in the document. Just click the list numbers in Word to make it adapt the numbers of the title ...

Clicking on a quick style in Word is the same as writing the appropriate command.

Bad Typography :

Well, this is true but tends to become false. I'm using Calibri so I didn't notice anything at the first place. An attempt with Times New Roman make it obvious. But there are now fonts that accept ligatures in Word I'm using Word 2010 I've made the so famous tests with fi and so one ... things are not that bad. Even in Times New Roman (I'm using Calibri).

Not Real Small Caps :

This is quite nice in LaTeX. I find it cool. But when reading I don't really notice the difference at the first place. I had to read it on the internet to notice it.

Ligatures :

This points goes to LaTeX. I've found it amazing to make glyphs and so one. However, some fonts accept it in Word such as Gabriola or Calibri. So this is true but tends to become false. I'm using Calibri so I didn't notice anything at the first place. An attempt with Times New Roman however made it obvious.

Default template :

Okay, I like the report class. But when I'm writing a report with it. The default template looks like an autobiography. And modifying it is not that fast. Lots of commands. Not that easy. And if I want to modify it again a little. There another that long command.

I've shown my LaTeX template and my Word template to friends. I only used the default titles in Word. I used the TOC of Word and LaTeX. I use the same title numerotation-type. I used the default font on LaTeX and Calibri on Word

80% of the people that I have asked, have told me that they prefer the the default style of Word. However, the other 20%, the people that say the style of LaTeX is so nice, make me think that this is just a matter of recognition, because they have experience with LaTeX.

When you see something that is obviously LaTex, this makes it seem like it is more serious. Even if the content is crap. Just because of the "aura" made by the fact that major scientific works are made in LaTeX.

References :

You can do that in Word. Just click on the appropriate option ...

Tables :

I HATE tables in LaTeX. Took me lot of time to master them (I used table, tabular and longtable).

Numbers displaying :

The acceptation of different height support is also in Word. But the problem is that we need to activate it.

Table of Contents :

There is a slight point there. LaTeX's default TOC is cool. But Word's not bad too.

Template saving :

Just save your word template as you can save a LaTeX template ... where is the problem ????

Grammar Checker :

Well ...

Word becomes slow :

Okay, this is not entirely false. Word tends to become slower. I'm running a 100++ pages document and its slower than LaTeX. But well, once opened its okay.

References, Bibliography :

Well, there I'm shocked. Okay, LaTeX is good. But Word does it just fine. Plus you have a graphic editor ...

WYSYWYG vs WYSYWYM :

Come on ... this is stricly inferior not to see what you have. If my text is in the type of my "Title 1", I'll see it immediately. And I find it far more nice than a command. I'm lost in my LaTeX file if I don't put HUGE comments to separate the sections. Plus you can navigate through sections with the Word explorer.

Long document vs Short document :

This is the point I find most ridiculous. Word is just as good as LaTeX for long documents ... the style is set for the document, you cna concentrate on the contents. About automatic image placement. Even if in the majority of case I need an explicative scheme which I want right under my introduction text. That made me use [h] and its variant a lot.

Scientific Formulas :

Well ... I've been typing my lectures with Word and I can do it real-time ... But I must admit that LaTeX is quite good at it. But I won't say it is superior.

Packages for every purpose :

To end well. This is a point for LaTeX of course. Writing chemistry, music and so one is far more easier than in word.

Well, apart from that. I don't really type music in my Math class. But whatever. For general purpose, I find that Word can be better than LaTeX.

So, that's it ... I'm not really satisfyed.

Is this a bad question ? This is not a question ... well I'm sorry about it ... where could I move it if it's not suitable for this website ? I don't know where to get an answer ...

Update : Bear in mind I assume you are aware of actuality and not using OS that dates from the 70' ... I'm talking about future.

A Feldman
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Xaltar
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    Ex falso, quodlibet ;-) What's the false statement? “Everybody has Word”, of course. I don't have it and haven't since several years. – egreg Jun 20 '13 at 08:58
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    @egreg beat me by seconds... I wanted to post: “And everybody has Word 2010” - I don't! – cgnieder Jun 20 '13 at 08:59
  • Please take a look at http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/44851/latex-vs-ms-word?rq=1 –  Jun 20 '13 at 09:01
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    After reading like two pages of text, I’m not sure what the question is. – خالد حسني Jun 20 '13 at 09:03
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    And the “question” is written in a way that seems to imply that we are trying to convince you to use LaTeX, we are not (I don’t even use LaTeX myself :)), so may be you should direct your query to whomever tried to convert you to LaTeX. – خالد حسني Jun 20 '13 at 09:06
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    Joking aside, this site is for questions about TeX, LaTeX, ConTeXt, and other systems based on the TeX engine. The style of the site is to ask questions that can be answered with objective answers, such as "How do I format my references to comply with this journal's requirements?". At the moment, this reads as a rant and if it stays as a rant it will be closed. As Khaled says, we are not trying to convince you to use LaTeX - or any other derivative. We are trying to help those who are already convinced. – Andrew Stacey Jun 20 '13 at 09:09
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    I found your list comparing features rather refreshing. Sometimes I had the impression that while you declare that you take a stance to support Word, with your detailed arguments you shoot yourself in the foot. :) – Count Zero Jun 20 '13 at 09:14
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    And just one more thing, regarding formulas: I don't quite understand what you mean by 'real-time'? If you think that reaching for the mouse every time you write/edit a formula and go through the whole process of clicking through the menus for different symbols (not to speak about sub-/superscripts...) is more efficient, then I think you got something wrong there... – Count Zero Jun 20 '13 at 09:21
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    Perhaps Word has become better at organising tables. But before I switched to LaTeX in 2001, nothing could more predictably get me frustrated than trying to prevent Word from messing up a table with a keystroke; and in fact on occasion make it impossible to even save my file (!!!). Word is just fine for a flyer for lost cats, but unless Word has given up trying to read my mind, there is nothing that would make me choose Word over LaTeX for a non-trivial document with substantial formatting. – Niel de Beaudrap Jun 20 '13 at 09:26
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    I have just started a job in a company that uses Word for documentation. MS Word is not even in the game. If you think Word's features are OK, it might be the case that you are not using LaTeX in a convenient way. – percusse Jun 20 '13 at 09:28
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    One thing to bear in mind is that when things go wrong, LaTeX is relatively easy to recover (plain text), while that is not the always the case in Word. For example, float placement can be tricky (I've had a case recently where Word would not let me alter it as I did not have the application which created the graphics installed), while EndNote-based references are often 'fragile' (copy-paste disasters). – Joseph Wright Jun 20 '13 at 09:56
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    In my experience, Word does everything slightly wrong :) E.g. I have a table on the bottom of the second to last page. I try to delete the empty last page. I can't. Clicking "Show all" reveals that although the table fits on the page, the newpar character ¶ doesn't!

    This is only an example, but each and every feature in Word seems to have one irritating, illogical and inexplicable little nuisance built-in. Styles are very convenient, until the moment that Word forgets that a text was in a specific style, and its format stays the same when you modify the style. Etc.

     – marczellm Jun 20 '13 at 10:01
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    I believe the only question is in the title, and the rest is the OP’s attempt at an answer. Of course, you probably shouldn’t be surprised if we all say “Yes”. :P – alexwlchan Jun 20 '13 at 10:04
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    What is Word? – Jesper Ipsen Jun 20 '13 at 11:22
  • Word 2007 or younger. @marczellm, Word don't forget things magically ... and ... delete the newpar character ... what is the problem ? You don't put a newline() when it exceeds the page do you ? – Xaltar Jun 20 '13 at 11:33
  • @Xaltar Actually I used the wrong word; ¶ is called pilcrow and it is not a "new paragraph" but actually terminates each paragraph. The table is part of the last paragraph, and the (invisible) pilcrow comes after it. Forgetting styles etc. is my own experience with Word 2007. – marczellm Jun 20 '13 at 12:00
  • You can still get the advantage of Latex and use a GUI. Try either Lyx or SWP. Both generate Latex, but provide an easier to use GUI for new users. I use SWP to write all my Latex reports with. Lyx is free. SWP have student price if you are student. But I would not use WORD, no way. – Nasser Jun 20 '13 at 12:06
  • @CountZero Word does have real-time formula editing with a more than slightly LaTeX-like syntax :) – marczellm Jun 20 '13 at 12:06
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    One thing I would ask is why are you trying to move to LaTeX if you are happy with MS Word. These packages (and others such as libre/open-office, calligra, apple iWork,...) are tools to help you do a task. Moving from one to another for no reason makes no sense. Each of these tools have good and bad points depending on you point of view and each of us here will have different ideas of what these are. Most of us use LaTeX because we, at some point or another found that is solved a problem in a much easier way than other solutions. In the end it is a question of preferences. – ArTourter Jun 20 '13 at 12:14
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    It should be migrated as a blog content! – kiss my armpit Jun 20 '13 at 12:17
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    Click click click click click. There is a reason I keep my mouse turned off. – Sean Allred Jun 20 '13 at 12:31
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    @marczellm: LOL 'LaTeX-like syntax' in the superior Word! :D I knew Open/LibreOffice had it - didn't know it spread over to MS Word too (I'm using Word only for quick'n'dirty jobs ;))! – Count Zero Jun 20 '13 at 12:33
  • What I don't understand is why I see everywhere that LaTeX is "Oh man" so superior to MS Word. I know I've took a risk asking this question but I think it is valuable insofar as it enlightens a lot of points that makes us able to define where is has strength and where is has weaknesses. I must thank all of you in some way. – Xaltar Jun 20 '13 at 13:57
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    The problem is that you are not comparing two similar products with similar goals here. MS Word is a word processor and editor, whereas LaTeX is a typesetting engine. One doesn't use LaTeX to write a document, this is done with a text editor, albeit one that can integrate the LaTeX engine to display the final output, but not necessarily. Asking what are the strength and weaknesses of either packages is, as I have mentioned earlier, a question of preference. Users have different things they care about. – ArTourter Jun 20 '13 at 15:01
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    Also ignoring the history of MS Word is misleading, as most of us will have chosen to use LaTeX for historical reason, a newer version may well have caught up it LaTeX, but by that point for the user it is too late as he or she will have a collection of templates and solutions making moving back to Word too much effort. And since LaTeX is not static either, one ends up using LaTeX for more and more things. Once the tool has become part of the workflow, it will be difficult to make a user migrate to a new tool (this is valid in either direction: Word to LaTeX or LaTeX to Word). – ArTourter Jun 20 '13 at 15:08
  • @ArTourter -- agreed: for me, the comparison is Word vs. writing documents with Emacs+AUCTeX and (usually) typeset with Lua(La)TeX. Some of the complaints about ease/difficulty of tasks has nothing to do with LaTeX, but with the text editor that was used. And writing (say) tables with (say) Notepad might frustrate many people.... – jon Jun 20 '13 at 15:31
  • It's hard to appreciate the results of LaTeX on a monitor (if you just have plain text and no formulas). Print out the document and compare - then you will be amazed. – Concerned_Citizen Apr 05 '15 at 20:47
  • Can\could\should this be migrated to Meta? – A Feldman Apr 10 '16 at 14:45
  • @AFeldman Meta is for the site itself. – percusse Apr 10 '16 at 16:46
  • (See also: Why should I use LaTeX? - TeX - LaTeX Stack Exchange) – user202729 Nov 01 '22 at 02:42

1 Answers1

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Yes, you can do most normal things without problem (and sometimes faster or easier) with Word. But what about slightly "unnormal things"?

As an example: Write a small equation like, e.g., Pythagoras $a^2+b^2=c^2$ in a chapter title -- and then try to get it in an automatically generated ToC and in the PDF bookmarks.

Or try to change the style and the distance of the dots in the toc (imho they are too large and too near to each other in Word).

Or try to add a colored background to a header which stops exactly at text margins.

Or try to adapt the bibliography style of a thesis to some requirement of some department (every department seems to have some special requirements).

LaTeX can offer solutions to all this problems (and solutions for special fields like music or chess) because it doesn't have to squeeze the solutions in some menus or preference dialogs and because it doesn't have to look at some "normal customer" which doesn't want to bother about special problems.

Beside this: LaTeX is simply more fun. Finding a solution for a problem in Word means in most finding where to click. In LaTeX you can write cool code.

A small addition: I own a quite large book (it is actually quite good) about Word 2010 -- it has been typeset with InDesign. I also own quite a lot books about LaTeX -- all have been typeset with LaTeX.

Svend Tveskæg
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Ulrike Fischer
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  • The votes are lacking objectivity. But whatever. No I can't put reference to a header, that is ... normal ... I guess ... nobody would. I can't change the spacing of dots. What if I like it ? I can add a colored background that stops at text margins. I have multiple versions of biblio. I doubt the departement ask me to put some math formulas in the middle of the books titles.

    What about overprinting? What about easy shading over, under images and/or text?

    I could also find multiple exemples for Word ...

    I prefer an OS where I click. That's why most people use PC with graphical interface ...

     – Xaltar Jun 20 '13 at 11:30
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    @Xaltar: Sorry in the equation example I didn't meant "header" but chapter title. And I would find it quite natural to put equations is such titles e.g. in a math book. Beside this: If you prefer word then use it. It is not enough that a tool is working well. It must also suit the person using it. E.g. context is in many aspects imho more powerful than latex. But I prefer latex. – Ulrike Fischer Jun 20 '13 at 11:48
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    @Xaltar Consider your audience. You are going to be lacking objectivity. Also, read (this article)[http://fluff.info/terrible] (the title is a little misleading; it's not a rant). – Sean Allred Jun 20 '13 at 12:27
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    @SeanAllred -- unfortunately, your "link" isn't correct -- 404. sigh. – barbara beeton Jun 20 '13 at 12:59
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    @barbarabeeton: The ] after terrible got caught in the actual link passed to the browser. A bit dated reading (applies to Word 2007), but still valid on most points. – Count Zero Jun 20 '13 at 13:03
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    The reading is valid on some point, but I must say that first, the author does not know how to use Word. And his speech is powerfully LaTeX oriented. And then, newer Words have more features, and they are much more easily accessible. His first paragraph definitely proves that he doesn't know how to use a style in Word. I want to speak about NOWADAYS. I don't want to know if Word 93 is dumb compared to LaTeX (on this point I absolutely agree with all of you). What do you think of that : http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/07/15/microsoft-word-equation-editor/ ? – Xaltar Jun 20 '13 at 14:01
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    @Xaltar: That new equation editor is based largely on TeX math typesetting algorithms, that is why it is so good. – خالد حسني Jun 20 '13 at 16:01
  • Sorry about the link; that's my bad. And @Xalter, I personally don't like the math produced in their 'good' examples -- the parentheticals are too small, the 'x' is too far away; I could go on, but it would never end nor be constructive. Why not bring this conversation up in chat instead?? – Sean Allred Jun 20 '13 at 16:02
  • Yeah, why not. Shall I create a new room ? I'm not use to stackexchange's chat – Xaltar Jun 21 '13 at 06:48
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    @Xaltar Unfortunately, while it's true that Word has become "less dumb" (the opposite would really be sad), its users mostly haven't. Styles are an improvement, but very few Word users know about them. Similarly, you do not have to use the underline button ever/abusively, but the vast majority of users do use it for their headings... – Xavier Jul 28 '13 at 19:10
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    @Xaltar Linked to my previous comment, Word totally lacks (good) support. Hence, the bad habits its users develop. Despite its huge user base, I have yet to see any enthusiastic user. Where is Word.SX? ;) – Xavier Jul 28 '13 at 19:12
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    Latex is more fun? Maybe true. But if "Finding a solution for a problem in Word means in most finding where to click. In LaTeX you can write cool code." were really true, I would be using word. – emory Sep 11 '13 at 02:46
  • @UlrikeFischer What's the title of the Word 2010 book which is typeset in InDesign? – student Dec 18 '14 at 16:04
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    @student: Word 2010 von Christine Peyton (it is a book in german). – Ulrike Fischer Dec 18 '14 at 16:31
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    +1 for the book on Word which has been typeset with InDesign. That's somehow telling. – Dohn Joe Aug 18 '15 at 17:01