PERIPHERALS; PATH IN JUNGLE OF SOFTWARE FOR WRITING

THERE are dozens of word processing programs from which to choose, and they are often as different as the writers who will use them. Some are complex and powerful, while others are dull and slow. Unfortunately, most efforts to survey and rate these varied programs lump them all together and match them against one another on the broadest possible scale, usually giving top honors to two or three high-powered performers with the most features.

This system often fails to take into account the user. While some professional writers demand blazing speed and special options, such as automatic footnoting and split-screening, others simply want a little freedom from the tyranny of the typewriter. They want to be able to type a letter, rearrange a paragraph, change a word here and there and print the edited version without having to retype the letter.

In their survey of word processing software for I.B.M. PC compatibles in the Jan. 28 issue, the editors of PC magazine have taken this into account. By dividing the programs into three categories - corporate, professional and personal - they have brought a sense of reason to the bewildering field.

For those who toil in the corporate vineyards - an easy way to determine whether you fall into this category is to look around and count the number of neckties - two programs were determined by the editors to be outstanding. They are MultiMate Advantage 3.50 (list price $595, from the MultiMate International Corporation of East Hartford, Conn., telephone 203-522-2116) and Leading Edge Word Processor 1.3 (list price $100, or $250 with a spelling checker and file merging, from Leading Edge Software Products Inc. of Needham, Mass., telephone 800-343-3436).

Corporations long ago discovered dedicated word processing systems. Dedicated means that the computer was used for processing text and nothing else. One company, Wang, became established as the leader in dedicated machines. When the more versatile personal computer gained widespread acceptance, corporations sought new software that would mimic the Wang system, and MultiMate Advantage does that better than any other program. If Wang emulation is less important than price, PC's editors say, Leading Edge is a full-featured bargain at $250.

The second category is for professional writers. If you fit here, you are probably an ink-stained wretch willing to do anything to speed your writing, even if it means having to learn an endless array of arcane computer commands. There were four recommendations here: Microsoft Word 2.0 (list price $395, from the Microsoft Corporation of Bellevue, Wash., telephone 206-828-8080); XyWrite II Plus 2.0 (list $295, from XyQuest Inc. of Bedford, Mass., telephone 617-275-4439); WordPerfect 4.1 (list $495 from Satellite Software International of Orem, Utah, telephone 801-224-4000); and NewWord-3 3.00 (list $349 from NewStar Software Inc. of Pleasant Hill, Calif., telephone 800-923-2526).