Do you prefer Word or Excel?

[LisaEllis]

And have your preferences changed over time?

For example, I use to only use Excel...and then I had to learn Word tables and got really good at it.  Now I embed an Excel spreadsheet if I need to (adding timings the most useful example), but do most of my documents in Word.

I'm curious to see what other people think...

[kaitlinmarie]

The only thing I do in Excel is contact sheets. I like to be able to quickly sort the info by any number of headings. I also use it to keep track of info/forms that I collect from our company members.

[mca]

I use word almost exclusively. All of my cue sheets, run sheets, contact sheets, production analysis, calendars, etc. are all done in Word. I love tables 

[djemily]

Word! I too love tables I also pick a clip art picture for each show that symbolizes the play, just to be cute

[Mac Calder]

My opinion, is you cannot compare. They have completely different purposes. You have to use the right tool for the right job.

[Jessie_K]

I agree that you chose by the task at hand.  There are benefits to both programs.  I will say that I use Word more often, but that is probably mostly out of habit.

[jspeaker]

It depends on the tast at hand.  I like using both but I know people who are hardcore one way or the other!

I use Word for reports, sign in sheet, most of my prep paperwork, daily schedules

I use Excell for Contact Sheets, Prop Lists, WWW, First Entrance, Run Sheets, rehearsal schedule, rehearsal calender

[loebtmc]

I think I've said this before, but the reason I use word has nothing to do with my preferences and everything to do with the personnel at the theater. Most of the time, when I am out in a regional space, I am luck if they have dial-up, let alone excel, and a percentage of the office isn't extremely computer facile. My primary consideration is that most of the departments and the house can open Word when they can't open much else

[Rebbe]

Tables and formatting are SO much easier in Excel.  Anything you can do in a table in word, you can do in XL faster and easier - and you can reformat with less trauma.

I agree.  Checklists, runsheets, cutlists, almost any kind of tracking document...all of them are basically tables, and I'd rather make them with Excel.  I also love having different worksheets within the same workbook; keeps a lot of show info together, yet separate, so I have fewer files to transfer about.  Word is still my friend for some things, including rehearsal and performance reports, but if I had to choose only one to work with, it would be Excel.

[KMC]

Excel hands down for me.  Only document I'll have in word is the script and possibly the weekly rehearsal schedule.

[cuelight]

I agree with some others before me in that I use the tool most beneficial to me at that point. If for any reason or another I will redo the document into a Word or Excel doc depending on what is easier for the other person but I can count the times I've done that on one hand.

[Balletdork]

I use both equally- and love/hate them both equally. 

As everyone else has said they both have there place!

I'd hate to ry to make per diem sheets w/o the lovely formula's of excel- and how would I make basic casting w/o word.

      

[LisaEllis]

I use Excell for Contact Sheets, Prop Lists, WWW, First Entrance, Run Sheets, rehearsal schedule, rehearsal calender

See, I hate w/w/w in Excel!  Everything you listed there, except calendars, I do in Word.

Funny, isn't it?  I'm sure some of it depends who/where you started getting formatting from...

[thehayworth]

I think I've said this before, but the reason I use word has nothing to do with my preferences and everything to do with the personnel at the theater. Most of the time, when I am out in a regional space, I am luck if they have dial-up, let alone excel, and a percentage of the office isn't extremely computer facile. My primary consideration is that most of the departments and the house can open Word when they can't open much else

this is me too

i keep checklists and such that only I use on my laptop in Excel, but otherwise everything is in Word because more people can use it more easily

[SFBaySM]

I used to use Word exclusively, until I ASMed for a hardcore excel user.  Since then I've used excel 75% of the time, Word 25%.  Basically, anything table-related gets excel, typed documents get word.