QuickWord supports Word 97, Word 2000, or Word XP on any 32-bit Windows system. It supports Word v.X on any Mac running OS 10.0 or higher. It works on any Palm OS device running OS 3.0 or higher including devices running OS 5.

WordToGo supports Word 95, Word 97, Word 2000, Word XP, WordPerfect 6, WordPerfect 7, WordPerfect 8, WordPerfect 9, Word Pro 96, Word Pro 97, Word Pro 98, and Word Pro Millenium on any 32-bit Windows system. It also supports Word 6, Word 98, Word 2001, Word v.X, AppleWorks 5, AppleWorks 6, ClarisWorks 4, and ClarisWorks 5 on Mac OS 9.1, Mac OS 9.2, or Mac OS X (not all versions of each application will run on each OS). It also supports RTF files on both Windows and Mac. It requires Palm OS 3.5 or greater.

Note: Linux users must use WordSmith to transfer RTF files between their desktops and Palms.

both of these applications let you move back and forth between your Palm and your desktop. Not all Word functionality is visible on the Palm, although all three applications have made great strides in increasing what you can see and do on your handheld.

Both applications support bolding, italics, underlining, multiple fonts, justification, and, to varying extents, tables. They let you beam and print documents. They all preserve desktop source functionality you can't see on your handheld so you aren't destroying complex documents simply by moving them to your Palm. They all support expansion cards, letting you store your documents on Compact Flash, Secure Digital, or MemoryStick cards.

Many Palm OS devices ship with one of these applications. QuickWord is included on the HandEra 330 CD and with the Kyocera 7135. WordToGo ships on the CDs included with the following devices: Palm m125, Palm m130, Palm m500, Palm m505, Palm m515, Palm i705, Palm Tungsten T, Sony T415, Sony T615, Sony T665, Sony NR70, Sony NR70V, Sony S360, Sony SL10, Sony SJ20, Sony SJ30, Sony NX60, and the Sony NX70V.

For information on using Microsoft Excel files on your Palm, see this article. For information on using Microsoft PowerPoint files on your Palm, see this article.