Which is the right tool? Word or Publisher?

I'm a fairly advanced Word 2007 user and I'm increasingly frustrated by Word
crashes when I work with large documents. I typically have 100 - 300 pages
in a document with hundreds of graphics (snagit screen shots mainly),
hundreds of text boxes, perhaps 100 captions with several dozen cross
references, many dozens of numbered lists using a custom multi level list
style. I use virtually no direct formatting but rather use styles the way
they're intended to be used.
I need a TOC and an Index in each document as well as a table of figures for
my captions. I'm competent in using all these tools and techniques in Word.
There's a consistent pattern emerging in my work—Word doesn't seem capable
of handling my large, complex documents. It seems that some sort of
corruption creeps in and I can't isolate and fix it—whatever it is. I've
tried master and sub documents and working with everything in the same
document, but I get essentially the same result—unstable files that crash so
often that I can't work effectively.
It doesn't matter whether I work on a Vista system or an XP Pro system—the
files still aren't stable once I get up to 70 – 80 pages.
Since I need the TOC and Index and cross refs, etc. as well as continuous
page numbering in my footers, I need to keep the documents together—not
practical to have, say, 10 separate documents, each one holding a chapter.
So is Publisher 2007 the tool I should be using? Or is it likely to have
its own problems dealing with large, complex documents?

You are using the right application. Long documents are best done with Word.
Publisher doesn't support footnotes or TOC.
Have you looked into an updated video/graphics driver?

--
Mary Sauer
http://msauer.mvps.org/

"Ted M H" wrote in message
...
I'm a fairly advanced Word 2007 user and I'm increasingly frustrated by Word
crashes when I work with large documents. I typically have 100 - 300 pages
in a document with hundreds of graphics (snagit screen shots mainly),
hundreds of text boxes, perhaps 100 captions with several dozen cross
references, many dozens of numbered lists using a custom multi level list
style. I use virtually no direct formatting but rather use styles the way
they're intended to be used.
I need a TOC and an Index in each document as well as a table of figures for
my captions. I'm competent in using all these tools and techniques in Word.
There's a consistent pattern emerging in my work-Word doesn't seem capable
of handling my large, complex documents. It seems that some sort of
corruption creeps in and I can't isolate and fix it-whatever it is. I've
tried master and sub documents and working with everything in the same
document, but I get essentially the same result-unstable files that crash so
often that I can't work effectively.
It doesn't matter whether I work on a Vista system or an XP Pro system-the
files still aren't stable once I get up to 70 - 80 pages.
Since I need the TOC and Index and cross refs, etc. as well as continuous
page numbering in my footers, I need to keep the documents together-not
practical to have, say, 10 separate documents, each one holding a chapter.
So is Publisher 2007 the tool I should be using? Or is it likely to have
its own problems dealing with large, complex documents?

Publisher is not the answer. No TOC or index functions, among other
things. Switch to WordPerfect and save yourself a lot of grief.

Craig

Ted M H wrote:

I'm a fairly advanced Word 2007 user and I'm increasingly frustrated by Word
crashes when I work with large documents. I typically have 100 - 300 pages
in a document with hundreds of graphics (snagit screen shots mainly),
hundreds of text boxes, perhaps 100 captions with several dozen cross
references, many dozens of numbered lists using a custom multi level list
style. I use virtually no direct formatting but rather use styles the way
they're intended to be used.
I need a TOC and an Index in each document as well as a table of figures for
my captions. I'm competent in using all these tools and techniques in Word.
There's a consistent pattern emerging in my work—Word doesn't seem capable
of handling my large, complex documents. It seems that some sort of
corruption creeps in and I can't isolate and fix it—whatever it is. I've
tried master and sub documents and working with everything in the same
document, but I get essentially the same result—unstable files that crash so
often that I can't work effectively.
It doesn't matter whether I work on a Vista system or an XP Pro system—the
files still aren't stable once I get up to 70 – 80 pages.
Since I need the TOC and Index and cross refs, etc. as well as continuous
page numbering in my footers, I need to keep the documents together—not
practical to have, say, 10 separate documents, each one holding a chapter.
So is Publisher 2007 the tool I should be using? Or is it likely to have
its own problems dealing with large, complex documents?