We’re all about Microsoft’s 50th birthday this year.
That’s why our HACKS also look BACK at some fascinating facts from the tech giant’s five decade-run helping shape commerce across the globe.
First up is Word and ‘my word’ there are some real gems here.
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗦
𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲
There’s a hidden “𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗺 𝗜𝗽𝘀𝘂𝗺” 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 which is handy for marketeers and designers who need a bit of time when it comes to copy.
Typing =lorem(p,l) into a blank line in a Word document and pressing Enter automatically generates random placeholder (Lorem Ipsum) text.
Here’s how it works:
p = number of paragraphs
l = number of lines per paragraph
𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲:
If you type:
CopyEdit
=lorem(3,5)
…then press Enter, Word will generate 3 paragraphs, each with 5 lines of Lorem Ipsum text.
𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝗧𝗶𝗽:
You can also try:
=rand(p,l) — Generates English sample text (like “The quick brown fox…”)
𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝘄𝗼
Reveal Formatting (𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 + 𝗙𝟭) is one of Word’s most underrated tools, especially when working on documents that need to look consistent (think reports, proposals, CVs, or anything client-facing).
It can fix formatting gremlins by showing everything about the selected text — font, size, line spacing, margins, paragraph settings, and more.
𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲
Compare two documents side-by-side by using Review > Compare. Great for version control as it highlights differences between two versions and can show a clean, revised version with tracked changes automatically applied.
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗨𝗡 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦
There’s clearly so much built-in to trusty Word. What’s more, it’s quietly shaped how we work, write, and communicate. Here are things you might not know!
𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘄𝘀
The first version launched in 1983 for MS-DOS — two years before Windows even existed.
𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗱𝗼𝗴
In the ’80s and early ’90s, WordPerfect was the go-to. Word only gained dominance in the mid-90s when it was bundled into Microsoft Office.
𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹
Between 1997–2003, the animated paperclip offered writing help (sometimes whether you wanted it or not). It was an early attempt at assistive tech.
𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝟭𝟵𝟴𝟵
The feature revolutionised editing and collaboration. Before that, people would print documents and mark them up by hand (trees got a real hammering).
Word helped push Unicode adoption.
Its global usage forced early support for multiple writing systems — influencing standards we now rely on across the web, from emoji to accented characters.
At HG Technology, we live and breathe all things Microsoft. From Azure to the Power Platform, we help simplify the complex—turning everyday business challenges into streamlined, efficient solutions. If you’re looking to do more with less, let’s talk.
