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Anonymous,
1 yr 346 days ago
It's appalling (the 2008 version anyway). If you launch it from, say, Word, you can't edit your Word document, only the WhiteSmoke window. If you then save your edits it destroys the formatting of the text block it's just checked. Basically it works in plain text mode only. It doesn't matter though, because it doesn't work as well as the grammar checker in Word, and much of what it suggests is nonesense. The enrichment may work, sort of, but it just suggests adding words, when clarity would demand that you leave them out. The popup dictionary/theasurus may appeal to some, it's a lot better than the oh so politically correct Encarta product (look up minx), but it has a 30MB footprint. If you are looking for a grammar checker use Grammatik in Wordperfect, not great, but still the best.
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Anonymous,
1 yr 292 days ago
purchased dated 01/19/2008 from Whitesmoke . I tired to download the software, and I have tried to downloading it three times. It is giving me the error installation message below. It is giving me this message "self registration error" and "application has failed to start because is incorrect, reinstalling the application may fix the problem", I tried reinstalling white smoke again, but no sign of progress.
You can see in their forum http://www.whitesmoke.com/forum/read.php?10,664 and at this other help forum http://www.whitesmoke.com/forum/read.php?10,664 that other people are having this problem.
They lists a fax number on their website but they don’t list a number for the client to call. I would really love to use their software. Please check the BBB for the compliants on this company.
Anonymous,
1 yr 173 days ago
To anyone out there, do not purchase the WhiteSmoke software it is a fraud.
Anonymous,
1 yr 142 days ago
Like others, I wish I had searched for a review before buying this piece of junk program. I purchased the program with a backup CD and such for $149 and cannot get it to work. On top of this, Whitesmoke software has horrible to non-existant customer service and makes it nearly impossible to contact real help. I have even warned them that I would be posting negative reviews and sharing information about their software at a writer's conference, and they still haven't responded. Look up the word "refund" on their forums and see people with unresolved complaints.
Anonymous,
1 yr 141 days ago
 Anonymous“Like others, I wish I had searched for a review before buying this piece of junk program. I purchased the program with a backup CD and such for $149 and cannot get it to work. On top of this, Whitesmoke software has horrible to non-existant customer service and makes it nearly impossible to contact real help. I have even warned them that I would be posting negative reviews and sharing information about their software at a writer's conference, and they still haven't responded. Look up the word "refund" on their forums and see people with unresolved complaints. ”
Yes, I saw your comments in the forum, thanks for that, that made me check some of the reviews on the internet and they are pretty mixed. Think I'll save the money or wait until it has improved so much that it's worth buying (hey, even Windows became decent eventually...). One might suggest Whitesmoke to use the following paragraph in their website demo, but I doubt they will. Quote from another review: --
"I bought the product and guess how many grammar errors it found in the paragraph below? Zero. 'I me think once good was Whitesmoke. But grammar found problems no can find. Whitesmoke said artificial intelligence it uses. Me think it intelligence most artificial. No can do it. Whitesmoke full of all smoke. How they say grammar, they check me confused very.' I’ve been trying to get a refund for nearly a week now. They don’t respond. I’ve filed a dispute against them with my credit card company."
--
Anonymous,
1 yr 109 days ago
Thanks for all the info. I was just about to purchase their software when I decided to do a last minute google for reviews. I don't think I'll be purchasing it after all. Its a pity really. I really need help when it comes to grammar and sentence construction. My english sucks. Can I pretend its my second language? Perhaps I should start to practice a foriegn accent..
Anonymous,
1 yr 96 days ago
Beware! I purchased the software and wanted it in two different operating systems. It allows you two downloads but does not specify any restrictions. When I discovered I could not download it the second time in any operating system, I wrote to Whitesmoke following the $-back guarantee procedures specified. I wrote several times, but never received a response. No phone number is listed, so I looked them up and discovered that they have only a mailbox in Delaware--no real address. They are a rip-off company! Since I paid via Paypal, I had no recourse. Please be very careful. If you have a high school diploma, your writing skills probably exceed capabilities of this product.
Anonymous,
1 yr 83 days ago
I returned the product because I was dissatisfied with it. Where the program should have made corrections it didn't and where it shouldn't have it did.
Anonymous,
1 yr 64 days ago
I agree. People DO NOT BUY this product!! It's a fraud. does not check for DETERMINATE AND INDETERMINATE ARTICLES. For a native slavic speaker it is extremely important.
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