To match output quality, you would need to run your word doc through a separate typesetting step, losing your time advantage.
An Efficiency Comparison of Latex vs. Word (2014)
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Re: An Efficiency Comparison of Latex vs. Word (2014)
#12> On most measures, expert LaTeX users performed even worse than novice Word users. Big Oof > LaTeX users, however, more often report enjoying using their respective software. Ok so there's that as a highly redeeming feature =)
“People who use X report enjoying using X“ does not imply that X is enjoyable. It may simply imply that everybody else has given up.
Re: An Efficiency Comparison of Latex vs. Word (2014)
#13Yeah until word supports vim bindings it's not going to be very efficient.
Vim bindings, who's gonna use that? Now Emacs, that could actually be useful.
Re: An Efficiency Comparison of Latex vs. Word (2014)
#14A good analysis of why this article is BS: https://lemire.me/blog/2015/01/14/knauff-and-nejasmic-recomm...
Re: An Efficiency Comparison of Latex vs. Word (2014)
#15LaTeX by itself may be less productive than Word, but it has (at least for me) several advantages that make it for me more productive: - The standard unix tools (E.g. grep) do work really well with LaTeX, if I have to find something. I would now know how to find a string in like 30-40 .doc(x) files - Works with git - Programmatically generating LaTeX is really simple as it is just text (I use this e.g. in my Vala Pro…
Who needs documentation for Word. I typeset my entire thesis and never once googled how to X. I also used git without issues.
With LaTeX every little thing required a search.
Re: An Efficiency Comparison of Latex vs. Word (2014)
#16>The texts were selected based on a pilot study so that an expert could reproduce around 90% of the text in thirty minutes.
One big advantage of LaTeX over Word, for this user, is consistency in formatting for larger documents, which gets completely lost for a one- or two-page piece that takes just a half-hour to type.
Re: An Efficiency Comparison of Latex vs. Word (2014)
#17It seems this article actually measured how well people could use their editor of choice vs Word, which has nothing to do with LaTeX.
I especially liked the claim that "expert LaTeX users performed even worse than novice Word users", which classifies a user as expert if they used either typesetting system long enough. It is pretty clear though that most LaTeX users have exactly the knowledge required to typeset the exact kinds of documents they normally author with maximal efficiency, rather than to typeset all kinds of documents. For an alternative measure of expertise, how many of the "expert" users actually read, say, Knuth's TeXbook? (not that they need to, of course)
Re: An Efficiency Comparison of Latex vs. Word (2014)
#18Latex+pdf ... Ultimate combo. Case closed.
Now ... imagine Bill Murray with a tie and glasses who then gives you the follow pep talk:
For the slow pokes on latex we recommend coffee, 80s R&B to help you get in there and get done.
Have a hot date setup ahead of time ... This helps you to not play with every configuration and possible import option. Yes latex is awesome but that not that awesome. Keep it simple. Don't let latex weakness build into relationship problems by running late. That takes time away from the keyboard later.
Also remember the words you write are almost as important as how latex displays them so keep some of your focus in reserve for clarity, thesis, stuff like that. Latex is awesome but alas clarity counts too (unless you heard something different? ... Please IM me asap. Clarity isn't so simple it turns out).
Well that's a wrap. Another problem solved!
Re: An Efficiency Comparison of Latex vs. Word (2014)
#19The authors tested it on researchers working in Physics, Psychology, Computer Science, Mathematics, Electrical engineering, Business (MBAs), Sport Science, and others.
But... they did not break down results by field (!), and also did not ask the researchers to compose a complex, highly structured document akin to something that they would actually publish (!), and also did not ask the researchers to reorganize a structured document repeatedly, as is typical in research (!), and also did not ask the researchers to recreate tables multiple times with updated data (!).
Not a very useful study.
Re: An Efficiency Comparison of Latex vs. Word (2014)
#20LaTeX by itself may be less productive than Word, but it has (at least for me) several advantages that make it for me more productive: - The standard unix tools (E.g. grep) do work really well with LaTeX, if I have to find something. I would now know how to find a string in like 30-40 .doc(x) files - Works with git - Programmatically generating LaTeX is really simple as it is just text (I use this e.g. in my Vala Pro…
I also find it very useful to be able to "import" code snippets from files into your latex document, so you get proper versioning, autocompletion with syntax highlighting, can structure files into a tree, etc.