The default view for editing word processing documents uses a page metaphor
similar to a print preview: the full margins, footers and headers, and even
spaces between the virtual pages are displayed. This is an inefficient use of
screen space, especially on a laptop or other small screen. I also find it
distracting when a paragraph I'm working on spills across two pages.

Many word processors address this with what MS Word calls "normal view". The
effect is similar to StarWriter's online view: the text flows continuously on
the screen. The difference (or one difference, anyway) between normal and online
view is that normal view knows and respects the documents page layout settings,
such as margins. Based on these margins, it wrap lines at the correct points and
draws a light gray line at soft page breaks.

In normal view, when the user wants to edit an element not in the normal flow of
the document (e.g. a header or a footnote), it splits the screen to allow that
portion to be edited.

For reference, AbiWord is an open source word processor that has this feature.

Thanks,
Rob Campbell