LyX is a modern approach to writing documents which breaks with the
obsolete "typewriter paradigm" of most other document preparation
systems.
It is designed for people who want professional quality output
with a minimum of time and effort, without becoming specialists in
typesetting.
The major innovation in LyX is WYSIWYM (What You See Is What You Mean).
That is, the author focuses on content, not on the details of formatting.
This allows for greater productivity, and leaves the final typesetting
to the backends (like LaTeX) that are specifically designed for the task.
With LyX, the author can concentrate on the contents of his writing,
and let the computer take care of the rest.