Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uflorida!gatech!bbn!ileaf!io!carlos
From: carlos@io.UUCP (Carlos Smith x4433)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: hypertext on amiga?
Summary: look at "Thinker"
Message-ID: <1134@io.UUCP>
Date: 29 Jun 89 19:33:00 GMT
References: <3128@csd4.milw.wisc.edu>
Reply-To: carlos@zapp.UUCP (Carlos Smith x4433)
Distribution: na
Organization: Interleaf, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 53

In article <3128@csd4.milw.wisc.edu> dave@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (David A Rasmussen) writes:
>i am rather new to the arena of hypertext stuff. I was wondering if there were
>any amiga products, or would one be able to run a mac emulator on the amiga
>and run their hypercard software or???
>

There is a product called "Thinker" that is the only hypertext program I have
found for the Amiga. I am happy with it, using it as an outliner (even just as
an outliner it is better and cheaper than the other outline-only programs I
have seen). I have used it somewhat as a hypertext tool for laying out concepts
and designs and linking them together. I have never used a "real" hypertext
system such as Xanadu or the one at Brown University, so I can't really say how
close this comes to such a system.

It does allow you to use single words or phrases (enclosed in <>) as links to
sections in the same or other documents (if the full path is specified as part
of the link). Labels for sections are defined by enclosing them in () at the
start of a section or paragraph. Synonyms are allowed by separating them with
commas. You may also link to an IFF file, which will be loaded in and displayed
(you choose whether in a window or its own screen). You can also invoke 
external commands through links. Whenever a link is followed you have the
choice of displaying it in the current window or its own window through a
pop-up menu.

It is hierarchical as well as having the links I have described, and you may
specify the number of levels displayed under a topic.

I like the use of pop-up menus for almost everything (much nicer than having
to go to the title bar for everything), these appear under the mouse so you
can interact quickly. The authoring is pretty straightforward, and the pop-up
menus allow you to access a number of options with minimum mouse motion. It is 
a little weak as a text editor, and has no font effects (bold, etc) or 
formatting, but that is not what it is for... All in all, the user interface
is pretty nice. Everything is in RAM so it is pretty fast. It is not copy-
protected.

There are rumors that a hypercard clone is being worked on for the Amiga, but
rumors are just rumors until I can buy the product off the shelf...

You can contact the publisher of Thinker at Poor Person SW, (415)493-7234. Oh,
it costs $80, and has a 30 day guarantee.

>--
>Dave Rasmussen, UW Milwaukee Computing Services Division. Uucp: uwmcsd4!dave,
>Inet: dave@csd4.milw.wisc.edu, Bitnet: dave%csd4.milw.wisc.edu@INTERBIT
>Bellnet: 414-229-5133. "Hey Mister, are you tall?" "Yes I'm tall but who
>are all you weird little wonders?" - Tom 'Tbone' Stankus.


-- 
			Carlos Smith
			uucp:...!mit-eddie!ileaf!carlos
			Bix:	carlosmith