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From: davidli@umn-cs.CS.UMN.EDU (Dave Meile)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Zoomracks
Message-ID: <14369@umn-cs.CS.UMN.EDU>
Date: 12 Jul 89 14:53:23 GMT
References: <8907112259.AA07041@cs.wm.edu>
Reply-To: davidli@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu (Dave Meile)
Organization: Flying Taoist Graphics
Lines: 40

In article <8907112259.AA07041@cs.wm.edu> csrobe@CS.WM.EDU (Chip Roberson) writes:
>From what I read in ST report, it seems more likely that Quickview had
>a really rough time trying to get the marketing and advertising going.
>I remember seeing the box for it in the computer store when I bought my
>ST 4 years ago, but I did not know that it was a card-oriented thought
>processor like HyperCard until I read STReport a few weeks back.
>
>I'd like to suggest to anyone who is interested in this product to let
>Quickview systems know that there is a market.  I really think there
>would be a market if they could intergrate graphics into their cards and
>make it GEM based.
>
>If anybody has a demo of Zoomracks, I would greatly appreciate a receiving
>a copy.

I have problems with Chip's suggestion.  I bought Zoomracks II.  I PAID for
an update version, oh, about 2 years back which I still have not received.
Quickview Systems does not _deserve_ any "support" from Atari ST owners, as
their own level of support to registered users who PAID for the next version
of their product has been zilch.

The program itself has quirks which were, at one time, not too frustrating
to deal with.  However, in the years since its initial release, Zoomracks
has become less and less useful.  It is NOT a HyperCard.  It was written
(so I've been told) in a version of Forth which does not take kindly to
such things as desk accessories and RAM disks.  Use of the mouse is, for
all practical purposes, nil.  It does not use the GEM interface, and the
keyboard manipulations you need to do in order to accomplish something are
on par with early versions of Word Star on CP/M systems.  Be prepared to
make use of your Alternate key as you've never used it before!

There is a demo version, which I can probably send to you if you're really
interested.  Send me e-mail and I'll give you details on how to get a disk
and stamped envelope to me.

By the way -- are there any other dissatisfied Zoomracks owners who paid for
the upgrade who might be interested in a class-action suit against Quickview
Systems?

-- Dave Meile