Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!udel!princeton!phoenix!kadickey
From: kadickey@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Kent Andrew Dickey)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Appleworks GS, Rastan, Miniassembler
Message-ID: <3792@idunno.Princeton.EDU>
Date: 2 Nov 90 09:03:48 GMT
Sender: news@idunno.Princeton.EDU
Organization: Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
Lines: 112

I just picked up my $99 upgrade to Appleworks GS yesterday, and I kinda
like it.  It's actually faster than I expected it to be.  I like it.

However, in 1 day I found it doesn't do what I hoped it to do (which
is to be roughly the equivalent of WriteNow in the wordprocessor module...well,
not exactly, but at least have some of the features...and it's so damn close
as to make that wish very frustrating).  Here are my main problems (and I
think #2 and #3 are outright bugs):

1)  There is still no Footnote support.  Does Beagle Bros. sell anything
that helps in this area (with AWGS...)?

2)  If you use super/sub-scripts on a line, that line is *ALWAYS* spaced
an extra distance from lines around it, no matter what you do.  Makes
papers involving chemistry formulas (CO2, H2O, etc) look VERY
unnappealing.  Even in page-layout mode, it only lets you reformat by
PARAGRAPH, so I'd have to reformat the document into separate paragraphs
for each line to get it to look like I'd want...sigh.

3)  You can only print to Laserwriters in a font size of which you have
a bit-mapped font installed in your system folder.  For example, I found
I need to try to print something in Times 13 (Times 12 was too small,
Times 14 too big, and those were the two closest sizes I have in my
system folder), and it came out as Times 14 on the printer (I can verify
this by actually printing Times 13 from a Mac).

4)  You should be able to set variable line spacing in the wordprocessor
(just like it already does in the page-layout module).  A line spacing
of 21 points looks fairly nice on a 12 point font.  AWGS wordprocessor
won't do this (but will if you import to Page-Layout...but there I have
a new problem:)

5)  Page-Layout when it imports wordprocessor files loses the margin
setting commands.  Makes nice indented lists nearly impossible (can you
say resume?).

6) Oh yeah, you can't type (at least as far as I can tell) the extra
characters of a font in directly in any module (for example, bullets for
lists again).  I created a text file from ML containing all chars from
$80-$FF, imported that to the wordprocessor, and used Cut and Paste to
get bullets and other funny characters (cents, etc.).  It's most
annoying since the option key doesn't seem to be used for anything, so it
should be used to get the extra characters.

Why do I mention all this (since I'm sure that others brought up the
same points, and others, back when v1.0 and v1.1 first came out)?
I was just wondering what work-arounds people have found for these, and
what Claris might have in mind for new revisions (if any at all).

As for Rastan, EVERYBODY BUY THIS GAME!  It's absolutely amazing.  Even
if you don't own a GS, *BUY IT*.  $22 from Programs Plus, and I got it
the next day.  Well worth supporting the Apple // series any way
possible.  Plus, John Brooks must need the money (I can't imagine him
making all that much $$$ from writing //gs games).

Buying Xenocide almost goes without saying since we've all ordered it by
now, right?  

As for the mini-assembler, it was present in the Apple II, removed in
the II+ and unenhanced IIe, and then brought back again in every Apple
// since.  In the II+ and unenhanced IIe, you could use the
miniassembler by booting DOS 3.3, and installing integer basic.  Kinda
defeats the purpose of it, though.

One last comment (I like to put all my comments in one post, so that
those who have me in their kill file only have to kill one message at a
time...):   People have to keep perspective of exactly who here on the
net is using Apple // computers.  I see the group splitting nicely in 2
(posting-wise, at least.  Lurkers throw off any statistics).  Group #1:
Professional computer users who use workstations regularly.  They like
their GS (or don't like it) at home, but don't expect workstation
performance out of it.  Would like to definitely use what powers the GS
has to its full potential, and wish there was more software for it.  A
new //gs from Apple seems pointless since it would create more
incompatibilites.  Group #2: College students.  They see what the Mac
and the Amiga and ______ could do, and say "Hey, I'd like my //gs to do that
too!"  And they think anything their computer isn't currently doing
needs to be fixed since being on the cutting edge is important.

My opinion?  Well, briefly: Apple, if it ever improves the GS at all,
should only speed it up.  7-8MHz sounds reasonable.  And patch the
on-board ROMS so fewer tools need to be loaded.  Change nothing else.
(Unless that change could *ADD* a feature while providing COMPLETE
compatibility with existing programs...as in, if 640x400 resolution is
provided, make sure any program not expecting it still works OK.
Actually, I'd like to suggest that if 640x400 res is provided, provide
at least 2 display screens!  Even if full compatibility is guaranteed,
I'm still not sure of it being a very good idea).  The reasons for very
little to change should be obvious to anyone who stops to think about it...

As for more software--well, by purchasing software you like, and writing
on those registration cards that you want more, you send a clearer
message to publishers than you might expect.  Just look at Morgan Davis
looking to patch up II+'s so that more people can run his software (I
can't expect more than a dozen people have asked for it...).  Or write
some code yourself (I'm trying to write what I can when I get time, but I
never seem to have anough.  I'm about half-way finished with a really
fast //gs assembler, but I need OMF docs or something first to make it
really useable.  If ever finished, it will be freeware.  I also have a
barely useable (as in, you type: 2023:60 N 2000G to run it [60 is for slot
6]) 5.25" nibble-copier written too...if someone would like to add a
user-interface to it, you're welcome to all my code.  It actually is
more than a nibble copier--it 'packs' a nibble version of a disk to a
bunch of files, and can unpack it similarly.  It was meant to make II
users with lots of RAM but only one drive able to make faster copies).

I really don't want to see another post bitching about Apple support.
Or, if you feel the need to bitch, include the keywords "BITCH BITCH
BITCH" so that we can all kill it, ok?

			Kent Dickey
kadickey@phoenix.Princeton.EDU