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From: eijkhout@s41.csrd.uiuc.edu (Victor Eijkhout)
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Subject: Re: Why use TeX if ...
Message-ID: <1991May4.191951.26699@csrd.uiuc.edu>
Date: 4 May 91 19:19:51 GMT
References: <1991May4.165602.1@csc.anu.edu.au>
Sender: news@csrd.uiuc.edu (news)
Organization: UIUC Center for Supercomputing Research and Development
Lines: 76

inm501@csc.anu.edu.au writes:

>	I am using OzTeX on the Macintosh.  I've almost come to a conclusion 
>that is not worth learning about TeX, LaTeX if:

>(1)  you already have the program mentioned below;

>(2)  you don't mind paying for the program; 

but then below you say:

>Things that I don't like about TeX and OzTeX (no flame intended!!):

>(1)  It doesn't support background printing in OzTeX so that the Mac is 
>held up when the document is waiting to be printed.

>(2)  It is a *PAIN* to incorporate PS, EPS  diagrams in OzTeX document if you 
>want to center it automatically. 

If you don't mind spending a few bucks, why don't you buy
TeXtures, which uses most features of the Mac to make it
as smooth going as possible? In particular your above
objections don't hold anymore then.

>Things that TeX is supposed to be good for:

Waddayamean 'supposed'?

>(1)  Cross-referencing:
>	I can do what BibTeX can do with things like EndNote and ProCite.
>I believe that with a little bit of fiddling, I can get EndNote to cross
>reference my diagrams, or probably equations as well.

And without changing more than a single line you can alter
your bibliograhy style?

>(2)  Typesetting equations:
>	I think MathType is doing a pretty good job and it is fool-proof.
>Incidentally, MathType comes with a TeX interface which converts equations 
>into TeX commands.

MathType translates wrongly, if I remember a review in TeXline.
Furthermore, TeX is the best looking one, no competition.

>(3)  Macros:
>	If you like to automate things, Nisus doesn't look bad at all. I've
>played with the demo and it seems to be pretty powerful.

Oh innocence! Demo's always look good. Use both packages for
a while, and then tell me you can do with Nisus what you can
do with TeX.

>(4)  Most WP programs on the Mac do come with spelling checker these days.
>To spell check a TeX files, you will have to detex it first or to find a 
>spelling checker that will ignore TeX commands.  I don't think there is
>such a spelling checker on the Mac yet.

I'll grant you this one.

>	I am looking for someone to convince me otherwise.  Could someone give
>me some concrete examples that TeX is superior than a combination of the Mac
>programs mentioned above?

Take a reasonably long paragraph (15 lines or so)
Now (all without changing the text):
- make it one line longer
- make it one line shorter
- set it without white space at the end of the last line
- let the first line indent 10pt in the left and the
 last line 10pt into the right margin.

No other program but TeX (as far as I know) has the mechanisms
to do such things. I can come up with other examples, but
this is one I like.

Victor.