Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!oxy!traiger
From: traiger@oxy.edu (Saul Traiger)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: hypertext in windows
Message-ID: <172841@tiger.oxy.edu>
Date: 7 Jun 91 18:13:05 GMT
References: <1991Jun6.080923.4521@forwiss.uni-passau.de>
Organization: Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA  90041
Lines: 37

In article <1991Jun6.080923.4521@forwiss.uni-passau.de> WKWINKEL@ibm.rz.uni-passau.de (Olaf Winkelhake) writes:
>Hi,
>we are thinking of creating a hypertext stack for our students. None of us
>is very familiar with hypertext programs, so we'd like to hear of some
>experience made with those programs.
>So far I have heard of the Programs TOOLBOOK and GUIDE. Did anybody
>use them, how did they work - are there other (better) programs?
>We'd need both: text and graphics but no sound.
>

I have been using Guide for the last two years. I've developed hypertext
applications in cognitive psychology and the philosophy of science for
students in the Cognitive Science major at Occidental College.	In my
view, Guide is an excellent product.  When I began using it, it was
virtually the only hypertext product available for the PC, certainly
the only one running under Windows.  That was version 2.0. I created a
wish list of features I'd like to see. Virtually all of them were added
in version 3.0!  Product support is excellent. Here's one example: Version
2.0 did not have the ability to open and close hypertext windows from a script
linked to a button. We asked Owl International about this, and they wrote
an interpreter for us which did what we wanted.  We made extensive use of it.
We worried that our files would not be compatible with Guide 3.0, because
we had this special interpreter. We were wrong! Owl made sure that our
files were useable with Guide 3.0!  Now that's product support!

Hypertext authoring tools for the pc were just reviewed in a recent
edition of PC Magazine. They didn't give Guide top honors, and I agree
with their claims about the weaknesses of the product.	I suspect that
some of these features will be added in the next release.  Guide is
certainly worth a close look.  In any case, you should look at the PC Mag
article.

Saul Traiger
Director, Cognitive Science Program
Occidental College
Los Angeles, CA
traiger@oxy.edu