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From: binder@dosadi.DEC (No matter where you go, there you are.)
Newsgroups: net.micro.apple
Subject: Re: Suggestions solicited for printer and WP software for Apple ][
Message-ID: <776@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 10-Oct-85 09:51:48 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.776
Posted: Thu Oct 10 09:51:48 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 12-Oct-85 17:53:43 EDT
Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 45

There still aren't a whole lot of WPs around for the Apple ][ and // machines 
that are better than Applewriter.  For a ][+, Applewriter ][, and for a //e or 
//c, Applewriter 2.0 would be my recommendations.  These programs are 
reasonably easy to use in basic write-it-and-print-it modes of operation, yet
they have some quite sophisticatated features that allow for expansion of your
capabilities.  The following comments reflect Applewriter ][, as I have a ][+
and too little cash to upgrade to a //e. 

Applewriter works with 40 or 80 columns.

Applewriter doesn't care what kind of printer you have; if you want to send 
special control characters to it, you insert them right into the text.  This 
insertion admittedly fouls up the fill-justification by counting your control 
characters when building a line, but it does work, and the problem can be 
worked around with a little creativity.

Applewriter allows page headers and footers, including incrementing page 
numbers.  You can set up yoor margins and paragraph layouts just about any way 
you like.

Applewriter has footnoting capability, taking up to 256 characters per printed 
page of footnotes.  This isn't a huge amount of space, but it's adequate for 
book-and-page references; if you want to write volumes of footnote material, 
you're better off using end notes and not disrupting the flow of thought in 
your paper.

Applewriter has an adjunct called WPL (Word Processing Language) that allows 
you to build very powerful automation programs.  I have one called Mailer, 
which does mass mailings of form letters (like one of the WPL programs
included with Applewriter but more useful).  Mailer will print as many copies
of each letter as you like; it generates and addresses an "envelope" in the
form of an extra page (you fold the pages all together and staple them
closed); and it allows you to personalise each individual letter by the
inclusion of an unlimited number of personalised strings of text which you 
include in the mailing list.

I recommend Applewriter very highly; lesser programs don't do all the things I 
need to do, and greater ones are too complex, or they require hardware that 
you pay extra for, such as a Z80 card and an 80-column card.

Cheers,
Dick Binder   (The Stainless Steel Rat)

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