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From: sakw@cvaxa.sussex.ac.uk (Sak Wathanasin)
Newsgroups: net.micro.mac
Subject: What is Multi-write?
Message-ID: <230@cvaxa.sussex.ac.uk>
Date: Thu, 26-Jun-86 17:37:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: cvaxa.230
Posted: Thu Jun 26 17:37:46 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 30-Jun-86 03:47:38 EDT
Organization: Cognitive Studies Programme, U of Sussex, UK
Lines: 76

Someone posted the following bits of info on Mactel, a UK BBS. I'd
be grateful for any more info about it. Thanks.
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Category:  1       MAC Information
Message #:  929
Submitted:  06/16/86 2:11
Submitted by:  BRUCE STIDSTON
Subject:  Word processing/MultiWrite.
 
Keith Lander: Here's the blurb on MultiWrite...
 
* It features integrated outlining: a sort of ThinkTank 512
inside a full-blown word-processor. Absolutely brilliant
if it works well: hands up every writer who has wished
that ThinkTank had a bit more MicroSoft Word in it, and
vice versa.
 
* Auto-numbering of sections, lists, etc.
 
* Sort: lists or outlines, alphabetically.
 
* Multi-windows -- up to 12. Who needs 12? Well, four isn't
enough for me personally: I like to leave my daily timesheet
file open all the time; then there's my things-to-do list -- nice
to be able to leave it on the desktop and check things off as
they are done; that leaves only a couple of windows for
multiple-file work... always wondered why Word has the 4-window
limitation. The obvious one... memory?
 
* Multi-ClipBoard to accumulate all cut or copied text. Better
than Undo. One of my four windows has traditionally been
reserved for this purpose anyway, so it's almost like
MultiWrite's authors read my mind with this neat feature.
 
* Dragging text, rather than cutting and pasting. Word is
OUTSTANDING in this respect, with its shortcuts. Word lets
you completely re-structure a document in the time it
takes a MacWrite user to mouse up to the Edit menu... MultiWrite
apparently lets you pick up any number of topics or paras
and simply drag them to where you want 'em.
 
* MARK feature: identifies paragraphs that
have been revised within a user-specified time, so changes
can be reviewed quickly.
 
* Count feature: words, characters, paragraphs.
 
* Zoom feature. For quick window re-sizing. Probably essential
when you've got a dozen of the darned things floating about.
I also notice a Windows item on the menu bar; if this is
what I think it is, these guys have done their homework.
 
* Multi-selection: You can select non-consecutive blocks of
text and operate on them. Neat for font or formatting changes.
Haven't used MacAuthor, but would assume from the spec that
this is simple to achieve (via a different route).

All this, plus a $79 price tag. If it scrolls better than MacWrite
(and let's face it, a ZX 81 on my colour telly scrolls better than
MacWrite), MW will at last be able to bite the dust once and for
all. If it shows headers, footers and page-breaks then, heck,
maybe we can trash MS-Word too.

Regards,
Bruce Stidston.

PS: Did you know there's a company in the States with a
product called Macauthor (lower-case 'a')?

PPS: Where is Microsoft's Typographer word processing
program?
-- 
Sak Wathanasin, U of Sussex, Cognitive Studies, Falmer, Sussex BN1 9QN, UK
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