Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!mordor!joyce!ames!elan!kg
From: kg@elan.UUCP (Ken Greer)
Newsgroups: comp.text
Subject: Re: DWB 2.0, HP Laser Jet II
Message-ID: <346@elan.UUCP>
Date: 12 Sep 88 20:52:55 GMT
References: <203@dcs.UUCP>
Organization: Elan Computer Group, Inc., Palo Alto, CA
Lines: 53

From article <203@dcs.UUCP>, by wnp@dcs.UUCP (Wolf N. Paul):
> In article <345@elan.UUCP> kg@elan.UUCP (Ken Greer) writes:
> 
>>According to AT&T spokesman, the AT&T DWB product group has disbanded.
>>This has been confirmed with my conversation with the DWB 2.0 product
>>manager.  There are no official plans to have another release of DWB
>>after DWB 2.0, the current release.  They are leaving it up to
>>third parties to provide further support beyond what 2.0 offers.
> 
> If I remember correctly, there was a recent announcement about AT&T having
> officially adopted SoftQuad's DWB 2.0 product, to the extent that they
> are distributing it (or planning to) via their AT&T Toolbox system. This
> seems to confirm the general thrust of Ken's statement.

AT&T is not distributing SoftQuad, or anyone elses enhanced Troff.
From my talks with AT&T, they have no (current at least) intention to.

SoftQuad has been saying a number of things like you mention above,
but this is not the case.

Here is a copy of a SoftQuad posting with corrections...
----------------
	| SoftQuad Publishing Software is available in source and binary
	| form through AT&T and SoftQuad as an enhanced product derived
	| from AT&T's UNIX Documenter's Workbench, Release 2.0 Software.

I spoke to AT&T.  Yes, you can buy DWB 2.0 from AT&T as usual. But they
don't sell SQ source or binary.  You'll have to call them.
So, the above is, I assume, meant to be intentionally ambiguous.
So it can also read:

    Eroff is available in source and binary
    form through AT&T and Elan as an enhanced product derived
    from AT&T's UNIX Documenter's Workbench, Release 2.0 Software.

	| SoftQuad is providing ongoing support and development for the product.

We're providing ongoing support and development too.

	| In its current release, it has also been incorporated by AT&T
	| into its "Standard Operating Environment" (SOE) for internal
	| use. Special arrangements have been made for the purchase of
	| SoftQuad Publishing Software by AT&T personnel.

We have numerous divisions in AT&T who have standardized on Eroff also.
Our sales figures indicate that AT&T has in no way adopted SQ as a standard.
Yes, we have a special purchase arrangement with AT&T also.

Is this deception?  You be the judge.
-- 
Ken Greer
Elan Computer Group, Inc.
{ames,hplabs}!elan!kg
415-322-2450