Path: utzoo!mnetor!frank
From: frank@mnetor.UUCP (Frank Kolnick)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Word Processing.  Why the silence?
Message-ID: <4783@mnetor.UUCP>
Date: 12 Nov 88 22:09:09 GMT
References: <1988Nov4.221606.20356@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu> <76338@sun.uucp> <5906@fluke.COM>
Reply-To: frank@mnetor.UUCP (Frank Kolnick)
Organization: Computer X (CANADA) Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Lines: 58

In article <5906@fluke.COM> moriarty@tc.fluke.COM (Jeff Meyer) writes:
>I agree with Chuq's breakdown of word processors into a high-end/low-end
>category.  In the low-end, I don't know much about those programs, though I
>am curious -- is WriteNow 2.0 out yet?  I had understood it had been delayed
>forever.   Also, I'd recommend looking at the new word processor in
>Microsoft Works -- it looks like it's getting to be quite a full-fledged
>word processor (text wrapping around graphics, spelling checker, etc.)
>
>In the high end, I will agree that WordPerfect causes my skin to crawl;
>after working with it for three hours, my motto became Kill Ugly Software.
>As to FullWrite and Word 3.0, I still use FullWrite, but I will be the first
>to admit that the speed problems are REALLY getting to bug me.  ...

Well, since someone asked...
I've been using Word for years (after being weaned from MacWrite) and
am, for the most part, satisfied.  Word is fine for letters and simple
documents, but I find it far too cumbersome for manuals and books.  So
I do most of my drafts with Word and then switch to XPress to do the
layout, insert diagrams and the final edits.  I think XPress is great (!),
by the way.  I used Pagemaker for a year (first version) and was too
frustrated by the speed, bugs, and awkwardness.  XPress is superfast 
(certainly faster than Word, not only for text editing but it also 
checks spelling faster than anything else I've seen), handles graphics
very well (it can link to a graphic so that any changes you make there
are automatically incorporated in the main document), can search and
replace by content, font, size, etc., etc.  But it doesn't qualify as
a low-end w.p.  I'm hoping Word 4.0 will raise the threshold beyond
which I have to switch, but I'll still use XPress when appearance is
important. (It's also much smarter about text than Word, in terms of
leading, tracking, kerning, you name it).  On the other hand, one
of the main reasons I stick with Word is compatibility.  XPress imports
Word files smoothly, style sheets and all.  In fact, XPress' command-key
equivalents are obviously based on Word so the transition is smooth
as well.  Word is also understood by MacLink, which I use to transfer
files between my Mac and my AT.  And Word seems solid (since 3.02,
anyway).  I tried FW on the dealer's Mac II.  It was nice but so slow
that I gave up any hope for using it on my SE.  Also, I prefer to
pick and choose my drawing programs, and just don't believe any single
package can be the best at everything (DeskDraw is a very nice
alternative to an integrated drawing program, otherwise I use Cricket
Draw or Illustrator).

While on the topic, I have one major problem with Word.  After a while,
editing almost any file slows to a crawl.  Even for a two-finger
typist about 30% of the characters are lost.  I have no idea why this
happens but if anyone does, I'd sure like to know.  (File size doesn't
seem to be a factor, and neither does 'fast save'.)

BTW, a while ago I asked for information on packages which generate
indices (or even just word lists), other than by embedding special
information in the document (as Word requires).  The only response I
got mentioned something called Sonar.  Anybody know what this is
and where I can find it?

-- 
Frank Kolnick,
consulting for, and therefore expressing opinions independent of, Computer X
UUCP: {allegra, linus}!utzoo!mnetor!frank