Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!ames!pasteur!euler!e118-ak
From: e118-ak@euler.uucp (e118 student)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Word problem
Summary: Wouldn't save large file
Message-ID: <9800@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 13 Feb 89 07:33:13 GMT
References: <413zebolskyd@byuvax.bitnet>
Sender: news@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU
Reply-To: e118-ak@euler.UUCP (e118 student)
Organization: U.C. Berkeley
Lines: 39

I had a nasty problem with Word recently.  I was editing a large file
(about 530K) on a Mac Plus (standard, except for having the very, very,
very, very original 128K ROMs -- the ones that won't let you boot if any
attached SCSI device is turned off.  BTW, Apple officially denies that
such ROMs exist.) using v. 5 system and Word 3.01.  I was doing some rather
major global changes on the file, saving about every twenty minutes (every
other keystroke, in other words).  I did one global change which forewarned
me that I wouldn't be able to undo (Fine; I had already checked to be
certain I really wanted to do it) because of limited memory.  It finished
and then told me to close any other windows and save my document because
of the memory shortage.  I verified that no other window was open and saved
the file.  It happily purred away to my hard disk (20MB SuperMac DataFrame)
for about ten minutes (not an exaggeration; I timed it), got 92% through,
and told me it couldn't save the file because there wasn't enough memory.
It again told me to close windows & save docs.  It wasn't shortage of diskk
space; I had about 3.5MB free.  It didn't have enough RAM.  I was in a 
major jam.  What was I to do -- rush out and buy a RAM upgrade and install
it with the machine still on & my document up and running??????  I tried
three more times to save the file, and it always got 92% through and then
upchucked.  I tried to get it to do a fast save; it wouldn't let me select
the option.  Finally, I got it to save, but only by saving as a Text Only
document.

Why, for the love of Bellevue, did Word allow me to edit myself into a corner
from which it wouldn't let me save??????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????  How could it have
the document in memory but be unable to save?  Will this be fixed in Vapor --
er, uh, WORD -- 4.0?

Another beef about 4.0: I got my little newsletter
from Microsoft, mailed in June or so, arrived just after Christmas.  Mailed
in the little card saying "return by 7/15/88 for cheaper upgrade."  Got snotty
letter back telling me it was past the deadline.  WELL, SO IS THE PRODUCT
RELEASE!!  All this after MS's upgrade dept. categorically denied the 
existence of any upgrade offer on another fine MS product, Fortran.  I got
the upgrade letter in the mail the next day.  The moral of this paragraph:
Microsoft's Upgrade/Customer Disservice Depts. need a major overhaul.

Sorry for the verbose post.  --Linc Madison, e118-ak@euler.berkeley.edu