Path: utzoo!attcan!telly!moore!eastern!don
From: don@eastern.FIDONET.ORG (Don O'Shaughnessy)
Newsgroups: comp.text.desktop
Subject: Macintosh Page composition programs
Message-ID: <65.23FEA548@eastern.FIDONET.ORG>
Date: 19 Feb 89 06:37:00 GMT
Organization: Eastern Graphics Services, Toronto (416) 286-6191
Lines: 23

In message Message-ID: <530@h-three.UUCP>  jimi writes: 

> I've narrowed the choice to Quark Xpress and Aldus Pagemaker. I'd like to
> hear what the advantage and disadvantage of each of these programs are,
> strengths and weaknesses, etc.  

What you've heard is basically correct. As a dedicated Pagemaker user who occasionally fights to a frustrated halt with Xpress I must admit a bias, but in a short synopsis: 

Xpress is vastly superior for typographic control. If you are looking for a system which will allow you to eliminate the galley-and-proof traditional typesetting route and go straight to page layouts from an existing mockup, Xpress is terrific.  

On the other hand, for those who like to design on the fly, push text and graphics all over the place until it comes together, I would select Pagemaker.  Unlike Xpress, PM treats both text and graphics equally - you "place" both of them, then do what you like with them - resize, narrow or widen columns, shrink or expand graphics and so on. Xpress requires that you place "text" (text) in text boxes and "documents" (graphics) in graphics boxes, which drives me NUTS!  

But for jobs which require A-1 typography - Xpress. Pricey, but good.  

Hope this helps.  

cheers... 
dos 

--  
Don O'Shaughnessy - via Fidonet node 1:223/228
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