info-mac@utcsrgv.UUCP (info-mac) (04/26/84)
Date: Tue 24 Apr 84 16:31:03-EST From: bill coderre <uw-beaver!SE.BC%MIT-EECS@MIT-MC.ARPA> Subject: Using Write/Paint; quick tips, observations, etc. To: info-mac@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA Cc: se.bc%MIT-EECS@MIT-MC.ARPA The other night I sat down and seriously used Write-Paint to write a 7pp single-spaced with illustrations technical paper. I learned quite a bit about some of the rough edges of write-paint, and I thought I'd pass along some observations and tips. MacWrite: I noticed that it is a hassle to use the mouse to do cursor positioning. It's tough for me to get the cursor into the middle of a word, and its an especial hassle to be taking my hands off the keyboard to get the mouse, twiddle it, then go back to the keyboard. MacWrite won't let you put the cursor right between the header of a page and the first character on the page when the previous page had an "Insert Page Break" done. The solution is to move it after the first character and then erase the first character. Blinking the typing line makes my eyes tired. Isn't there a better way? Most non-font editors are smart enough to print the line and erase EOL. Can't this be created for MacWrite? When printing a document, you must have MacWrite, the Imagewriter utility, your document, and room left over for some sort of translated version of the document on your disk. Needless to say, it's easy to run out of room. The solution until the proposed double-density drives come out is to print the document in sections (i.e. pp. 1-3, 4-6, etc.). At least you CAN print it out that way. Expectedly, there is no data loss if MacWrite runs out of room along the way, but there is also no advance warning of this event, and there is no ``help'' provided either on the screen or in the manual telling you the above empirically-derived hint. Seems they could've put it in the ``!'' box. Headers and footers must be shown to work, but once you prep them you click the main document window (rather than saying ``Hide...'') to get them out of your way while still taking effect. This is clumsy. Also, page numbers like this: -12- are not really doable. Printer: Medium quality timed at about 1 to 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per page, page filled with single-spaced typing, headers and footers. High quality timed at about 4-6 minutes per page as above, same document. High quality gives less jaggies, but doesn't really help with the roundness of some letterforms. Also, the letters in high-quality mode are heavier (have thicker strokes) than either what's on the screen or medium-quality mode. Bold characters in small fonts have a tendency to fill in. Line/Page feeding in high quality mode is S-L-O-W. Wonder why? It appears that Tall Adjust mode is the right thing to do, giving nice pictures and letterforms. But the ruler across the top of the screen doesn't work right then, so you must be careful! IMPORTANT HINTS: You should always use the full 5 lines of header and footer so you don't end up typing on the roller in cut-sheet mode. Also, leave 1/4 inch between the little rollers and the top of the page in cut-sheet. When printing, the roller first turns DOWN a little before spacing up; if you don't leave extra, the paper gets munched really nicely... MacPaint: You can't select anything bigger than a windowful, so you can't put anything big into the clipboard. In order to clip big drawings you will have to dothem in pieces. MacPaint uses older printing code, so it hangs until the printer is ready, then types with total disregard for the paper-out light. No prompts are given. Thus, don't say print till you really mean it! All in all, I still can't answer the age old question ``Wouldn't it have been easier by hand?'' positively, but the results are very nice from write/paint, and it wasn't harder than any other word processor. Integrated text and graphics is awesome, especially on bond paper, and seeing the end result on the screen is fabulous. I honestly only had to print the document once. The Mac is the first consumer-league computer to offer this. I can't wait until the GOOD editors and graphic makers show up. I'm looking forward to doing my thesis with Mac. ..........................................................bill coderre -------