info-mac@uw-beaver (02/04/85)
From: LEVITT%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA
I got Microsoft Word yesterday from my local dealer, who says they
arrived Wednesday the 30th. The HELP window dates it as Version 1.00,
Jan 18, 1985. I am running it with a 128K Mac with a Corvus hard
disk. UNLIKE Hayden Musicworks, I can run it from my hard disk with
subsequent high performance; it only requires that I insert the master
floppy for a moment the first time Word boots up during a session.
I am impressed and satisfied with it so far, despite one horrible
design flaw (see below). It is not as fast as MacWrite on screen
redisplay or mouse tracking, but it is fast enough. Redisplay time is
independent of document length.
I was particularly pleased that there's been an effort at cursor
motion keys for touch typists: these Option-Command keys (you hold
down both) centered around JKL; on the keyboard. Holding down Shift
as well does the right thing, extending the selection while the cursor
moves. I've taped the chart to my Mac and I'll see how long it takes
to get used to it, and whether I reach EMACS fluency with it. Also,
virtually every other command has a Command- character abbreviation.
Of course, Word supports multiple buffers and large files, and
converts MacWrite documents (except for their headers/footers). It
also supports selection of a text line or entire document with a
single-click, using a narrow "selection area" on the left margin.
Paragraph formatting is per paragraph, not per "ruler". By toggling
Command-R, ONE trim ruler appears at the top for setting margins and
tabs in the currently selected paragraphs; or, you can use a dialogue
box for more detailed formatting work. I haven't played with the
glossary or footnote capabilities yet.
Word is not quite as WYSIWYG as MacWrite. To get page boundary
information, you give a PAGINATE command, which takes about 2 seconds
per single space document page; when it's done, a little = sign
appears to the left of every line that starts a page. Saving a file
takes about that long too.
My greatest DISAPPOINTMENT: while you type, the text earlier on the
current line FLASHES visibly, apparently for 1/60 second, at about
2Hz! I've found this quite annoying; I may get used to it, but I hope
it gets fixed in a later release. I've found no other bugs. However,
I was surprised to get a "Session too long - Save and Quit" dialogue
box after I'd been working with several large buffers for a while.
-David
All the same, it IS a wonderful step forward.....
------
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Date: 31 JAN 1985 10:45 CST
To: INFO-MAC-REQUEST@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA
From: C27830AD%WUVMD.BITNET@Berkeley
Subject: RE HAMACHI'S PROBLEM WITH MACWRITE 3.98
ReSent-Date: Fri 1 Feb 85 23:59:32-PST
ReSent-From: John Mark Agosta <INFO-MAC-REQUEST@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA>
ReSent-To: info-mac@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA
I have a solution, although you may not like it. I have the Word
from Microsoft on a 128K Mac. It reads formatted MacWrite documents
automatically and converts them a lot faster than 3.8 MW did. It
prints standard and high quality a page at a time, thus avoiding
the ridiculous requirement of MacWrite that you have enough disk
space to put the entire file in print format on it.
I've printed a print merge document (a driver file much like
print merge on Wordstar) that was 53 pages long without trouble.
Word needs a little work to go on a 128K Mac, but if you use a
smaller System file, make Word the startup application and trash
the Finder, you've got 140K free on the Word disk itself. It'll
even work well with a single-drive then.
I advise using the Delete File and Disk Info desk accessories
with Word to let you do some disk management from within Word.
Art Denzau C27830AD@WUVMD.BITNET (314)889-5688
Dept. of Economics Box 1208
Washington Univ.
St. Louis, MO 63130