[net.micro.mac] software reviews

henry@rochester.UUCP (12/14/84)

From: Henry.Kautz

Date: 13 Dec 1984 14:51-EST

I just played with one excellent and 2 outrageously great new mac
programs--

1. Hayen spelling checker is very nice.  Its a standalone program,
which claims to work with any kind of document.  It has a 20,000 word
dictionary, allows additional dictionaries, and stores whole words --
no prefix/suffix heuristics.  (The scheme is less fancy, but is more
reliable and does a better job of finding alternative words.)  Nice
interface, fast, lots of ways to review your corrections before they
are inserted in the final document.  Could use a few more
keyboard-executable commands.  Excellent documentation.  Copied protected
with the master as key scheme.  Not sure how well it works on vary large
documents.  Not clear if it will work with disk-based McWrite. $79.

Now, for the outrageously great ones --

2. LOAD RUNNER is a classic video game.  You run up and down latters, over
bridges, collecting gold and zapping bad guys.  Boring, right?  Nope.  This
game lets you construct your own game boards, and comes with 150 (!) boards
built in!  The use of the Mac interface is superb.  These guys have been
studying Inside Macintosh!  Everything is so logically laid out that hardly
any use of the documentation is necessary -- which is, incidently, very
good.  Very reasonable protection scheme:  use the master as key, with
unlimited copies.  Your master disk will be replaced FREE for the first 90
days, and for only $5 for ANY REASON thereafter (even your own abuse).  Put
this one in my Christmas stocking. $49

3.  Hayden Musicworks is phenomenal.  This program lets you compose, print,
and play back 4 voice scores.  You get both close up and whole-score (at
reduced size) windows, full use and conformity with the Mac interface,
different instruments.  Lots of nice features -- e.g., a little box which
always tells you the note that your pointing to (eg G) when the cursur is
over the staff.  Comes with bunches of short tunes.  Not sure how well it
handles longer works.  Does not transpose automagically.  It will be
interesting to see if Professional Composer from Mark of the Unicorn can
outclass this act! $79


---- Henry Kautz
	:uucp:	{seismo|allegra}!rochester!henry
	:arpa:	henry@rochester
-- 
---- Henry Kautz
	:uucp:	{seismo|allegra}!rochester!henry
	:arpa:	henry@rochester