GS software recommendatins wanted

norman@sdics.UUCP (04/03/87)

Yes, another request for software advice, but I have been watching
this group for weeks now and haven't seen the topic come up.

The II GS is on the way, so it is time to get the software so I can
use it when it arrives.  The GS is for the family and the 7 year old,
so I can have my MAC alone to myself again.  But what software?  We
are spoiled: we want MAC-like software.  I refuse to go back to clunky
APPLE // level command language weird key strings.  Bad enough I have
to use emacs and UNIX and troff at work.  So what is available for the
GS, ideally that makes use of the GS (mouse, high resolution, new
standard desktop that Apple is about to argue should be common across
all their machines, sound, color, etc.)

Some of what I ask for is premature. My friends at Apple say "really neat
stuff is coming out, in about a year."  What about now?  Do I really
have to go back to DOS, and Apple II+ like kludges?

Note the "peculiar" attitude toward software that I am adopting: I
insist upon usable, understandable software. I make my living fighting
for it and trying to figure out how to achieve it, so my home should
be a demonstration of it.  Given this attitude, then what kind of
advice can you offer:

EDITORS, etc.

Appleworks: looks like learning 1001 arbitrary keystrokes, once more.
Nope.  Eveything I am fighting against.

Roger Wagner Mouse Write: What is it like?
Styleware Multiscribe: Is it really memory limited as the ad implies
("will print whatever size document fits in memory" -- you mean in RAM
-- 10 pages?  Like the original macwrite?  I can't believe it.

Any good, mouse-driven editors?

MUSIC
There seem to be two basic music programs for non-experts like us:
	Electronic Art's Music construction kit
	Activision's Music Studio
comments?

DRAWING PROGRAMS
	Activision Paintoworks looks like MacPaint.  Can it do a
picture larger than screen size?
	StyleWare TopDraw is object oriented. Good, but how easy to
learn and use.
	How about all those others?

UTILITIES

Is there a backup program that works on the GS? (COPY II, version 7
says it does, but the ad looks like it is an afterthought).  How about
a program that will transfer copy-protected stuff to a hard disk.
Like COPY II Hard Disk on the Mac.

Is there a good backup program for a hard disk? (yeah, I am getting a
hard disk.  I have never liked floppies: real computers have all their
software on-line, available in seconds.  In fact, I have already have
cleared off the space on my desk for my 1/2 gigabyte CD ROM. :-)

LANGUAGES

Whose Logo, basic, c.  Terrapin Logo would seem preferred for the II
series, but does it work on the GS?  

Games, especially educational stuff for 7 - 11 year olds (Rocky's
boots? A typing program?  Others?  My son can use Macwrite, so I
assume he can use whatever editor we get -- see above.

HARDWARE: memory expansion? RAM disks?  What have you.

Respond to me, and I will summarize.  Respond to the net and I will
read.

thanks

Donald A. Norman
Institute for Cognitive Science C-015
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, California 92093
norman@nprdc.arpa	norman@ics.ucsd.EDU

ranger@ecsvax.UUCP (04/08/87)

The current (//e) version of Multiscribe is memory limited.  The //gs
version is shipping, but has a little note in it that says that this
isn't the REAL version of Multiscribe for the //gs, it will be sent to
you when finished.  Mouse write is a good program but you may not like
it because it used mousetext characters on the text screen rather than
the graphics screen, so importing graphics will be difficult, if not
imposwsibleODible.  ODOsible.  Graphic Writer has gotten good reviews.  It combines drawing
and writing in one package, it is said to be slow how, however.  Tass Times in 
in Tone Town is a good game for kids.  I has passable graphics, mouse
support and some sound mixed in.  Paintworks Plus is a nice Macpaint-
like drawing program.  It has a few bugs that I'm sure will be ironed
out.  Deluxe Paint II is more powerful, but more complex (It will be released
Real Soon Now).  Paintworks can make drawings larger than the screen,
but not larger than a page.  Top draw will make drawings larger than the page and is object oriented.
and is object oriented,  I have only seen beta releases but it appears
to be about like MacDraw in complexity.

Rick Fincher
ranger@ecsvax