rmf@actnyc.UUCP (Robert M. Fuhrer) (06/27/88)
Has anybody used Laser Author? I've seen a mini-review in MacUser (June 1988 issue) which describes it as a "technically-oriented word processor." I'm interested in something to use in writing technical documents/papers; and I don't want to spring for something in the Word price range if I can avoid it... Apparently, FullWrite was announced at around $160-170 (see same issue of MacUser) before it actually hit the streets, but now seems to go for about $270. Salespeople I talked to at various software houses claimed A-T raised their price at the last minute... has anybody seen a price much better than that? Incidentally, can anyone with FWP/Word experience confirm Jeff Meyer's assessment in a previous posting of FWP's better handling of graphics and Word's better handling of tables? Since my target is technical documents, it seems that FWP would do better if that was the case (I expect I will end up using more graphics than tables)... I already have Expressionist, whose user interface seems extremely easy to use in the little experimentation I did. It covers most of what I want in mathematical typesetting (although I don't expect to be producing many math textbooks in the next couple of years, anyway :-) ), so I think that one of FWP/Word/Laser Author in addition to what I've already got should give me what I need. -- The Foundation for Unmitigated Sillyness uunet!actnyc!rmf Department of Redundancy Department City of Kansas City, Kansas
rmf@actnyc.UUCP (Robert M. Fuhrer) (06/28/88)
I just called up a mail/phone order software house which had the best price on FWP ($225) I've seen so far. A rather snotty salesperson told me they wouldn't sell it because it has too many bugs. Anybody like to comment? -- The Foundation for Unmitigated Sillyness uunet!actnyc!rmf Department of Redundancy Department City of Kansas City, Kansas
han@Apple.COM (Byron Han, Licensed To Dream) (06/29/88)
In article <987@actnyc.UUCP> rmf@actnyc.UUCP (Robert M. Fuhrer) writes: >I just called up a mail/phone order software house which had the best >price on FWP ($225) I've seen so far. A rather snotty salesperson told >me they wouldn't sell it because it has too many bugs. Anybody like >to comment? >-- Personally, it sounds like a bull moomoo to me. Sounds like they don't have any on hand. (this is a personal opinion). And personally, if a salesperson is snooty, I usually take my business elsewhere. I have been using FullWrite for about a month and it works quite well. FW is as solid as most Macintosh programs. If you have only a 1Meg machine (like most people) be forewarned that FullWrite is rather cramped under that environment. I hope the folks at Ashton-Tate are listening... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Byron Han, Licensed to Dream. One Person, One Macintosh. Apple Computer, Inc. ------------------------------------- 20525 Mariani Ave, MS27Y domain: han@apple.COM Cupertino, CA 95014 UUCP:{sun,voder,nsc,decwrl}!apple!han -------------------------------------- GENIE: BYRONHAN ATTnet: 408-973-6450 Applelink: HAN1 CompuServe: 72167,1664 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ogil@sphinx.uchicago.edu (John Wesley Harding) (06/30/88)
In article <987@actnyc.UUCP> rmf@actnyc.UUCP (Robert M. Fuhrer) writes: >I just called up a mail/phone order software house which had the best >price on FWP ($225) I've seen so far. A rather snotty salesperson told >me they wouldn't sell it because it has too many bugs. Anybody like >to comment? >-- >The Foundation for Unmitigated Sillyness uunet!actnyc!rmf >Department of Redundancy Department >City of Kansas City, Kansas First of all, I haven't seen any bugs in the released version of FWP, and I noticed few in the pre-release "demo" version given out at the January MacWorld Expo. Second, I work for a dealer and I can tell you that if they're selling for $225 their margin must be in the range of a few cents to a few dollars. Most mail-order houses are listing it for about $275. Unless their supplier is insane I can't see how they can afford to sell so low. I hate to be uncharitable, but my interpretation is that they found out how much FWP cost them after they placed the ad, and this "too many bugs" business is just a convenient story to avoid selling at a loss. But then, maybe they just have gremlins in their test machines. I think FWP is great; I'm using it for a several-hundred-page history and it's doing fine. A wonderful product. -- Brian "My middle name is Wendell" Ogilvie ogil@sphinx.uchicago.edu "Home of the Goofy Nicknames" "Cartesianism is the most popular `popular science' ever created." --Noel Swerdlow
flash@ee.qmc.ac.uk (Flash Sheridan) (06/30/88)
>Has anybody used Laser Author? I've seen a mini-review in MacUser (June >1988 issue) which describes it as a "technically-oriented word processor." It's English, known here as MacAuthor. I tried an early Beta copy, which was the most amazingly buggy piece of software I've ever seen. The early actual release was apparently not as bad: more like a _real_ Beta. If it worked, it would be quite good; it's been highly praised by English reviewers (I suspect largely because it's English,) never by anyone else. Douglas Adams wrote "Dirk Gently" on it, but I doubt you'll get the kind of support he does. From: flash@ee.qmc.ac.uk (Flash Sheridan) Reply-To: sheridan@nss.cs.ucl.ac.uk or_perhaps_Reply_to: flash@cs.qmc.ac.uk
drc@dbase.UUCP (Dennis Cohen) (06/30/88)
In article <985@actnyc.UUCP>, rmf@actnyc.UUCP (Robert M. Fuhrer) writes: > > Apparently, FullWrite was announced at around $160-170 (see same issue of > MacUser) before it actually hit the streets, but now seems to go for about > $270. Salespeople I talked to at various software houses claimed A-T raised > their price at the last minute... has anybody seen a price much better than > that? > This is just another example of something being reported with less than an accesptable regard for accuracy. Ann Arbor Softworks offered a special deal to registered FullPaint owner to "pre-subscribe" for the $160 price the end of last summer (it was $110 if you sent in the title page of your MS-Word manual -- that was the deal I paid for). It was scheduled to list for either $295 or $395 (I don't have the letter handy) even then. It is possible that the price to the distributors was raised as different publishers sell to the distributors at different discounts (generally range from 30% to 60% of list). The distributors and dealers then add their markups and you get the street prices. My bet is that A-T doesn't discount as much as AAS did. Dennis Cohen Claris ------------ Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed above are _MINE_!
moriarty@tc.fluke.COM (Jeff Meyer) (07/02/88)
In article <985@actnyc.UUCP> rmf@actnyc.UUCP (Robert M. Fuhrer) writes: >Incidentally, can anyone with FWP/Word experience confirm Jeff Meyer's >assessment in a previous posting of FWP's better handling of graphics and >Word's better handling of tables? Since my target is technical documents, >it seems that FWP would do better if that was the case (I expect I will >end up using more graphics than tables)... Remember, that was a preview of Word *4.0*, not 3.02; 4.0 will probably not be out until September or October. If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament. --- Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer INTERNET: moriarty@tc.fluke.COM Manual UUCP: {uw-beaver, sun, microsoft}!fluke!moriarty CREDO: You gotta be Cruel to be Kind... <*> DISCLAIMER: Do what you want with me, but leave my employers alone! <*>
sysop@stech.UUCP (Jan Harrington) (07/06/88)
in article <987@actnyc.UUCP>, rmf@actnyc.UUCP (Robert M. Fuhrer) says: > > I just called up a mail/phone order software house which had the best > price on FWP ($225) I've seen so far. A rather snotty salesperson told > me they wouldn't sell it because it has too many bugs. Anybody like > to comment? It sounds like they didn't want to honor that price. Too many bugs? Really .... It has far fewer bugs than the first release of Word 3.0! Try another mail order house - MacConnection is reputable. Jan Harrington, sysop Scholastech Telecommunications UUCP: husc6!amcad!stech!sysop or allegra!stech!sysop BITNET: JHARRY@BENTLEY ******************************************************************************** Miscellaneous profundity: "No matter where you go, there you are." Buckaroo Banzai ********************************************************************************