earleh@dartvax.UUCP (09/23/87)
I just acquired a copy of the MacWrite version 4.6 update from the College Computer Store here, and have spent a couple of hours trying it out. a) There is no zoom box. b) Still only one window. c) The program appears to be designed for big-screen users, but there are problems with the standard Macintosh screen. The document window is about one half inch narrower than the screen, and there is no way to make it any wider. The window height is okay. d) It is possible to "lose" the right margin marker somewhere under the vertical scroll bar. It is not an easy task to get it back. e) The print dialogs are moved one inch down on the screen. Why? This may be an attempt to centre the dialogs on a larger screen, but looks real funny on my Mac. (1 Meg 512ke.) f) There is no way to get left margins narrower than one inch. This was asinine two years ago and it is asinine now. g) The arrow keys work, and can be used with the shift keys to select stuff. Nice. h) The program keeps its temporary files in the system folder, and deletes them when you quit. This probably means it can work with AppleShare. i) There was a "README" file that came with the update, but when I tried to read it, the program crashed consistently when I scrolled down to the picture of the arrow keys. Possibly I got a bad copy of the document, since the WriteNow Translator program gagged on the same picture. I know what the arrow keys look like anyway. j) The program is about 8k bigger. k) It now won't work on a 128k. Conclusion: If you use MacWrite, then you should probably get this upgrade from your dealer, since it doesn't appear any worse than 4.5, and does support arrow keys. If you are considering buying a word processor, get WriteNow. --------------------Cut here. Print. Paste-------------------- --------------------on computer centre wall.-------------------- Aside: My wife works in one of the libraries here, and part of her duties is to assist people who have problems with the Macs in the library. Last night she was helping this guy out who has been working on a Ph.D. for fifteen (!) years. His thesis was in a Macwrite document, about 70 pages long, no backup and no hard copy. He wanted to reformat the whole document for printing with the LaserWriter. Of course, he had used spaces instead of tabs. There are many people here who put themselves in this situation. My advice to people who entrust their labors to magnetic media: Buy real software. Read manuals. Keep backups, at least three. Don't bother my wife, or any of the other staff, when you screw up. I've been a real nice guy up till now, but if she comes home in a bad mood once more, I will find out where you live, and I will vaporize all of your research materials. Count on it. -- ********************************************************************* *Earle R. Horton, H.B. 8000, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 * *********************************************************************
akk2@ur-tut.UUCP (09/24/87)
In article <7188@dartvax.UUCP> earleh@dartvax.UUCP (Earle R. Horton) writes: >I just acquired a copy of the MacWrite version 4.6 update from the >College Computer Store here, and have spent a couple of hours trying it out. > >c) The program appears to be designed for big-screen users, but there >are problems with the standard Macintosh screen. The document window is >about one half inch narrower than the screen, and there is no way to >make it any wider. The window height is okay. > What do you mean its one half inch narrower than the screen ? When I open a new document the document window occupies the *full* screen. >d) It is possible to "lose" the right margin marker somewhere under the >vertical scroll bar. It is not an easy task to get it back. > I would be very interested in knowing how you "lose" the right margin marker. You do know about expanding the window to the right via the mouse cursor on title bar move window left routine ;-) >f) There is no way to get left margins narrower than one inch. This was >asinine two years ago and it is asinine now. > I agree ! > Read manuals. >********************************************************************* >*Earle R. Horton, H.B. 8000, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 * >********************************************************************* t h i s i s t o s a t i s f y i n e w s -- Atul Kacker Internet: akk2@tut.cc.rochester.edu UUCP : {decwrl,cmcl2}!rochester!tut!akk2