[comp.sys.atari.8bit] AtariWriter 80

rrwood@lotus.waterloo.edu (Roy Wood) (04/08/90)

I have a question or two about the AtariWriter 80 word processor:

Does AtariWriter 80 take advantage of the extra memory in a 130XE?  What is
the largest editable file size allowed?  Would the program recognize a RAM
expansion beyond the standard 128K?

I know the program relies on the XEP80 box to implement the 80 column
display, and I know that the XEP80 is notoriously slow.  How painful is
it to work with the two?  Is the combination really cumbersomely slow?

And finally, has anyone had a chance to compare AtariWriter 80 with
the Richman's 80 column word processor?  How "mouse-ready" is Richman's?

These questions and more will once again go unanswered....

-Roy Wood (rrwood@lotus.waterloo.edu)

CURRENTM@CARLETON.EDU (Michael Current) (04/10/90)

In article <23012@watdragon.waterloo.edu> Roy Wood writes:
>I have a question or two about the AtariWriter 80 word processor:
>
>Does AtariWriter 80 take advantage of the extra memory in a 130XE?
Yes!
>                                                                    What is
>the largest editable file size allowed?
47,616 bytes on a 130XE; 15,872 bytes on any other 48K XE (,XL,800).
>                                         Would the program recognize a RAM
>expansion beyond the standard 128K?
I don't know for sure, but I would guess not.
>
>I know the program relies on the XEP80 box to implement the 80 column
>display, and I know that the XEP80 is notoriously slow.  How painful is
>it to work with the two?  Is the combination really cumbersomely slow?
Who says the XEP80 display is slow?  It's amazingly fast!!  Try scrolling
through a big file with AtariWriter 80.  Fun!
The XEP80 / AtariWriter80 / 80-column monitor combination is so powerful and
professional looking that you'll never want to work in 40 columns again.
BTW - AtariWriter 80 *does* work with DOS XE!!  Well, I haven't thought of a
way to copy the dictionary over yet, but the program itself works with DOS XE
just fine.
-Michael