[comp.windows.misc] power MacWrite

borton@net1.ucsd.edu (Chris Borton) (03/17/88)

In article <1758@ssc-vax.UUCP> benoni@ssc-vax.UUCP (Charles L Ditzel) writes:
>and yet what we gain in simplicity...somehow we lose in power.  Imagine
>a MacWrite with levels of power.  So you understand the basic functions
>you then can migrate to the second level. and so on ...i'm not sure this
>is the answer but it gives you a pause to think about doing such things .
>differently.

I can't resist the opportunity to bring up WriteNow as a beautiful example (in
my mind, at least) of how to do MacWrite powerfully.  It follows interface
extremly well, has the power to work speedily on the items that count most
(saving and updating), and also has 'power features' for the non-novice such as
specific global font or style changes ("change all underlined words to
italicized").

I will fault it on hiding some of those features and making a few non-intuitive
moves (cmd-key menu item is not the same as selecting the menu on 2).  Still, a
product as robust and well-designed as this, especially for a first shot, gets
my applause.

It does not have all the 'nifty' features/bugs of Word.  I also claim that 95%
of all people using Word don't need them, and would spend their time far more 
productively using WriteNow rather than fighting Word.  (e-mail flames, please)

I look forward to see what the next round of big word-processors (3 to my
knowledge) will bring...:-)

-cbb
Chris "Johann" Borton, UC San Diego	...!sdcsvax!borton
					borton@ucsd.edu or BORTON@UCSD.BITNET
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