Schauble@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA (Paul Schauble) (05/24/85)
I am looking for recommendations for a word processor to be used for routine office work: letters, medium length memos, and technical reports. The distinguishing feature needed is that it must do justified proportional space type on a Toshiba 351 (note: not 1351). My personal favorite, Final Word, does do proportional space, but not on a Toshiba. It would be nice if the WP also could use the multiple fond features on the Toshicba. As usual, please respond to me. I'll post a summary if there is enough data to justify it. And, would one of the people who was recently enthusing about Word Perfect please let me know if it does proportional space?? Thanks, Paul Schauble at MIT-Multics
g-frank@gumby.UUCP (05/24/85)
> I am looking for recommendations for a word processor to be used for > routine office work: letters, medium length memos, and technical > reports. The distinguishing feature needed is that it must do justified > proportional space type on a Toshiba 351 (note: not 1351). My personal > favorite, Final Word, does do proportional space, but not on a Toshiba. > > It would be nice if the WP also could use the multiple fond features on > the Toshicba. > > And, would one of the people who was recently enthusing about Word > Perfect please let me know if it does proportional space?? > I use both Microsoft Word and Word Perfect, and would recommend the new version of Word, 2.0, with a mouse. Until recently, Word Perfect was faster than Word for many things, which made it worthwhile to put up with. Also, Word did not hyphenate or spell, two pretty critical features for a modern word processor. However, all these problems have been corrected in 2.0. Word Perfect takes a unique and truly crummy approach to proportional spacing. Lines are broken based on a hypothetical fixed spacing size (for example, 13 pitch for a ten pitch proportional wheel), and then letter- spacing (white space between the letters of words) is used to adjust the length of the line to match. The result is that some of your lines have all the characters crammed together, and others are stretched way out. I've spoken to Satellite Software about it, and they think it's just a great idea. So, don't expect it to change in v. 5 or something. Also, while Word Perfect makes you choose hyphenations while you type, Word allows you to do it as a batch process, and suggests hyphenations (WP just tells you you have to hyphenate, not where to do it). Word also allows you to choose document layouts, or styles, in advance, then call them up with a single keystroke. You can do a double space draft of a technical report, then produce a proportional spaced, two column final document simply by changing style sheets. With embedded coding processors like WP, you have to go back and insert lots of new codes. Let me know if you have any other questions. -- Dan Frank Q: What's the difference between an Apple MacIntosh and an Etch-A-Sketch? A: You don't have to shake the Mac to clear the screen.
bryan@galbp.UUCP (Bryan Ivey) (05/29/85)
In article <> g-frank@gumby.UUCP writes: >> I am looking for recommendations for a word processor to be used for >> routine office work: letters, medium length memos, and technical >> reports. The distinguishing feature needed is that it must do justified >> proportional space type on a Toshiba 351 (note: not 1351). My personal >> favorite, Final Word, does do proportional space, but not on a Toshiba. Try the Harris/Lanier Word Processor! The BEST on the market!!! Bryan Ivey