rhc@cs.mu.oz.au (Glenn Trigg) (03/28/90)
A friend has been using a Z88 recently and has noticed that when using it with an external power supply i.e plug pack, it still draws current from the batteries. Is this normal? Apparently the socket for the plug pack doesn't have a switch in it to disconnect the batteries, is this the same on others? Also we were wondering if there are any other word-processors available other than Pipedream? Any help appreciated, Glenn Trigg rhc@murtoa.cs.mu.OZ.AU
blob@apple.com (Brian Bechtel) (03/28/90)
In article <2997@murtoa.cs.mu.oz.au> rhc@cs.mu.oz.au (Glenn Trigg) writes: > Also we were wondering if there are any other word-processors available > other than Pipedream? There is a spell checking program that supposedly comes with its own word processor. We're waiting to get a copy from Sharp's for evaluation. When we get it, I'll post a review. The following review was posted by Phil Wheeler to the Z88 BBS in Los Angeles, California. --Brian Bechtel blob@apple.com "My opinions, not Apple's" MINI-REVIEW OF SPELLMASTER -------------------------- Spellmaster is a ROM-based spell checker from the U.K. In fact, it is two programs: 1) QuickEdit -- a basic editor with integral spell checking; and 2) WordFinder -- a pop-down wordfinder utility for use in any application. My motivation in buying the ROM was two fold: Finding an alternative to Pipedream for editing; and get spell-checking capabilities for the Z88. This review will focus on those features. About WordFinder I will only say that it does crosswords, anagrams, "near" words and the like -- and that it only uses the built-in (ROM) dictionary. 1. QuickEdit: The (Basic) Editor ----------------------------- In fact, QuickEdit (QE) does more than I expected. First of all, it gets away from the slot orientation of PipeDream (PD). You can mark a word, or a letter or part of a line or parts of two lines -- then delete the block or copy it or move it or whatever (including spell check it). Commands for this are similar to PD (^BM for move and the like). It does the neat ^S change of case of PD, as well. QE makes delete do a normal backspace, letting you concatenate lines by backspacing past the beginning (i.e., what other editors do). And you can break a line at the cursor by hitting ENTER -- again, what other editors do. These are great improvements, made possible by getting away from the spreadsheet paradigm. Another plus is that it uses all 8 lines of the screen for text -- definitely an improvement over PipeDream, with its slot-number use of the top of the screen. You can do TAB's with this one. The TAB key inserts 8 spaces; and ^T inserts a real tab (with an inverse I showing on the screen). In fact, you can embed other control characters, too -- but not all of them. Maybe when I read the manual more, I will figure out why this so. Other (non-spelling) features include search (^BSE), search and replace (^BSR), insert/overwrite toggle (^V), and Information (^I) -- gives wordcount, remaining memory, lines, etc. QE has several Save options: Marked block, whole file, etc. Normally it save a PD-compatible file. But Save for Export is the way to go if you plan to upload the file to a desktop machine for final touch-up. And Save for Export has a nice feature: It produces a file with carriage return ONLY where you have put hard ENTER's, not at the wordwrap edges. This is similar to the Model 100 file format, and makes it easy to reformat on your "big" wordprocessor (or you can do it in PipeDream before making the transfer). Pretty nice, but I find I still have to use FADDER or a PC program to add linefeeds! What QE does not do? It supports wordwrap, period (cannot turn it on and off). And the right margin is fixed (looks to be about 74 columns). QE does not do formatting (hanging indents, etc.). And the printing capability is very raw; if you want formatted printing, load the file into PD and do it there. Oh yes, it does not do the pixel map of PD; again, load it there and do it there. Fundamentally, QE is a very fundamental editor. But it is just what I need to do draft stuff to upload to a "big" editor (which can be Pipedream if you have only a Z88). 2. QuickEdit: The Spell Checker ---------------------------- The spell checker is very well integrated into the editor. It will edit a single word, from the cursor forward, or the whole file. Moreover, you can let it check as you type -- meaning it will beep as you make errors. Great fun; fortunately, the beep is a very faint one, and not intrusive. Checking seems pretty fast, about the same as similar products on a 4.77MHz PC; not bad at all! One of the expected weak points is the use of an King's English (the real stuff!) in ROM. In practice, this is not a problem -- because you get to decide when corrections should be made (no, program is not spelled programme!) and because you can also define a user dictionary (in fact, a whole family of them). Once you have loaded a user dictionary, it is the default until changed -- or until that instance of QE is killed. 3. What I Don't Like: A wish List ------------------------------ Screen speed: a little slow it you hit a repeating key. So far, this has not been a real issue. Right margin: I wish I could set it via ^W as in PD -- and disable wordwrap for writing programs. But note with the "Save to Export" file function mentioned above, you can eliminate the effects of wordwrap on the final file. Spellcheck of two character words: It doesn't. So if you goof and type 'the' as 'th e', the speller will not find it for you. Generally: I'd like to see a more capable editor. But the trade was against the size of the ROM dictionary. They've crammed a lot of functionality into a 128K ROM cartridge -- and for a price ($119.95 at Sharp's) not too far above the cost of a blank 128K EPROM! 4. Overall Assessment ------------------ I like it! Spellmaster meets my needs very well. Moreover, it's fun to use -- not a requirement, but it that is a nice feeling! It will be a good tool for anyone who works on the Z88 and uploads to another machine for finalizing. And, in combination with PD, Spellmaster makes the Z88 into a much better stand-alone writing tool. And that was MY main reason for buying the Z88. _______________ Phil Wheeler Torrance, CA 11 May 1989 (Rev. 5/13/89)