[comp.text.tex] Experience with Oztex

inm501@csc.anu.edu.au (03/18/91)

	Hi!  I would like to ask for advice from Oztex users.  I am going to
start writing up my thesis very soon and I am contemplating on using Oztex.
I had the following auestions:

(1)	How long does it take to learn most functions of Oztex if you have
no Tex experience?

(2)	Does it have spelling checker?

(3)	What is BibTex?  It is the part which handles the Bibliography?

(4)	How does it compare to other WP program on the Mac, like Nisus and 
Word?

	Thanks in advance.

Ida

price@uclapp.physics.ucla.edu (John Price) (03/20/91)

In article <1991Mar18.090552.1@csc.anu.edu.au>, inm501@csc.anu.edu.au writes:
>	Hi!  I would like to ask for advice from Oztex users.  I am going to
>start writing up my thesis very soon and I am contemplating on using Oztex.
>I had the following auestions:
>
>(1)	How long does it take to learn most functions of Oztex if you have
>no Tex experience?

	Most functions:  1-3 years.
	Enough to write most anything you'll ever need to write: 1 month.

	I suggest that you use LaTeX instead of TeX (both of which come 
with Oztex), since it's set up to be easier for writing reports.

>(2)	Does it have spelling checker?

	Not that I know of, but I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm 
wrong...

>(3)	What is BibTex?  It is the part which handles the Bibliography?

	Yes.

>(4)	How does it compare to other WP program on the Mac, like Nisus and 
>Word?

	That depends on what you want.  If you want near-WYSIWYG, and a 
short learning curve, at the expense of flexibility (although Word *can* be 
coerced into typesetting equations, it's a bit of a pain) and structure 
(LaTeX forces good structure into your reports, which word processors do 
*not* do), then get Word.  If you want nearly infinite flexibility, use 
LaTeX.  If you want absolute flexibility (at the expense of a high learning 
curve), use TeX.

	One other thing.  TeX et al. is not a "word processor", but a 
typesetting system.  You have to process your own words.  This has the 
advantage of letting you use whatever word processing system you like.  
Oztex comes with the \Sigma edit (can't make a capital greek sigma in 
ASCII...) editor, which works fine for me.

	There is a good introduction to LaTeX by Leslie Lamport (the author 
of LaTeX), but I don't have the title here.  I'm sure someone will supply 
that as well... :)

	Anyway, once you've got that down, and you've learned how to point 
and click, :) Oztex is easy.

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