tonyrich@titanic.cs.wisc.edu (Anthony Rich) (02/20/91)
(Norton Chia) writes: >What do you think of [WordPerfect 2.0]? I recently used WP 2.0 to convert a technical paper that I had created using WP 1.0.3 from one-column to two-column format for publication. It wasn't much fun. I ran into several bugs. For example, a search-and-replace went into an infinite loop, so I had to reboot; under Multifinder, when WP 2.0 was started up again, it said "Backup files exist" and asked "Are there other copies of WordPerfect running?" but before I could respond, the dialog box disappeared, and WordPerfect quit! I had to reboot with Finder to be able to start up WP 2.0 again. The spelling checker has a button marked ALWAYS SKIP, but words that I said to always skip (like people's last names, or abbreviations) weren't always skipped -- they would come up as misspellings again. I found quite a few annoyances. You can't create ANY footnotes if your document is in double column format, for example. I had to fake it by typing the footnote text in a very small font at the bottom of the column, where it would have appeared if WordPerfect put it there. Of course, that makes it cumbersome to change the document, since a "fake" footnote snakes along the columns with the regular text. And in WP you can't EVER create real footnotes that don't have some sort of superscript character associated with them. But sometimes you need to; for example, for notices at the bottom of the first page of a technical article describing project funding, etc. -- notes that aren't associated with a particular word or phrase of the document. In general, working with two columns of text is pretty slow. (This is on a 5MB Mac II). Often there would be about a 5-second delay before the mouse cursor changed from a text I-beam back to an arrow while WP was processing a change to the text and updating the columns. Scrolling with columns is slow. The new drawing feature isn't as useful as it could be, because it's done in an opaque, overlaid window. You can't see the text that the graphics will be placed into until AFTER you're done drawing. I wanted to draw a graphic that would be exactly the width of one of my text columns, for example, but I couldn't *see* the text columns to get the width right. So I had to use trial-and-error, going back and forth between the text and drawing layers. There is no ruler available in drawing mode, although there is an unlabeled grid. Nisus does a much better job of integrating text and drawing...you don't go into a different mode to do the drawing. Another annoyance is that on a color Mac, no matter what color you make a WP 2.0 document icon, after you edit the document and save it, the icon is changed back to black and moved to a new place in the folder. Also, double- clicking on a WP 1.0.x document does NOT launch WP 2.0, which makes editing pre-2.0 documents with WP 2.0 more of a chore. >At least [WordPerfect Corp. is] upgrading all 1.0-1.03 users to 2.0 for free. OH, NO THEY'RE NOT! They charged me $75 + tax + shipping to upgrade from WP 1.0.3 (at educational prices). I expected a few bugs in WP 2.0, since it's a complete rewrite of WordPerfect. Version 2.0 is a big improvement, despite my gripes. WordPerfect Corp. has a good track record of product support, so I hope they polish up WP 2.0's rough spots relatively quickly. -- Tony -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | EMAIL: tonyrich@cs.wisc.edu | The essence of learning is | | Disclaimer: I speak only for myself. | repetition, repetition! | -----------------------------------------------------------------------
norton@extro.ucc.su.oz.au (Norton Chia) (02/20/91)
tonyrich@titanic.cs.wisc.edu (Anthony Rich) writes: >(Norton Chia) writes: >>What do you think of [WordPerfect 2.0]? >I recently used WP 2.0 to convert a technical paper that I had created >using WP 1.0.3 from one-column to two-column format for publication. It >wasn't much fun. I ran into several bugs. For example, a search-and-replace >went into an infinite loop, so I had to reboot; under Multifinder, when WP 2.0 >was started up again, it said "Backup files exist" and asked "Are there other >copies of WordPerfect running?" but before I could respond, the dialog box >disappeared, and WordPerfect quit! I had to reboot with Finder to be able >to start up WP 2.0 again. This was one of the nicer features I thought of WP2.0. I ran it under MF on an SE/30 to test it by switching the machine off deliberately by turning off at the power switch. The back up thingy you're talking about works like a charm!! >The spelling checker has a button marked ALWAYS SKIP, but words that I said >to always skip (like people's last names, or abbreviations) weren't always >skipped -- they would come up as misspellings again. >I found quite a few annoyances. You can't create ANY footnotes if your >document is in double column format, for example. I had to fake it by typing >the footnote text in a very small font at the bottom of the column, where >it would have appeared if WordPerfect put it there. Of course, that makes >it cumbersome to change the document, since a "fake" footnote snakes along >the columns with the regular text. And in WP you can't EVER create real >footnotes that don't have some sort of superscript character associated with >them. But sometimes you need to; for example, for notices at the bottom of >the first page of a technical article describing project funding, etc. -- >notes that aren't associated with a particular word or phrase of the document. >In general, working with two columns of text is pretty slow. (This is on a >5MB Mac II). Often there would be about a 5-second delay before the mouse >cursor changed from a text I-beam back to an arrow while WP was processing a >change to the text and updating the columns. Scrolling with columns is slow. Interesting observation. On a 16MHz '030 it seems quite good... >The new drawing feature isn't as useful as it could be, because it's done >in an opaque, overlaid window. You can't see the text that the graphics >will be placed into until AFTER you're done drawing. I wanted to draw ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Are you sure of this? >a graphic that would be exactly the width of one of my text columns, for >example, but I couldn't *see* the text columns to get the width right. So I >had to use trial-and-error, going back and forth between the text and drawing >layers. There is no ruler available in drawing mode, although there is an >unlabeled grid. Nisus does a much better job of integrating text and >drawing...you don't go into a different mode to do the drawing. >Another annoyance is that on a color Mac, no matter what color you make a >WP 2.0 document icon, after you edit the document and save it, the icon is >changed back to black and moved to a new place in the folder. Also, double- >clicking on a WP 1.0.x document does NOT launch WP 2.0, which makes editing >pre-2.0 documents with WP 2.0 more of a chore. I don't know of your problems with WP 2.0, but I believed the thing wasn't fully released yet. Is it possible you got the program too early? :) At least the drawing problem doesn't seem to be a problem as you can manupulate it in the text level! The reason for B/W icons is probably because WP really saves another copy of the original file when done. If it bothers you that much, keep it in different colo(u)red folders or don't use colour :) >>At least [WordPerfect Corp. is] upgrading all 1.0-1.03 users to 2.0 for free. >OH, NO THEY'RE NOT! They charged me $75 + tax + shipping to upgrade from >WP 1.0.3 (at educational prices). Oh well, I guess you should let them know they're charging bugger all for that in Australia. And I thought America was the home of the free!!! :) >I expected a few bugs in WP 2.0, since it's a complete rewrite of WordPerfect. >Version 2.0 is a big improvement, despite my gripes. WordPerfect Corp. has >a good track record of product support, so I hope they polish up WP 2.0's >rough spots relatively quickly. I certainly echo that. After all, I always welcome a new comer that has a chance in challenging MS Word's dominance... > -- Tony >-- >----------------------------------------------------------------------- >| EMAIL: tonyrich@cs.wisc.edu | The essence of learning is | >| Disclaimer: I speak only for myself. | repetition, repetition! | >----------------------------------------------------------------------- Of course I have nothing to do with the company!! -- **** My employers ignore me, I'm on my own when I speak out in public :^( **** Norton Chia || My address is norton@extro.ucc.su.oz.au Micro Support || "When are they going to put in built-in spell-chequers" *******************************************************************************