davidh@garfield.cs.mun.ca (David Hansen) (04/11/91)
Anyone out there still using chi-writer, a scientific word processor? I am used to all its idiosyncracies now and am reluctant to change to another wp which is invariably worse for equations and which I will only ever read 10% of the manual. What is the latest version? davidh@garfield.cs.mun.ca
sturges@IASTATE.EDU (Sturges Leroy Donald) (04/12/91)
David Hansen davidh@garfield.cs.mun.ca writes | Anyone out there still using chi-writer, a scientific word processor? I am | used to all its idiosyncracies now and am reluctant to change to another | wp which is invariably worse for equations and which I will only ever read 10% of | the manual. What is the latest version? I have used ChiWriter for about 2 years now. The most commonly used version at this point is v3.0. They just recently came out with v4.0. The most significant upgrade is dynamically formatted text. That is, when you add or delete words from a paragraph, the paragraph reformats the lines automatically rather you having to manually reformat the paragraph with <CTRL-F>. Other additions are: 1) equation 'boxes/templates' -- for example, a 'fraction box' in which you type only the numerator and the denominator of the fraction and the program supplies the divider line and automatically adjusts its length; 2) dialog boxes that let you set several related parameters at one time rather than going through their menus several times; and 3) a slightly friendlier spell checker. Notably missing at this point and expected in the next version is the ability to merge graphics with your text and equations. (ChiWriter 3.0 had a very crude way of combining text and graphics and that is still present but is not any better than it used to be.) I should also mention that v4.0 was _just released_ and still has a few problems. I can't say that they are serious enough to make me abandon the program, but I did write Horstmann Software a four page letter describing the problems that I found, the situations in which they appeared, and some suggestions of things I thought could have been done better. The cost for ChiWriter v4.0 is around $375 (I'm pulling this from memory and may be a little off). But unlike v3.0, this includes all of the high resolution screen drivers, all of the 24 pin dot matrix printer drivers, and the laser printer drivers. And, of course, they do offer an educational discount. Disclaimer -- I have nothing whatsoever to do with Horstmann Software except that I am a satisfied customer. Leroy D. Sturges, Associate Professor Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 50011