🚀 go-pugleaf

Archive-name: pcgeos-faq/part3
Last-modified: modified April 5, 1993

I updated the "When is GEOS 2.0 coming out?" and "What new features?" 
questions.  I also added a Q & A about creating GEOS backgrounds from 
GIF files.

#Q:  When is PC/GEOS 2.0 going to be launched? 
#
#A:  No one knows for sure, and GeoWorks isn't telling.  The current 
#    estimate is first or second quarter of '93.  One user called up 
#    the Australian GW distributor, ComputerMate Australia, and got a 
#    date of late May or early June.  The beta test of the SDK (and the 
#    OS as well?) evidently got underway shortly after 1/1/93.
#
#Q:  What new features will it include? 
#
#A:  Here's what I've heard.  This info is based on a number of 
#    sources: talks by Brian Dougherty, user group demos, the System 
#    Overview (courtesy of Shag), and even a magazine review (courtesy
#    Glen McCallum).
#
#    GeoWrite - The new version will have four times the features of 
#    the old version (according to BD), yet will be under 50k.  Some 
#    new features I've heard about include text wrapping around 
#    pictures, improved import & export functions (including 
#    WordPerfect, MS Word, WinWord, and Multimate) and generally better 
#    DTP capabilities.
#
#    GeoComm - Won't be substantially improved, although a separate 
#    comm app will be commercially available.  [I hope they at least 
#    fix the term-emulation bugs and add Zmodem!]
#
#    Geoworks database (GeoFile) and spreadsheet (GeoCalc) applications 
#    - The database will be able to import GeoDex documents and 
#    possibly other formats (dBase).  The spreadsheet will 
#    import/export dBase, 1-2-3, Quattro Pro, and ASCII files.
#
#    GeoAladdin - I assume that this is a PC/GEOS verison of the 
#    Aladdin navigation program for GEnie.
#
#    DOS task-switching - DOS task-switching capability is built into 
#    v2, but it will not multi-task DOS apps.  BD predicted that 
#    interest in running DOS apps will decline rapidly in the next two 
#    years.
#
#    Novell Netware - Netware code will be in v2, and GW will 
#    eventually not require DOS at all (v2 still does).
#
#    Calculator - The calculator has been drastically enhanced so that 
#    calculations may be set out in a dialog box and worksheets setup 
#    to perform various tasks.  Metric/Imperial conversion is included.
#
#    Notepad - Notepad has become "Note Taker" - an app. which supports a 
#    number of named "notes" files.  The idea is that Note Taker 
#    absorbs your mental outpourings as you go and allows you to 
#    organize them later.
#
#    GeoDraw - GeoDraw now has a whole range of import/export filters 
#    (PCX, TIFF, GIF, MAC, PICT, and Windows clipboard formats), and 
#    can convert graphics objects to bitmaps (no big deal here) and 
#    back again (a somewhat bigger deal).
#
#    Spell Checker - The spell checker now operates across all 
#    applications.
#
#    General stuff - A new DOS text file editor; more Video drivers, 
#    including SVGA, up to 1024 x 768 resolution, and support for 256 
#    colors; color printing; "intelligent" print drivers; support for 
#    digitized, waveform, and red book audio formats; support for Adobe 
#    Type 1, Bitstream, TrueType, and URW fonts.
#
#Q:  Ok, now I've fixed the palette on my GIF file and now I want to 
#    make it into a GEOS background.  How do I do that?
#
#A:  To create a background, you first need to convert the file into 
#    either PCX or TIF format.  I usually have more luck with PCX, so 
#    that's what I'll talk about.  You convert it by using one of the 
#    many graphics-file-format-conversion programs that exist.  Hijaak 
#    is one such program that's commercially available; an excellent 
#    shareware program that will do the trick is Graphic Workshop 
#    (available at oak.oakland as grfwk61t.zip in the
#    /pub/msdos/graphics directory).
#
#    When your picture is converted to PCX, enter GEOS and start up 
#    GeoDraw.  Use the Import option (on the File menu) to import your 
#    PCX file into GeoDraw.  Make sure that the imported image is 
#    "selected" and then use the Edit menu to either Cut or Copy it to 
#    the clipboard.
#
#    Next, start up Peferences and select the Background option.  Once 
#    there, click on the "Get background from clipboard" button and 
#    your image magically appears as a background.  (This may sound a 
#    little complicated, but it works and it's not really too bad once 
#    you do it once or twice.)
#
-- 
   Doug Taylor                         |   Nothing real can be threatened.
   The Ohio State University           |   Nothing unreal exists.
   doug-taylor+@osu.edu                |            - A Course in Miracles