🚀 go-pugleaf

Below you will find a compilation of the replies I received concerning my
inquiry about Signum and TeX a little while ago. Thanks alot to all who
replied.

Summary of responses: Signum requires a mono monitor, sounds good, suggest
you have a hard disk to use it. Printing quality is fine, printing on
epson compatibles is slow. Output file is Signum's own. There are at least
two implementations of TeX available in Europe, both pretty complete. Not
much news on either Signum or TeX specifically concerning the US.

--Patrick Simon        mpsimon@phoenix.princeton.edu
9-27-88

-------------responses begin here------------------------------------------

From unido!cosmo!THANSEN@uunet.UU.NET Sat Sep 10 05:23:05 1988

Using  Signum for bearly one year I can say that it is an  immense 
help for writing my reports (I'm studying chemistry).

Now let me try to answer your questions:

- Using Signum you need a monochrome monitor
- It will work on a 1040 ST, it does not require a hard drive
- Printing on an Epson compatible is possible.
- Signum2 (this is the update from "Signum") is able  to  support  
  graphics figures in the text.  There is a program on the  disc, 
  which  allows you to "photograph" the screen and put  the  graphic 
  into  the  text.  The  picture format is  copatible  to  the
  STAD painting program. 

I  hope my response was a little help for you.  If you  have  more 
questions; write a message to me.

Thorsten

--------------------
Torsten Hansen
Wuppertal
West-Germany FRG
-----------
THANSEN@cosmo.uucp

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From princeton!njin!rutgers!ucsd!nosc!helios.ee.lbl.gov!pasteur!ucbvax!decwrl!sun!pitstop!sundc!seismo!uunet!mcvax!unido!tub!tmpmbx!netmbx!alderaan Mon Sep 12 21:06:42 EDT 1988

In article <3605@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>, mpsimon@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (M. Patrick Simon) writes:
>
> ... stuff deleted ...
> 
> Questions about Signum:
> 
> 1. Will it support a color monitor? Will it work on a 1040 ST? Does it
>      require that I have a hard drive?

No, (in my experience) no color monitor is supported. 
The european version of SIGNUM works fine on 1040s.
A hard drive is not required, but you should use one, because SIGNUM makes
frequent use of disk (consists of a bunch of utilities).

> 
> 2. What file format/printing options? I.e. does it produce DVI output files,
>      can I print to an Epson compatible, or to a postscript printer?

Output to EPSON compatible printers (9 dots) is supported, but very slow
(about 15 min per page, because each line is printed 6 times). 24 dot printers
would be a good guess. There also is an ATARI Laser driver included.
The .SDO file format is only compatible with SIGNUM, but ASCII imports/exports
are possible.

> 
> 3. Will it support graphics figures in the text?

Yes, and in VERY GOOD QUALITY !!! And you can change the size of graphics
images, you can easily duplicate them, without any problems of overlapping !
Also the texts !

> 
> 4. Suggested retail price in the USA? (STPlus has it advertised for $250).

Could be true, I think. The german version is DM449, that is, about $230).

> 
> 5. Any major or minor limitations encountered by current/previous users?

The print speed. The printing image is very good, but it must be printed
6 times each line for max quality.

--

SIGNUM is a WYSIWYG editor, I mean what I say. Great stuff. Very quick on 
editing. No fatal bugs detected in the german version (tested a friend's
SIGNUM over 3 Months).

--

alderaan
OP RKOpdp (RSTS/E)
FB Mathematik/Informatik
RKO Berlin

Dieffenbachstrasze 60-61
1000 Berlin 61

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From princeton!njin!rutgers!ucsd!ames!mailrus!uwmcsd1!marque!uunet!mcvax!unido!laura!trillian!klute Thu Sep 15 17:02:49 EDT 1988

For those of you who are interested in Signum! and want more
info here is the developer's address:

	  Application Systems Heidelberg
	  Postfach 102646
	D-6900 Heidelberg
	  West Germany

	  Tel. (+6221) 300002

Disclaimer: I have no relations to the above firm except as a
very satisfied customer.

	Rainer Klute

+---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
|   Rainer Klute            | klute@trillian.irb.informatik.uni-dortmund.de |
|   University of Dortmund  | UUCP:   klute@unido.uucp                      |
|   Dept. of CS             |            (...uunet!mcvax!unido!klute)       |
|   P.O. Box 500500         | BITNET: klute@unido.bitnet                    |
| D-4600 Dortmund 50        |                                               |
+---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
|                        Federal Republic of Germany                        |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+


From unido!cantor.ls2.informatik.uni-dortmund.de!paulf@uunet.UU.NET Thu Sep 15 03:01:26 1988


We use Signum (Signum2 since 4 month) since 2 years. 
It does not produce anything like a DVI-file.
You can use it with a 9- , 24-dot printer or a laserprinter.
Drivers for various printers are available.
TeX is available in two implementations for the Atari in Germany.
Both offer everything from PLAIN to LATEX and AMS-TeX and also
METAFONT. Both come with drivers for some 40 printers (dot, laser... ).
Compiling speed is 1page/3sec . Printing speed 2pages/min to 1page/min
depending on resolution and number of fonts. Quality of software and
output is very good.

SIGNUM is develloped and distributed by
       APPLICATION SYSTEMS  HEIDELBERG
       Postfach 102646
       D-6900 Heidelberg

       West Germany


TeX    Is implemented and distributed by

       TOOLS GmbH
       Kessenicher Str. 108
       D-5300 Bonn 1

       West Germany

If you have further questions, I will be pleased to help you.

paul

Paul Fischer
Abt. Informatik
Universitaet Dortmund
Postfach 500500
D-4600 Dortmund 50
West-Germany

paulf%cantor.ls2@unido.bitnet

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That's all folks.