🚀 go-pugleaf

Hal Meeks writes:

"All these emulations aren't something to boast about. It indicates that
the software end of the machine using it's native OS is severely lacking, and
people are trying to make up for that."
-----------------------

    Yup, I think what Hal is saying might be true.  During the past half
year, ever since I purchased Spectre 128, I rarely see the ST side of my
Mega ST anymore.
    My ST runs more dependably as a Mac than as an ST.  Note that I use
my computer for writing and minor desktop publishing.  I use FullWrite
almost daily, finding it easier to use than PageMaker.  FullWrite is also
easier to use than Calamus and for college students, certainly much
cheaper ($108.00).  Its power and EASY user interface reminds me of the
same principle that TimeWorks DeskTop Publisher transmits in being easy on
the user.
    I have fewer crashes while using the ST as a Mac and, in the long
run, am able to get more productivity out of my machine as a writer with it
in Mac mode.
    I've had an ST system since the Summer of 1985 and love the box.  It is
faster than any other system that I have ever used and is certainly
friendlier.  I regret that we don't have powerful and easy programs such as
FullWrite available for the Atari as I would prefer using such a program on
the ST "side".
    With the advent of cheap lasers and the HP DeskJet series, a writer
should expect to being able to actually see on the screen what he will
get on the printer, font-wise.  I'm not referring to italics, underscore,
bold face, etc.  I'm talking about fonts such as what you'd see in the ST
desktop publishing programs.  However, a writer shouldn't have to boot up
a DTP program to see such.  The programs available as word processors (WordUp)
are slow and cumbersome.  They positively crawl.  Again, I'm referring to
word processers which display DTP-type fonts.  Others which don't (WordPerfect)
are fairly fast but they don't display on the screen what you get on the
printer.
    Is this a fault of TOS or developers?  I dunno.  However, I really
regret that so many of the ST programs are unpolished and rough while
programs for other systems, as a whole, seem to be finer made.  We, as
STers, certainly deserve better and should not have to buy an emulator in
order to have really professional software.
    Look at programs for the Mac and IBM and compare.  We can't use the
excuse that the ST is "new" because it isn't.  This summer will see the
forth year of the ST market.  It is a real pity that programs such as
Dungeon Master, Oids, and Captain Blood, and Time Bandits, are rated as
the most polished programs for the ST while 'productive' software such as
WordPerfect, PageStream, Calamus, First Word, and Word Up are considered
'problem children'.
    Ian Chadwick's "Ian's Quest" in the June 89 ST Log also echos this.
STers deserve better programs.

Larry Rymal <Z4648252@SFAUSTIN.BITNET>