🚀 go-pugleaf

[ For those that don't have FTP access to SUMEX, here's a copy of the
  review I intended posted to INFO-MAC. I've update it somewhat. ]

About my background:
I've been using MacWrite for 3 years.  I've used Write for both camera-ready 
user manuals and book (draft) manuscripts, as well as letters, articles, and 
short reports.  I've owned Word 1.0 since it came out, but haven't used it 
much, primarily due to slowness, no significant feature enhancements, and 
one-way document compatibility.

Currently using MacWrite 4.5 full-time for 60-90 page (double-spaced) 
chapters (split into 2 documents to reduce risk of crashes), but will be 
switching to 3.0 on a trial basis.

Short Menus
Very good.  Both short & long menus have a sensible way of formatting headers, 
almost (not quite) like MacWrite, easier to figure out than Word 1.0's.  
Also has quasi-MacWrite rulers, with justification and spacing icons.

Spelling checker
Fair.  It lets words like 'Q-ray' and 'lo' through.  It requires you define 
both plural and possessive for any word in your custom dictionary.  User 
dictionaries not well integrated - require manual loading, defining
multiple variants (which don't apply to standard, read-only dictionary.)
Standard dictionary has Pascal but not Ada!  Macintosh but not Lisa!

No batch mode checking, and word-at-a-time checking is a pain.
Illustrates why a context-sensitive usage checker is better than a 'dumb' 
spelling checker.

Outlining
Very good.  To me, the most useful feature (when combined with styles).  
Illustrates why outlining belongs in a word processor, rather than the other 
way around.

Somewhat awkward at first to build an outline.  Inflexible in formatting the 
outline view (it would be nice to be able to print the headings in outline
mode with their standard formats, ala More).

Styles
Very good. [changed]  Nicely integrated with outlining.  Styles can be 
defined in terms of other styles, allowing you to easily change all 
occurences of Geneva to Helvetica without changing the Couriers.  Or 
change all your heading fonts.  However, can't directly redefine one
style in terms of the other -- if you change Normal from 'Double' to
'Single', it will go from
	Normal = Double
	Normal = Single + 24 pt.
(i.e., changing what a style is based on cannot change the properties.)

One trick: attributes are XOR'd: if the text is Bold and the style is also 
Bold, the text will be printed not Bold.  Make the text plain.

Documents
Excellent.  Allows you to save your document Text-only, text-only with 
breaks, MacWrite, Word 1.0, Word normal, Word MS-DOS, or RTF (MS plain 
text with formatting).  External conversion utility for DCA.

If you open with one of these formats, it allows you to resave with the
same format, unlike MacWrite, SuperPaint and other idiotic programs 
that leave your document 'untitled' unless saved to the standard format.  
Unlike some programs, allows you to resave in place with a different format 
and the same document name.  Pretty good for reading large 'TEXT' source
files.  Has a read-only check box.

Page layout/graphics
Good.  Much better than MacWrite (which rates a poor), but still no 
PageMaker or Full(vapor)Write.  With indexing, columns, and some graphics 
wrap-around, probably adequate for 95% of developer user manuals.

Macintosh interface
Fair.  Reasonable undo.  No Select All, awkward help.  (step down from 
Excel).  Fonts in numeric ('FOND') order rather than alphabetic, not all
fonts shown.

A lot of use of Command-Shift equivalents.  Allows additional equivalents, 
awkward to type, very non-standard, doesn't allow equivalents to be shown 
on menus.  As before, evidence Apple should address this issue in the 
interface (because most major products indicate 26 equivalents to be 
inadequate.)

Program seems more compatible with IBM PC version than with the Mac.  
Worst example: Clear key doesn't clear; it is the numeric keypad lock key, 
ala IBM AT!  With numeric on (N in title bar), pad works normal; off, 8 
becomes an up-arrow key.

Speed
Good. [Changed]  Much better than 1.05.  Some noticeable pauses with 
ImageWriter; LaserWriter not available, but presumably faster than 1.05.
Gets behind at strange places when typing (heap compaction?).  Very
slow to load.  Pagination not automatic, but fast.

Reliability
Fair.  It crashed in the first three hours with a standard Mac Plus and 
System/Finder configuration.  Dictionaries lost in a crash.  No documented 
way of reloading from the temp file on disk, and several obvious approaches 
at using the temp files didn't work.

Clutters System Folder with temp files that it doesn't delete, for
some reason.  (I have 8 so far)

Documentation
Fair.  The organization is good, but the actual writing ranges from good to 
poor.  Sometimes you just have to try it to find out.  Somewhat better than 
1.0, but still plenty of room for a good third-party book.

Idiocies:
Bizarre non-standard printing dialogs.  Whoever thought of this should be
   shot.
Always leaves word's directory as the default directory after launch,
   destroying the previous setting.  A pain if you're launching
   say Paint then Word to work on documents in the same project.
Spelling checker treats ^ and _ as words or parts of words.
You can't add command-keys to custom menus.  No way (I know of) to make
   a font change a single-character command key, my #1 'custom' requirement.
You can't add dictionaries to custom menus or have your own standard 
   dictionary always open.
Word underline underlines tabs.

Overall impression:
Value to buy at $295 list: fair
Value to upgrade at $100: good to very good
Overall rating: Good.  Worth considering if you want just one word 
processor, with more capabilities than MacWrite.
-- 
	Joel West
	{ucbvax,ihnp4}!sdcsvax!jww	(ihnp4!gould9!joel once I fix news)
	jww@sdcsvax.ucsd.edu	if you must