XY and Online

["Alarik W. Skarstrom" acies@xxxxxxxx]

As you will see, I succeeded in reconnecting. And I thank you all. May I
say, I am impressed at just how funny life and individuals and embedded
messages can be, out there--in here--in the nether and yon regions of the
internet. I can see how one's waking life could be siphoned off, out of
the day, into the machine.

I happily use XY 3+ and have for years, beginning on a magazine. Actually,
when it came time to buy new computers I'd thought of getting a Mac, for
its sophistication along with a general antagonism toward Microsoft, but
at that time could not run XY on it--before the Power Pc--and Christopher
at the Tech Group (who seemed to be the predominantly enthusiastic and
knowledgeable in-house person) made it clear how difficult it would. So I
remain DOSsed.

I now make a living doing scholarly research and in part creating large
bibliographies (1300 plus items). My question is this. I spend a lot of
time looking at online electronic library catalogues, everywhere. Is there
any way to split the screen and to run XY 3+ (or XY 4.107? [which I also
have]) simultaneously with the online OPAC that I am looking at? No, I
don't wish to "drag" items from one screen (the OPAC screen) into the
editing field of 3+. I have to format/style the item as I find/type it,
so it doesn't matter. I just wish I could be online looking at the library
catalogue at the same time I enter it into my document. Is this possible?
Incidentally, I do not use or have Windows and don't really want to.

I know that if I were to use, or could use X Windows, in Unix, that it is
possible to run and view different programs simultaneously. Could one
view an online OPAC at the same time as one runs XY in another window, on
the same screen? I do not know but doubt if my internet-access server
could support or would support X Windows.

And I doubt if I could figure it out. At least not at the same time I'm
making a living--the biggest problem I have with my own technological
advancement. But--if that were possible--I could try. Any suggestions
about where to start? (E.g., a book?)

Is it kosher to ask about the Technology Group's bibliographical
program--Ibid., I believe it is. A salesperson once allowed as how it had
difficulty with big files. Are there other problems? Can it really
emulate the Chicago Manual? 'Twould be amazing.

Listen--many thanks for your help; not just in advance but simply in
finding my way back here.

Alarik


__________________________________
Alarik W. Skarstrom, New York City
(acies@xxxxxxxx)