Nota Bene and writing emails

[Bob Zimmerman zimmerman@xxxxxxxx]

On December 1st Peter Brown wrote:
>I use Xy version 3.56. Some time ago I wrote a little kbd macro, which makes
>use of mail.prn, to get Xy-composed text into E-mail messages. This has
>worked well in Microsoft Exchange, but in its wisdom, my organization
>insists on "upgrading" Exchange to Microsoft Outlook. That doesn't work;
>hence this cry for help.

Howdy, Peter,

Making it possible to write emails in Xywrite seems to be a problem that a
number of us Xywrite users have. While I have managed to write some pretty
basic programs for Xywrite, I simply don't have the knowledge to create the
kind of complex program necessary to quickly insert Xywrite-composed text
into my email program (Eudora Light 1.5.2). I have found that the barriers
between DOS programs (like Xywrite) and Windows programs (like Eudora) are
often too formidable. The DOS/Windows cut/paste routine, while usable, just
doesn't like to work very well. (I had considered getting XyWin, but decided
against it because of the reports in this listserv about the program's many
bugs.)

Furthermore, in Eudora I can hit one key combo (Ctrl-R) and immediately
begin writing. This reply key opens an email which includes the quoted text
from the sender (such as Peter's words above), so I can reply directly to
specific sentences. Any macro or Xywrite program I attempted to write seemed
to require me to press too many keys and take too many different steps to
get this text into the body of a Xywrite file.

As a result, I have always struggled with writing my emails in Eudora, with
its clumsy Microsoft word-processing commands. And because my Xywrite
keyboard is so customized, I have always found my email writing
uncomfortable, difficult, and tedious. (To give you an idea about how
confusing this can be for me, my Xywrite keyboard is set up to emulate the
keyboard of the Radio Shack Model III, with up/down where the tab/caps keys
are, and left/right at the two keys above the return key.)

I have finally solved this problem, however, allowing me to write emails
with my Xywrite keyboard. Maybe you can use my approach with Outlook
Express. Here are the details:

First I obtained the Nota Bene demo, and was very pleased to discover that
my Xywrite 3.55 keyboard.kbd file works with it! True, some tweaking was
necessary, but most of my customizations worked.

To understand how significant this fact is, let me note once again that this
*.kbd file is extremely customized--not only have I repositioned the tab,
caps, and all the arrow keys, I have also created a second control-type key
(placed next to the letter "p" on the keyboard), which makes additional
editing commands available quickly. For this keyboard.kbd file to work in
Nota Bene was not only gratifying, it was downright astonishing.

With Nota Bene now available, I proceeded to create the appropriate Windows
macros using Recorder, that old Windows 3.11 macro-creating program. While
it is true that Recorder was written for 3.11 and is no longer given away
free with Window 95 and Windows 98, it still works in Windows 95. And while
it can't recognize the Start key, I have other work-arounds that bypass this
difficulty.

The first macro I wrote opens a reply in Eudora, cuts the sender's text into
the clipboard, opens Nota Bene, and then pastes that text there. I can then
proceed to write my email, using a program written for writers, with a
keyboard layout of my own choice!

The second macro cuts what I have written to the clipboard, closes Nota
Bene, returns to Eudora where it inserts my email text into the already
prepped reply, and then sends it out on the information superhighway.

This arrangement has worked so well that after only two days I called Nota
Bene and purchased their Scholar's Workstation for $99.

Some general comments about Nota Bene and Xywrite:

I had originally planned on buying the Smartwords CD, but decided against
even trying when the second announcement was made in late October. I had
ordered Smartwords in March, but you know the old saying, "Fool me once,
shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." When Smartwords didn't appear as
promised in April, I shrugged and thought, oh well, this is a company I
can't depend on for much.

With Nota Bene, however, I have been very impressed with how individuals
from that company have replied quickly to questions on the Xywrite listserv.
I was also very pleased at how I have been able to call their phone number
in New York and get Steve Crutchfield on the phone immediately to ask
technical questions. I haven't needed his help for much, but knowing he was
so easily available was very reassuring.

Despite this success with Nota Bene, however, I will continue to do most of
my writing in Xywrite. I prefer the black DOS screen over the grey Windows
screen. And while most of my keyboard.kbd file worked, I still lost access
to enough Xywrite macros in NB to make me want to stay with Xywrite for my
more ambitious writing.

Finally, can someone email me or the list the information necessary for
joining the NB listserv. If I am going to be using this version of Xywrite I
should checkout what others do with the program.

Bob
___________________________
Bob Zimmerman
13909 Briarwood Drive, #323
Laurel, Maryland 20708
301-604-2255