Unusual Plan for XyWWWeb.U2 v119 + NBWin Beta v8.0s

["Robert Holmgren" holmgren@xxxxxxxx]

The Topic:
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I am really *very* impressed by NBWin v8.0s Beta release.
It is the first NBWin release that actually works well,
right down the line. It is incredibly compatible with Xy4,
even to small details. It took NB-New York a long time to
get here, but I'd say they've found the sweet spot.

U2 v119 will be an interim release; it will be followed in
the not-too-distant future by v120. Unlike any previous
release, it will be constantly updated and refreshed during
its lifetime. The reason has very little to do with
XyWrite, and a lot to do with NBWin v8, and with external
testers.

Between the 18th and the 22nd of November, we did make some
significant changes that affect XyWrite users.
ENCODE/DECODE was fixed today to rectify the
Thunderbird/Mozilla/Apple Mail/GUI Email client problems
(Emailers that change the *content* of your Emails!) Other
fixes were introduced in other areas. It might be worth
swapping a new 22 November U2 for the version of 18
November. 6 November (v118) is an antique -- trade it in.
All you have to do is unZIP and replace (overwrite) the old
U2 file, with XyWrite not running. Swap INF too. That means
you, too.

About NBWin:
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I've been reluctant hitherto to recommend NBWin publicly.
I've always supported NB personally, on principle, & bought
every version; but until now NBWin has been only marginally
usable. You pretty much knew you were throwing 100 bucks
away, just to keep NB-New York afloat (a charity case).
I've called NB "the future" many times, but I never thought
of it as "the present": the engine was much too buggy.
Moreover, it's been a genuine luxury, for all of us, to have
one *stable* version of Xy4 to use for 10 years -- maybe
there were a few lingering bugs, but at least we knew what
they were, and we could deal with them. The factory wasn't
going to change the rules anymore, as they incessantly did
whenever XyQuest/TTG issued a new version. What a relief!
(It was infuriating: with one stroke through one
fundamental concept, they'd blithely obliterate any
amount of user configuration and work, without consultation,
without recourse, the bastards.) It also hasn't cost US$99
every six months to get the latest/greatest, because we
already have it (and we all have the *same version 4.018*,
which is important). Plus, I really believe in freeware and
sharing, and XyWrite has merged into that model since the
demise of TTG.

NB has an income stream to maintain, and they do, regularly,
release new versions ($99 upgrade, about once a year).
(They're not getting rich.) The latest release is a Beta
version of v8.

U2 is also nearly 100% compatible with NBWin, and the little
code adjustments that need to be made are almost laughably
trivial. We are making those adjustments daily, and posting
them (refreshed U2s in the v119 ZIPfile). Mostly tiny
stuff, but incrementally it will make a real difference.

One needs to understand that NB is a niche product. It's
tailored for academics, and has a lot of academic add-ins.
NB seems to have attracted a special constituency among
theologians and biblical scholars. Very nice people. But
if you read the NB maillist, you'll quickly realize that
there isn't a soul there who has any deep technical
understanding of the engine, which makes the list pretty
fluffy. Plus, NB-New York doesn't participate (small staff,
but still... unconscionable, IMO), which means that these
technically-challenged users are all floundering around in the
dark, asking each other questions that nobody can answer.
(Imagine our discussion of why XyWin doesn't work under XP,
extrapolated to virtually every topic, and you get the
picture.)

Fortunately, under the hood of NBWin lies XyWrite, and it is
still very easy to strip away (or ignore) the "academic"
add-ins, and pare it down to the engine we all know. It
does take some configuration (mainly tweaks to NB.DFL), but
not much time. When you're done you have "XyWrite 2005". I
kid you not. XyWrite 2005. Just as an example, I use my
highly-tweaked Xy4 KBD file under NBWin *without alteration*
-- zero changes. Everything, even the most arcane stuff,
works. When NBWin and Xy4 are running simultaneously, they
share the same KBD and U2 files (not identical *copies*, but
the selfsame file!).

NBWin runs on the Mac and Linux with Virtual PC.

XyWin, by contrast, doesn't work. Let's face it. It never
worked well, was swarming with bugs, and now there are total
barriers with NT operating systems. Why bother? I know, I
know: people say "I've used XyWin for 10 years and never
had a crash!" Well, all I can say is, they haven't been
asking very much of it. (But if you love it, great. And
it's free.)

Which brings me, finally, to the question of whether it
might be worthwhile to ask NB to renew its old offer of
a special price and a special web page for XyWriters? With
the lure of numbers of potential subscribers.

The verdict isn't quite in yet, and it is still Beta
(whatever that means in this context -- it's ALWAYS been a
beta product, in fact if not name!), but I think the hour
is nigh. I don't intend to abandon Xy4, but I do like the
idea of a XyWrite with modern amenities, that doesn't
sacrifice any of the old facilities. And you gain in some
areas. Xy4 always had an atrocious Graphic view. NB's is
beautiful; I'm sure many NB users don't know that there is
any other way to see the screen.

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Robert Holmgren
holmgren@xxxxxxxx
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