RE: SmartWords

["Frank Kenneth B." KBF@xxxxxxxx]

I think there is a little confusion here.

≫ If the app doesn't excel as a gui word processor and doesn't have the
power one is used to in DOS xyW, beyond a user-mappable kbd what's the
point?

It does everything DOS or XyW does. Just that some of the functions aren't
automated via menus.

≫ none of the data base power that has impressed xylist subscribers who've
seen SmartWords demos?

A sample app demonstrating exactly that will be included at no charge. From
the exchanges here, we assumed that was of little interest to most XyWrite
users.

≫ "we will supply a filter to and from one word processor of your choice as
part of the beta package. The full package will be available for an
additional charge-- probably $49."

That's exactly what we are doing. Maybe I misunderstood your point.

≫ not the VB knockoff you led us to expect after you polled the list for
opinions on a new user language?

The VB script programming language was something we had spent a fair amount
of time working on when we thought we might be building another generation
of the WP for general release. Part of it was licensed from a third party,
and a full distribution license would have been pretty expensive. It had no
value to us for the purposes for which we use the editor, so when we decided
not to release another commercial word processor we stopped that work.

In any event, I think anyone who enjoys using XyWrite will find this a
definite improvement. And we would be interested in working with anyone who
may want to pursue the advanced database and "smart text" capabilities of
SmartWords after having an opportunity to work with it.

K.


-----Original Message-----
From: ... [mailto:yesss@xxxxxxxx]
Sent: Saturday, March 20, 1999 5:51 PM
To: xywrite@xxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: SmartWords


≪ This version and the 32 bit version to come are
primarily text editors. ≫

≪ I will have to check with our engineers to see if there
is any way for you to write VB routines to interact with our
engine. [...] Of course XPL is still operational. ≫ --Kenny

OK, fair enough. But a text editor with none of the data
base power that has impressed xylist subscribers who've
seen SmartWords demos? A text editor that offers xpl--
a language that didn't travel well to Windows--as the
only user programming option, not the VB knockoff you
led us to expect after you polled the list for opinions
on a new user language?

If the app doesn't excel as a gui word processor and
doesn't have the power one is used to in DOS xyW, beyond
a user-mappable kbd what's the point? Although this
release is little more than a maintenance update, TTG
didn't *have* to release it, so I appreciate the gesture--
and the price is right. But how disappointing.

Guess I misunderstood on 15 Dec when I took
	"[I] have also arranged with our vendor to offer
	a full set of new import-export filters as part
	of the package"
	to mean they'd be included in the base price since you'd
	already written on 26 Aug that
	"we will supply a filter to and from one word processor
	of your choice as part of the beta package. The full
	package will be available for an additional charge--
	probably $49."
If one regards the SW editor simply as a utility for
moving formatted files between Windows word processors
and DOS xyWrite, I suppose 50 bucks isn't a bad deal.
But how very disappointing. ... Ciao.		--a

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