Re: XyWrites 4 and 5 (was: RE: Dataviz and xyW)

[leslie bialler lb136@xxxxxxxx]

Richard Giering wrote:
>
> Hi: Mimi:
>  Welcome to the world of XYWrite. I've been
> using XYWrite since the early 1980's (version one)
> as put out by XYQUEST. Later it was sold to IBM
> (they renamed it and sold it back to XYQuest).

Dear Richard,

No. IBM did not buy XyQuest. XyQuest developed Signature in conjunction
with IBM, which had hoped to use the product as a replacement for their
ridiculous DisplayWrite product. A week before the product was due to be
shipped, IBM decided to close down their software division. XyQuest,
which contractually had the right to market the product if IBM backed
out, did so. Signature, however, was a bomb: slowed down by the features
IBM
insisted on bloating it with, it majorly disappointed the XyWrite
installed base. It was at that point that TTG bought the company and
quickly put out a workable version: The XyWrite 4.0x DOS version.

> TTG bought it and started using the prefix XW
> rather than the previous XY prefix. Why, I don't
> know, except to differentiate it from the XYQuest
> product.

The XY preface is used for the Dos product, the XW is used for the
Windows product, insofar as I can tell.


> TTG has NOt seen fit to exploit the
> sensational advantages of the product. Why, I
> don't have the foggiest idea, except maybe they
> are concentrating on their other products - legal
> (litigation) support. Maybe our friend Ken Frank
> can answer this, I know I can't.

Well, look: What I want, and it sounds as if that is what you want too,
is a product for
writers and editors. Word and WordPerfect are essentially designed for
office workers--now I have no wish to denigrate them but what they need
is an easy to use bells and whistles widely distributed program that
they can take from job to job with them, just as their parents once took
their typing skills.

TTG develops niche products. How do you imagine they could distribute a
niche product widely, in competition with the "majors?" If you were an
office worker, or the person in charge of them, what motivation would
you have to, say, expunge Microsoft Word from your system in favor of a
product you'd never heard of?


--

Leslie Bialler
Columbia University Press
lb136@xxxxxxxx