Re: Windows vs. DOS XyWrite

[Dorothy Day DAY@xxxxxxxx]

>> design of Program Manager). I have tried a couple of other Windows >>
applications, but they are so ponderous and slow to use compared with a >>
well-customized DOS program that I stick with the latter, and load >> Windows
only when I need to write something in Chinese. > >  Nathan -- for goodness
sake, why torture yourself? I was looking for a
>Chinese wordprocessor for a Chinese friend of mine, and found a whole
>raft of public domain and shareware ones on the net. They work very well,
>and there are OS/2 version, dos versions, and windoz versions. He hasn't
>tried them all, but the one he liked the best was called "DC" in English.
>Now, if I could just remember the ftp site address. But I'm sure you
>could find it with an archie or veronica search. If not, ask me, I'll
>give him a call and have him look in the program docs for the address.
> >Harmon Seaver >hseaver@xxxxxxxx

There are some very good reasons for wanting a Windows version of a Chinese
wordprocessor, specifically the ability to cut and paste between applications.
The only quality DOS product I know of that can produce graphical output is NJ
Star, which outputs .pcx files--not at all high quality resolution once pulled
into a Windows wordprocessor of some other flavor. And the process is very
clumsy.

The other chief criterion in choosing a Chinese wordprocessor (neglecting such
minor matters as supported input methods and print fonts) is the number of
characters in the basic character base. For those working with history or
traditional literature, the requirements are huge, far exceeding the typical
5-8,000 characters, even exceeding the "better" 13-15,000 characters available
in some advanced products. Classical writers used ostentatiously large
vocabularies.

If a particular character is simply not there when you need it, you require a
character design program. Some wordprocessors provide that; some don't. Even
then, you don't want to have to do this on a regular basis; it's tedious and
time-consuming and not something you want to do several times a day or week. So
again, the size of the character base is critical for some fields. Or, with a
Windows product, you can paste in characters from even scanned sources.

Most of the products out there, commercial or shareware, are aimed at the
typical business user or casual letter-writer; others are aimed at more
intensive users who also use only a limited modern vocabulary. So their
character base satisfies most of their customers, and they see little impetus
to expand it.

I don't know what Nathan's Windows product of choice is, but it probably suits
his needs. Many of the alternative products simply don't do what Windows
products can do.

Dorothy Day, Indiana University
Bitnet: DAY@IUBACS
Internet: day@xxxxxxxx