Re: `power' v wp xyW (long!)

["James D. Besser" jbesser@xxxxxxxx]

On Sun, 11 Jun 1995 OkAnnie@xxxxxxxx wrote:
> > Excuse me, but what a laugh--as if each of those journalists had carefully
> weighed all the choices, gone to a store, and bought xyWrite! If they'd
> chosen a word processor in the '80s it would have been WP because sales clerk
> "experts"--relying on reviews directed to corporate buyers and relieved by WP
> toll-free tech support of ever having to offer any--would have advised PC
> neophyte friends to get WP. Since all their friends used WP, so would those
> journalists. Now they wouldn't even weigh the choices. "Word processor" = WP,
> unless you're real hep and get that maverick winWord.

I did just that--evaluated the options, tried a few word
processors, and ended up with XyWrite. And I convinced several of
my papers to make the change. I did it because I could perform
specific customizations that made my work life easier, things I
couldn't do with other word processors.

Now I can. In a static world, I'd stick with XyWrite. In a world
in which almost every new program is written for WinDoze, I can't
afford to.

I'm not suggesting that Xy users should jump shift en masse. As a
longtime and loyal user, I understand that in some applications,
XyWRite still can't be beat.

I'm just suggesting that in terms of one of XyWrite's core
markets-- serious journalists and writers--other wordprocessors
have closed the gap. XyWrite won't regain market share by
focusing exclusively on the needs of computer jocks who like
their programs unadulterated by menus, dialogue boxes (I still
*hate* them--and, in Wp/Win, have pretty much minimized their
appearance on my screen) and fancy features.

jb