XyWin ver 4.12G

[Paul R. Falzer 74627,267]

Good news about XyWrite for Windows! A few days ago, I received
three disks from The Technology Group. These disks upgrade XyWin
from version 4.11 to 4.12G. The upgrade addresses several of the
problems I identified in previous postings. Specifically: the CUA
method of text selection now appears to hold. Widow and orphan
controls seem to be holding as well. Endnote viewing is smoother
and more predictable. The help file is improved. I should note
that the program's basic approach is unchanged: XyWin is still
the most flexible and quickest Windows word processor on the
market. All in all, this represents a substantial improvement
over version 4.11. I recommend that anyone using XyWin 4.11
request the 4.12G upgrade.

On the negative side, the file-open dialog box is blank, so files
must be opened via the command line. Users cannot execute a
"save as" in XyWrite 4 format and switch automatically to the new
file. Clipboard functions still do not work smoothly or
reliably. The help file does not contain a comprehensive list of
commands and functions. The "maximize view" function remains
unpredictable and unwieldy. Because the program does not load a
file until a logon has been completed, users cannot open a file
through the Windows file manager, unless this file is located in
the same directory as the logon file. XyWin's file menu doesn't
include a list of recently opened files. No improvements have
been made in the cumbersome procedure of recording and saving
macros. As version 4.12G is a technical rather than substantive
upgrade, there are no additional style sheets, no new macros, and
the import/export filters are still way behind the times.
Overall, XyWin still fails to incorporate many of the functions
and conveniences that MS Windows users take for granted.

Nonetheless, I believe that the upgrade represents a move in the
right direction. Whereas version 4.11 was equivalent to an early
beta, version 4.12G is only a couple of releases away from being
a commercial-quality product. Right now, it is reliable enough
for doing simple, text based, work -- a welcome improvement, to
be sure.