Re: SmartWords

["..." yesss@xxxxxxxx]

≪ I think there is a little confusion here. ≫ --KFrank

I just misunderstood your December statement on filters,
Kenny, which seemed to me to but apparently didn't change
the terms of what you had said in August. Unimportant.

≪ 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? ≫ --me

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

As a dos text editor with word processing features, XyWrite
excels, is in fact without peer. As a gui word processor,
xyWrite is so-so, and the same apparently will be true
of the SW editor. I was glad to read of the interface
improvements and accept your explanation of why TTG gives
fixing column tables, etc., a low priority, and your
description of the SW editor as primarily a text editor
(and why the VB scripting language didn't materialize,
alas). But the flaws rob xyWin and I expect the SW editor
of *excellence* as gui *word processors*.

To tell you the truth, I doubt a gui word processor with
a dos antecedent *can* excel. Perhaps too much had to be
sacrificed to backward compatibility or the mindset was
too 80x25, but Windows software even today suffers the
consequences. The best gui word processors were conceived
and written as graphical software without reference to
dos apps. DeScribe and GeoWrite/GeoDraw come to mind.
We'll never know whether their promise of excellence might
have been fulfilled. The moment a critical mass of U.S.A. Inc.
succeeded in downsizing from mainframes to networks and the
software market became M.I.S.-driven, excellence (except your
random modest piece of shareware) was doomed. linux is not
immune, but this isn't the time or place for that discussion.

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

≪ 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. ≫ --KF

I'm sorry to learn that you assume the relatively few xylist
subscribers who post represent all xyWrite users. Little NB
has a list with twice as many subscribers; I'm hard put to
believe it has twice as many users. The xylist's churn rate
has always been high. Small wonder. I believe *most* xyWrite
users are too busy using xyWrite productively to pay much
attention to a list dominated by off-topic noise. (An
intelligently designed tgrp.com Web site might attract
a more representative sampling of xyWrite users, but this
is the wrong time for that discussion too.) The reports
here on demos of SW text data base features certainly
aroused *my* interest. No charge for the computer law
demo on the CD-ROM? Gee, thanks.  Or is the software
suitable only for law office use?

≪ 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. ≫

Good to know the door's open. Bring on the CD. 		--a

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