Re: Windows XP?

[Robert Holmgren holmgren@xxxxxxxx]

** Reply to message from Thomas J Hawley  on Fri, 8 Mar 2002
09:48:39 -0500

> While I have no experience with XP, I can confirm that Xywrite DOS 4.018
> and many other DOS programs run just fine under OS/2, NT and W2K.

XP too -- works just fine. Xy4-DOS works under *every* M$ 32-bit (sort of)
OpSys, from NT v3.50 to XP. Period.

XyWin also runs under XP, but (for me anyway) it crashes straightaway if I try
to load Windows printer files (UFW=1 or 2). With UFW=0 (XyWrite PRN files) it
loads and works (in the manner of loose speaking always appropriate to XyWin).
Anybody been able to get Windows printers running under XyWin in XP?

Bugginess is very relative. NBWin is even more frustrating -- an extremely
fragile Editor if you stray far from their keyboard and their formulations and
pre-programmed expectations. Almost like something in an Alpha stage of
development. It's such a shame -- I really pinned my future hopes on the bloody
thing. They're nice people, too -- dedicated, hearts in the right place,
struggling with small resources, blah blah blah. One is very reluctant to be
critical. Several times I've sat down, thinking OK now I'm gonna give them
concrete suggestions, document bugs, etc etc etc. But I can't even get my test
routines to run.

I keep coming back to Xy4-DOS. The damn thing works. There are dead reliable
workarounds for nearly every bug.

The crunch upcoming will be printer facilities. XyWrite PRNs are not aging
gracefully. People who are frustrated with XyWrite printer files should
consider an end-run around the whole issue: Postscript. It gives you a WYSIWYG
preview (at least as good as the Windows printer subsystem preview) and
incredible printed output. Works for any printer. There are a few Postscript
facilities in U2, including some fun exercises like converting a XyWrite text
file into a PDF(!), but most of it is OS/2-only, and I intend to make it run
under Windows also soon.

Speaking of U2, I trust many of you saw the demo during Super Bowl
intermission? Carl and I were very gratified, even reinvigorated. In the next
month or so, there will be a flurry of revisions, large and small, to the U2
available at XyWWWeb. When it stabilizes, you should consider updating. It
contains about 600 discrete programs, including a serviceable kitchen sink --
we're maintaining everything from FTP clients to thesauri to debuggers. A lot
to chew on. There's a veritable dumpster of new stuff (some of it in
development for a year or so -- don't want to be hasty!), scows of fixes, more
and better documentation, exotic things like Xyperlinks, and et cetera. Lots
and lots and lots of programming.

A key feature will be XyShell for 32-bit Windows (not 3.x) and OS/2, based on
IBM's Rexx programming language. This represents an effort to integrate XyWrite
tightly with the operating system (or bring the operating system into Xywrite).
For those Windows users who aren't inclined to buy Rexx, I will provide a free
runtime -- the only cost will be 6Mb of disk space. OS/2ers: PLEASE upgrade
Rexx to FP13+ level (Rexx only, not necessarily the operating system)!!! You
MUST do this before you install any new U2. It is SIMPLE, download a couple of
files, rename some files, 5-10 minutes, finished. Instructions are provided in
file READMEV2.OS2 in:

http://holmgren.home.acedsl.com/NEWSHELL.ZIP

Bye

-----------------------------
Robert Holmgren
holmgren@xxxxxxxx
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