Re: Sig vs. Xy4

["..." adpf@xxxxxxxx]

≪  One correspondent suggested I upgrade my III+ to a later
version
of the same. ≫

Paul--The date problem you mentioned doesn't occur in later v3.5.
If
you're using anything earlier than v3.55 you should upgrade at
least to a
later v3 for any number of reasons. I use v3.57--the last 3;
can't tell
the difference between it and v3.56. To use AR for abbreviations,
both
require AR on .kbd space, apostrophe, and newline keys. v3.57 has
a bug
in dir listings: If a subdir name has an extension, 3.57 won't
list the
extension and you can cd to the subdir only by typing the name on
the
CMline, not by pointing to the name in the listing. Big deal. I
can't
relate to the problems with v3 stability various people have
mentioned. I
find all v3's rock solid.

≪  So should I go to Xy4, or stay with an upgraded III? ≫

Many if not most subscribers who post to this list upgraded and
prefer
v4. I was just describing my own experience, and should have
noted that I
use xyW virtually exclusively as a front end--hyphen off, no
footnotes,
etc. Except correspondence, almost everything I print from xyW is
a file
started in xyW, exported to a graphical app, prettified, printed
to disk
as a PS file, and copied to LPT1 by an xpl utility.

≪  Is it compulsory to use a graphical interface with Xy4 ≫

v4 has the same display modes (renamed) as v3, plus graphical.
You need
never see the latter if you choose not to.

≪  can I still retain the textual feel and speed of Xy3? Your
email
suggests not. ≫

If so, the suggestion was unintentional. I'd like to be able to
say that,
graphical mode aside, you'd never know from the display whether
you were
in v3 or v4, but the codes-as-deltas/show-page-number
mode--whatever it's
called in v4, the one I prefer--is broken.

I don't know Focus. As for prepping files for Ventura, unless
your files
normally are huge I advise investing in QuarkXPress, not xyWrite
4 .

≪  I am sometimes embarassed by XyIII's memory management,
where, in
a large file of 2 megs or so, changing some string to another
string has
to be done several times. ≫

If there's any chance any given v3 xpl will be used on big files,
I add a
couple of XCs to ci commands; you learn these things the hard
way.

≪  And how do I get in touch with XyQuest (or whoever) these
days?
Here (in Sydney, Australia) I imagine it's unlikely there's
anyone local
selling it. ≫

XyQuest, alas, is no more, and xyWrite is apparently available
only by
mail order from the developer, who afaIk has no Web site. Hope
the
address in the manuals is current:
   The Technology Group
   36 South Charles Street
   Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA
I don't know TTG's policy or performance on refunds, but you
might
consider trying v4 and if you find it unsatisfactory return it.
Or keep
it for use it in select circumstances as I do. Whatever, at least
get a
late-model v3.

≪  And am I now a rich retired person, living off the proceeds
of
the 10,000 or so copies I later heard [The Sunday Times] bought?
I hear
you ask. Well, not quite. ≫

Don't let this deter you from telling TTG how to run its
business. On the
xylist, total absence of business experience is widely considered
to be
the best qualification for advising TTG on how to get back in the
game.
   --a

============================= adpFisher  nyc