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11 Oct 2024 23:13:33 EDT (-0400)
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From: Jim Henderson
Subject: Re: Word processors
Date: 6 Nov 2007 14:40:43
Message: <4730c33b$1@news.povray.org>
On Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:21:12 -0500, Warp wrote:

> Jim Henderson <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:
>> A long-since abandoned product.  Frame is at version 7 now.
> 
>   And framework 5 cannot be used? Was it horrible?

Oh, and then there is also the question of getting Adobe to support a 
discontinued product....

Jim


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From: Darren New
Subject: Re: Word processors
Date: 6 Nov 2007 15:31:46
Message: <4730cf32$1@news.povray.org>
Orchid XP v7 wrote:
> ....to be able to just right-click on the currently selected style and 
> modify it. But, apparently not.

I'm not sure what you mean by "currently selected style". In the 
drop-down list at the top? In the styles manager window? Or do you mean 
"text formatted with a particular style"?

The right-click on the drop-down menu doesn't work, no. The "modify" in 
the styles window works as expected. Modifying a style by editting the 
formatting of text that's in that style is one of those automatic things 
that people complain about, which may or may not be turned on by default 
(I don't remember).

> Well, in mine, if there is no active document open, Tools / Options is 
> disabled. (So I can't, for example, look up where the templates folder 
> is unless I create an empty document first. Go fiure...)

But the "Tools->Templates" menu is lit up, that lets you edit templates.

:-)

-- 
   Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
     Remember the good old days, when we
     used to complain about cryptography
     being export-restricted?


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From: Darren New
Subject: Re: Word processors
Date: 6 Nov 2007 15:34:07
Message: <4730cfbf@news.povray.org>
Invisible wrote:
> (Although, in fairness, in Word 2003 is seems somewhat more useful than 
> in Word 97.)

In fairness, W2003 is the first *major* step up from W97, imo.

-- 
   Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
     Remember the good old days, when we
     used to complain about cryptography
     being export-restricted?


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From: Warp
Subject: Re: Word processors
Date: 6 Nov 2007 16:14:24
Message: <4730d930@news.povray.org>
Jim Henderson <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:
> They're all tied to

  I have for long wondered why companies are so eager to tie their vital
documents to a closed proprietary format owned by one company who has sole
control on when and how the format is supported.

-- 
                                                          - Warp


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From: Orchid XP v7
Subject: Re: Word processors
Date: 6 Nov 2007 16:59:32
Message: <4730e3c4$1@news.povray.org>
Warp wrote:
> Jim Henderson <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:
>> They're all tied to
> 
>   I have for long wondered why companies are so eager to tie their vital
> documents to a closed proprietary format owned by one company who has sole
> control on when and how the format is supported.

I can think of several reasons.

* Few if any really viable alternatives exist. (That's starting to 
change, slowly.)

* You are completely dependent on the company that makes the factory 
floor equipment you use to not suddenly decide to stop supporting it - 
why not your software?

* Nobody really realises there's a potential problem. (After all, "big" 
companies never go under, do they?)

* Nobody has thought about it.

* Everybody else does it. (Cool reason, eh?)


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From: Jim Henderson
Subject: Re: Word processors
Date: 6 Nov 2007 17:11:55
Message: <4730e6ab$1@news.povray.org>
On Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:14:24 -0500, Warp wrote:

> Jim Henderson <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:
>> They're all tied to
> 
>   I have for long wondered why companies are so eager to tie their vital
> documents to a closed proprietary format owned by one company who has
> sole control on when and how the format is supported.

Well, for this particular instance, it's because the tool available was 
the best tool out there at the time.

And many argue that it still is.  We've had elements of our organization 
who wanted to move to LaTeX or other tools (got one guy who's trying to 
replicate the Frame formats in OpenOffice, of all things), but in the 
end, they just didn't meet the needs of the organization.

Frame can export SGML as well, but a lot of its own structure and 
elements get lost along the way, or so I'm told.  I'm no expert in 
creating the formats, but I use them (and was a heavy user); having 
written books using Word 2.0 templates and using Frame, I'd *never* use a 
word processor for that kind of work if I could possibly avoid it.

Jim


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From: Jim Henderson
Subject: Re: Word processors
Date: 6 Nov 2007 17:18:32
Message: <4730e838$1@news.povray.org>
On Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:59:34 +0000, Orchid XP v7 wrote:

> * Few if any really viable alternatives exist. (That's starting to
> change, slowly.)

This is the most common reason, actually - though it stems from others 
(such as "everyone else uses it", which leads to few choices in the 
market).

There was a really good article in a recent issue of Linux Format (out of 
the UK) where they talked about using Scribus instead of using whatever 
tool it is they use for the magazine (something Mac-based, IIRC).  The 
article itself was written entirely using Scribus, and there were a few 
things that had to be adapted because Scribus didn't support the 
necessary functionality, but in the end, it was a fairly viable option if 
they could live without a few things (which of course they couldn't).

I can remember a time when I was told that the big Linux vendors (RedHat, 
SuSE, maybe Canonical) used Windows-based systems for some of their 
business functions.  Seems kinda odd until you remember that they do 
actually have a business to run, and sometimes that means picking 
software that you would rather not pick.  I'm sure, for example, that 
Oracle will be using Windows systems internally, and it must drive 
Ellison nuts that he has to pay anything to Microsoft...

Jim


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From: Warp
Subject: Re: Word processors
Date: 6 Nov 2007 19:43:46
Message: <47310a42@news.povray.org>
Jim Henderson <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:
> I can remember a time when I was told that the big Linux vendors (RedHat, 
> SuSE, maybe Canonical) used Windows-based systems for some of their 
> business functions.  Seems kinda odd until you remember that they do 
> actually have a business to run, and sometimes that means picking 
> software that you would rather not pick.  I'm sure, for example, that 
> Oracle will be using Windows systems internally, and it must drive 
> Ellison nuts that he has to pay anything to Microsoft...

  Reminds me of a reverse case: Microsoft's hotmail still runs on FreeBSD,
which is a PitA for Microsoft PR-wise. They have been trying to move the
entire hotmail system to Windows for over 4 years. Still runs on FreeBSD,
though.

  Kind of "if it works, don't fix it... except if it's running on a
"competitor's" system and you have been badmouthing your competitors
for two decades".

-- 
                                                          - Warp


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From: Darren New
Subject: Re: Word processors
Date: 6 Nov 2007 19:57:51
Message: <47310d8f$1@news.povray.org>
Warp wrote:
>   Reminds me of a reverse case: Microsoft's hotmail still runs on FreeBSD,

Do you have a cite for this? I heard about 10 years ago it ran on 
Solaris, and about 6 years ago they'd moved it to Windows. So I'm 
curious if you have access to actual current information?

-- 
   Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
     Remember the good old days, when we
     used to complain about cryptography
     being export-restricted?


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From: Jim Henderson
Subject: Re: Word processors
Date: 6 Nov 2007 20:17:51
Message: <4731123f$1@news.povray.org>
On Tue, 06 Nov 2007 19:43:46 -0500, Warp wrote:

>   Reminds me of a reverse case: Microsoft's hotmail still runs on
>   FreeBSD,
> which is a PitA for Microsoft PR-wise. They have been trying to move the
> entire hotmail system to Windows for over 4 years. Still runs on
> FreeBSD, though.

Yep, and it's been fun to watch that as well. :-)

Jim


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