From: bolden@beta.math.unc.edu (Jeffrey Bolden)
Subject: Re: seeking opinions about Scientific Word software and its TeX output
Organization: University of North Carolina
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 1992 14:58:55 GMT

In article <1992Dec27.061552.17898@nntpd.lkg.dec.com> abbasi@star.enet.dec.com (My name is Nasser Abbasi) writes:
>
>Hello, I've seen an Ad. about this new WYSWYG Scientific word processor,
>it is supposed to generate as output a .TeX file of the document you
>are working on. Has any one used this software? if so, could you please
>give your opinion of it? I've read that the cost of it is about $600
>for the PC. 
>if you are using it, does it have all the TeX capabilities available
>from plain TeX? is it worth the $600 price? how happy are you with it?
>etc.. etc...
>
>please post here or send  mail i'll appreciate it. 
>
>thanks in advance.
>
>\bye
>\nasser
>

	Yes I've been using it.  It seems to have all of the capacity of
LaTeX under an experienced TeX user (that is for a beginer).  Basically it
is a scientific word processor that translates a document into TeX.  The
word processor itself is very powerful.  As an example they work out all
of the examples proving the power of TeX in "The TeX book" and "The Joy of
TeX".  All of these except one (the cummative diagram) could be done
without directly entering any TeX code.  Further, it rather easy to enter
these (the whole slew of examples probably would have taken 2 hours to
enter for someone who had never used TeX and had had maybe 10 minutes of
intsruction on Sci. Word).
	The biggest advantage though is the document templates.  The
actual symbols part of TeX is not hard to learn.  However, based upon the
questions here formating TeX takes people forever.  Sci Word ships with
prebuilt templates for the major forms of technical documnet writting
(Journal articles, tests, Springar-Varlag book form.....).   This part is
ab it complicated but much, much easier than doing it by hand. 
Incidentally in your question you referred to this as a WYSISYG word
processor, it is not, it is close to being one; but it automates the
processs of document formating to the point that WYSIWYG would be a
hinderance not a help.  For a good analogy look at Ventura Publisher for
Windows.
	Now the downside.  Sci-Word supports an unusually small number of
printers.  I don't know if it supports external drivers or not, however if
you have a Hewlet-Packard Laser, or Post Script you'll be OK, other than
that you have a few (literally) other drivers.  In addition this package
is very slow.  On a 386sx-16 (6 megs) a secratery was able to out run the
keyboard.  On a 386-40 (8 megs) while there were no problems with document
production printing is intoleragly slow (though this may be somewhat the
fault of being forced to use a less than optimal printer driver). 
Basically I can't recommend this package unless you have at least a 386DX.
 Finally there are some compatability problems with other TeX documents. 
The manual describes the process for sending a TeX doucment (unless you'd
be doing it regularly its not worth the trouble).  As for recieving, I've
tried 2 documents and one worked.  Take that for what its worth.  Of
course you could always ship out a .dvi file, and keep another TeX around
for printing other peoples documents.
	Well if you need to know anything else, just ask.

--JMB


Newsgroups: comp.text.tex