A week ago I asked:
> I've been asked to see what WYSIWYG document preparation systems
> are available (and, even more importantly, which ones people
> recommend) for a network of Sparcs and Sun 3 workstations. Our
> company needs some system that will allow us to generate the usual
> amount of user documentation, design documents, etc. Currently we're
> using LaTeX with various previewers, but that is not sufficient for
> some of the users.
>
> It would be a bonus if the WYSIWYG system could incorporate
> arbitrary PostScript (such as raster images), but that's not
> essential. The WYSIWYG system must run under X windows.
There were 20 responses.
FRAMEMAKER
Framemaker received the most recommendations. People raved about
its features and capabilities, but it also seems to be the most
expensive. It appears to have all the features we want.
ISLAND WRITE/PAINT/DRAW
Several people recommended this set of tools. While lacking some
of the features of Framemaker, people did note that it was cheaper and
was easy to use. There was one complaint about the speed.
INTERLEAF
Interleaf did not receive many recommendations, and one person
even gave it a "hearty thumbs down", mainly because of poor technical
support. Another person described it as placing heavy demands on the
system. A third described using Interleaf to draw figures, than
including the output in LaTeX documents (which doesn't really say much
for Interleaf's user interface.)
AVALON PUBLISHER
This got one enthusiastic recommendation.
DECWRITE
Despite what the name may seem to suggest, this runs on more than
just DEC equipment. This got one recommendation.
The PUBLISHER
This got one second-hand recommendation, and one warning to avoid
at all costs.
WORDPERFECT
Not exactly WYSIWYG, but it did get one recommendation.
ASTER*X
One recommendation, and a nice blurb from someone at Applix, the
company that sells the product. (It's nice to know that the company
has some connection to Usenet, which at least raises the possibility
of technical support via E-mail.)
ANDREW TOOLKIT
This is the only freely available system that people mentioned,
and two people said it was at least worth a look.
Thanks to all that replied.
rhaar@albert.cs.gmr.com (Bob Haar)
horen@rs.com (Jonathan B. Horen)
adam@das.harvard.edu (Adam Shostack)
Keith.Bierman@Eng.Sun.COM (Keith Bierman fpgroup)
kremer@cs.utwente.nl (Harro Kremer)
mpeppler@itf0.itf.ch (Michael Peppler)
celeste@stokely.mtview.ca.us (Celeste Stokely)
fridman@cpsc.ucalgary.ca (Robert Fridman)
dwh@cpsc.ucalgary.ca (David Hankinson)
cynthia@ll.mit.edu (Cynthia Eldridge)
Chris Lilley <lilleyc@computer-science.manchester.ac.uk>
boole!John@uunet.UU.NET
applix!nova89!jim@uunet.UU.NET (Jim Morton [ext 237])
bcc900@cscgpo.Anu.Edu.AU (Bruce C Cogan)
cameron@cs.adelaide.edu.au (Cameron Humphries)
Scott Brim <swb@nr-tech.cit.cornell.edu>
Dennis J. Nicklaus <nicklaus@lonetree.physics.wisc.edu>
Himanshu Gohel <gohel@talisman.csee.usf.edu>
drd!mark@tusun2.mcs.utulsa.edu (mark.lawrence)
mitzel%caldera.usc.edu@usc.edu (Danny Mitzel)
-- Earl Locken earl@jade.ab.ca Jade Simulations International
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Fri Sep 28 2001 - 23:06:36 CDT