Copyright (c) 1987, 1988 Michael J. Cleary
All Rights Reserved
--------> T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S <--------
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Spelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Evaluation of Shareware Word Processors - Version 5 Page 1
--------> I N T R O D U C T I O N <--------
The purpose of this document is to provide information about general
purpose shareware word processors for IBM and IBM compatible micro
computers.
The document starts by identifying the evaluated products. The actual
evaluation begins with a comparasion of general features. The rest of
the evaluation contains comparasions of specific features that are
broken down into the following logical areas:
A) Block
B) Cursor
C) File
D) Printer
E) Spelling
F) Text
G) Window
Evaluation of Shareware Word Processors - Version 5 Page 2
--------> P R O D U C T S <--------
Product: Galaxy Version 2.3
Date: December 1987
Vendor: OmniVerse
Post Office Box 2974
Renton, Washington 98056-0961
Voice (206) 228-7627
Data (206) 235-8760
Product: MindReader Version 2.0
Date: March 1988
Vendor: Brown Bag Software
2155 South Bascom Avenue
Campbell, California 95008
Voice (408) 559-4545
Data (408) 371-7654
Product: New York Word Version 2.2
Date: June 1987
Vendor: Magma Software Systems
138 - 23 Hoover Avenue
Jamaica, New York 11435
Voice (201) 792-3954
Product: PC-Type+ Version 1.0
Date: October 1986
Vendor: Buttonware
11058 Main Street - Suite 225
Bellevue, Washington 98004
Voice (206) 454-0479
Data (206) 454-2629
Product: PC-Write Version 2.71
Date: December 1986
Vendor: Quicksoft
219 First Avenue North # 224
Seattle, Washington 98109
Voice (206) 282-0452
Product: WordMgr Release 1.4
Date: July 1987
Vendor: Arrow Associates
6401 152nd Avenue North East
Redmond, Washington 98052-4763
Voice (206) 882-3031
Evaluation of Shareware Word Processors - Version 5 Page 3
--------> G E N E R A L <--------
| | | | | | |
Function | GAL | MR | NYW | PCT | PCW | WM |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
BBS | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Command driven | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Comments | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Drop to DOS | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
EGA | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Footers | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Footnotes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Graphics | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Headers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Index | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Invoke program | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Macros | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Mail merge | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Math functions | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Memory requirements | 192 | 256 | 256 | 256 | 320 | 256 |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Menu driven | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Mouse | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Online help | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Registration |49.95|49.95|45.00|69.95|89.00|79.95|
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Sort | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Table of contents | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Word completion | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Word count | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Wordstar (tm) commands | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Evaluation of Shareware Word Processors - Version 5 Page 4
--------> B L O C K <--------
| | | | | | |
Function | GAL | MR | NYW | PCT | PCW | WM |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Copy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Delete | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Move | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Print | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Read from disk | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Write to disk | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Evaluation of Shareware Word Processors - Version 5 Page 5
--------> C U R S O R <--------
| | | | | | |
Function | GAL | MR | NYW | PCT | PCW | WM |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Block | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Column | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Display current location | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
File | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Line | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Markers | 9 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Non-ASCII | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Non-blank | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Page break | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Paragraph | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Period | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Screen | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Word | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Evaluation of Shareware Word Processors - Version 5 Page 6
--------> F I L E <--------
| | | | | | |
Function | GAL | MR | NYW | PCT | PCW | WM |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Backup at specified intervals | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Backup when loading | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Backup when saving | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Cancel updates | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Change directory | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Copy | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Delete | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Encryption | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
List directory | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Load | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Print | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Print to disk | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Rename | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Save | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Save as other name | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Wordstar (tm) files | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Evaluation of Shareware Word Processors - Version 5 Page 7
--------> P R I N T E R <--------
| | | | | | |
Function | GAL | MR | NYW | PCT | PCW | WM |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Boldface | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Condensed | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Double underline | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Elite | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Emphasized | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Expanded | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Italics | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Line spacing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Lines per inch | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Overstrike | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Page length | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Pica | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Proportional | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Subscript | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Superscript | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Underline | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
User Defined | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Evaluation of Shareware Word Processors - Version 5 Page 8
--------> S P E L L I N G <--------
| | | | | | |
Function | GAL | MR | NYW | PCT | PCW | WM |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Add phrases to dictionary | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Add words to dictionary | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Dictionary size (in thousands) | No | 10 | No | 100 | 50 | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Guess at correction | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Interface (external/internal) | Ext | Int | No | Int | Int | Ext |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Suffix "ing" | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Suffix past tense | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Suffix pluralization | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Word completion | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Evaluation of Shareware Word Processors - Version 5 Page 9
--------> T E X T <--------
| | | | | | |
Function | GAL | MR | NYW | PCT | PCW | WM |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Case conversion | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Center line | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Copy text from other programs | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Delete character | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Delete line | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Delete word | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Find / Replace | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Hyphenation | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Indentation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Insert character | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Justification | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Margins | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Move column | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Overtype character | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Reformat | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Repagination | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Restore deleted text | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Tabs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Tabs decimal | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Word wrap | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Evaluation of Shareware Word Processors - Version 5 Page 10
--------> W I N D O W <--------
| | | | | | |
Function | GAL | MR | NYW | PCT | PCW | WM |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Close | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Copy from one to another | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Maximum number | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Open | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Switch | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Un-Zoom | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Variable length | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Zoom | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No |
--------------------------------------------------------------------|
Evaluation of Shareware Word Processors - Version 5 Page 11
--------> M O D I F I C A T I O N S <--------
Version 1 - 11/27/87 - Original version
Version 2 - 12/20/87 - Corrections
Indicated PC-Write supports
Backup at specified intervals
EGA
Wordstar (tm) commands
Indicated Galaxy supports
Mouse
Version 3 - 12/29/87 - Upgraded Galaxy from 2.2C to 2.3
Indicated Galaxy Supports
Invoke program
Macros
Version 4 - 01/16/88 - Added MindReader 1.02
Version 5 - 04/02/88 - Corrections
Indicated PC-Write supports
File - Backup when saving
Upgraded MindReader from 1.02 to 2.0
Indicated MindReader supports
Block - Delete
Block - Print
Cursor - File
Cursor - Page break
File - Change directory
File - Delete
File - Rename
General - EGA
General - Wordstar (tm) commands
Spelling - Add phrases to dictionary
Spelling - Suffix "ing"
Spelling - Suffix past tense
Spelling - Suffix pluralization
Spelling - Word completion
Evaluation of Shareware Word Processors - Version 5 Page 12
--------> L I C E N S E <--------
You are hereby granted, without charge, a limited license. This conveys
to you the right to freely utilize, reproduce, and distribute ESWP
with the following restrictions:
1) ESWP must not be modified in any way.
2) ESWP must not be related, either directly or indirectly, to
the generation of fees, charges or compensation of any type.
--------> W A R R A N T Y <--------
ESWP is provided on an as is basis without any warranty, expressed
or implied. I will not be liable for any damages related directly or
indirectly to the use of this document. By using this document, you
agree to this.
Evaluation of Shareware Word Processors - Version 5 Page 13
--------> C O M M E N T S <--------
ESWP will be updated as needed.
The following types of nonflammable communication are encouraged:
1) Identification of errors.
2) Information on shareware word processors not in this
evaluation.
3) Input on other types of shareware to evaluate.
The following means of communication are supported:
1) BBS - The Shareware Syndicate
Riverside, California
(714) 359-8489
2400/1200 - 8/N/1 - 24 Hours
2) Paper - Michael J. Cleary
Post Office Box 8627
Riverside, California 92515-8627
3) UUCP - ...uunet!ucsd!ucrmath!candh!mike
All of the evaluated products are available on The Shareware Syndicate.
If this document assisted you in any way, please feel free to express
your gratitude in the form of a financial contribution to:
Michael J. Cleary
Post Office Box 8627
Riverside, California 92515-8627
Thanking you in advance for your support.