Re: `power' v wp xyW (long!)

James D. Besser (jbesser@clark.net)
Mon, 12 Jun 1995 09:37:30 -0400 (EDT)

On Sun, 11 Jun 1995 OkAnnie@aol.com wrote:
>
> Excuse me, but what a laugh--as if each of those journalists had carefully
> weighed all the choices, gone to a store, and bought xyWrite! If they'd
> chosen a word processor in the '80s it would have been WP because sales clerk
> "experts"--relying on reviews directed to corporate buyers and relieved by WP
> toll-free tech support of ever having to offer any--would have advised PC
> neophyte friends to get WP. Since all their friends used WP, so would those
> journalists. Now they wouldn't even weigh the choices. "Word processor" = WP,
> unless you're real hep and get that maverick winWord.

I did just that--evaluated the options, tried a few word processors, and
ended up with XyWrite. And I convinced several of my papers to make
the change. I did it because I could perform specific customizations
that made my work life easier, things I couldn't do with other
word processors.

Now I can. In a static world, I'd stick with XyWrite. In a world in which
almost every new program is written for WinDoze, I can't afford to.

I'm not suggesting that Xy users should jump shift en masse. As a longtime
and loyal user, I understand that in some applications, XyWRite still
can't be beat.

I'm just suggesting that in terms of one of XyWrite's core markets--
serious journalists and writers--other wordprocessors have closed the
gap. XyWrite won't regain market share by focusing exclusively on
the needs of computer jocks who like their programs unadulterated
by menus, dialogue boxes (I still *hate* them--and, in Wp/Win, have
pretty much minimized their appearance on my screen) and fancy features.

jb