Word Processor Beta

[Brad Adrian]

<a href="http://www.softmaker.de/anywhere/anyce,en.htm">http://www.softmaker.de/anywhere/anyce,en.htm</a><br /><br />We've gotten very excited from time to time about news coming from SoftMaker, especially when it comes to the work they're doing on a <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1405&highlight=textmaker">CE-based Office Suite</a>.<br /><br />So far, SoftMaker has released a beta version of their TextMaker word processor, but it's only for Handheld Windows CE devices. However, if you look at their Web site, you'll notice an intriguing little blurb:<br /><br />"Pocket PC users: This beta version will run on Handheld PCs only, but Pocket PC support is under delevopment."<br /><br />Apparently, the people at SoftMaker really listened to requests from Pocket PC users and readers of this site concerning the need to port their products to the Pocket PC platform. For anybody who has felt that Pocket Word isn't as feature-rich as it needs to be, this is terrific news! There are so many ways that Pocket Word falls short of meeting my needs, so I can't wait until a better word processor hits the market.<br /><br />I have absolutely no idea what the final Pocket PC version of TextMaker might be like, but if the Handheld PC version is any indicator, this could be BIG:<br /><br />• Spell checker<br />• Direct exchange with desktop Word--no conversion<br />• Support for tables<br />• Integrated outliner<br />• Glossary functions<br />• Extended paragraph formatting<br />• Built-in thesaurus

[bsoft]

The HPC version runs on PPC as I discovered awhile back

[Hugh Nano]

:D I await this program with bated breath.

I understand from the previous discussion of this program that the HPC beta can be made to work on the Pocket PC by using NYDITOT. I assume that the Pocket PC beta will work with the existing Pocket PC screen size and orientation?

[Marcel_Proust]

:D
I've been running this program on my Jornada 568 (with it's incredible, unfortunately now gone, keyboard. Will the HP Ipaq have anything even half as good?).
This program is one of the best I've seen yet for the PocketPc, and fills an important gap. I haven't understood why nobody has done this before. Many people now have portable keyboards of one sort or another.
You can use the program on a PocketPc now, even before the official version is released. You have to extract and install the files manually, and make sure the onloy .tmc file you have is uwr. You can then run using either Jimmy Landscape or the other landscape program. I find the new Jimmy faster. I've been composing using the built in 'Word' and then editing using the Jimmy. It would be good if one didn't have to switch back and forth obviously, and the program was prepackaged to be readable on the pocketpc.

[Jason Dunn]

I haven't understood why nobody has done this before.

They've all been afraid Microsoft would release a newer version of Pocket Word that would kill their product. Sure, that's always possible, but it's equally possible that another competitor will kill your product by making a much better version. I'm thrilled to see them making this!

[Bob S]

:D
I've been running this program on my Jornada 568 .

Can you provide specific direction on how you did this?

I can see how to copy the exe over, how about the DLL? where does it go?

What about the common files? and the Templ folder?

Thanks :?:

[SoftMaker]

:D
I've been running this program on my Jornada 568 .

Can you provide specific direction on how you did this?

I can see how to copy the exe over, how about the DLL? where does it go?

What about the common files? and the Templ folder?

Thanks :?:

Bob:

This is not necessary anymore. The setup program for the latest beta 3a does not check anymore if you are really installing to a Handheld PC. Just run setup and install TextMaker on your Pocket PC.

Martin Kotulla
SoftMaker Software GmbH

[Bob S]

Wow what service. I'm impressed. Thanks Martin

Bob :D

[Charles Pickrell]

This is the MOST full featured word processor on any PDA I'm sure!! It is very much like using an older version of Microsoft Word. I think that a lot of work would have to be done to make this fit into the Pokcet PC GUI / Style. It does work well with the Landscape programs, but I squint so much with those blurry display that I want to go nuts! I'd love to see a version of this running in landscape mode on a 240x320 Pocekt PC. Heck I'd even be willing to lose a couple of the features, but I wouldn't really want to.

Great job!!!

[JJ]

Just tried it on my Casio E-125. Very nicely done.
Two observations/recommendations:
1. Scrolling is slow with my MIPS 150 MHz processor. :( I hope the Pocket PC version will optimize it for MIPS processor.
2. This version installed directly into the main memory area. The Pocket PC version must allow option to install TextMaker in the storage card. :!:

I can't wait to try the Pocket PC version... :lol:

[SoftMaker]

This is the MOST full featured word processor on any PDA I'm sure!! It is very much like using an older version of Microsoft Word. I think that a lot of work would have to be done to make this fit into the Pokcet PC GUI / Style. It does work well with the Landscape programs, but I squint so much with those blurry display that I want to go nuts! I'd love to see a version of this running in landscape mode on a 240x320 Pocekt PC. Heck I'd even be willing to lose a couple of the features, but I wouldn't really want to.

Great job!!!

We are working on fitting the full-featured version of TextMaker to the PocketPC display. There are three main areas we are working on:

1. Dialog boxes are resized to the smaller screen. This already works really well (hint: the dialogs will have scrollbars, and they are surprisingly usable this way).

2. The main menu bar will be gone. Instead, there will be a toolbar, and one of the buttons will be a Menu button. Clicking on it opens a list of the main menu entries. You can still reconfigure the toolbar to have some or all of the main menu entries always visible, but this will cost you screen estate.

3. There will be an option to break lines on the right border of the screen so that you don't have to scroll horizontally.

(2) is already done; (1) is halfway through, and (3) is actually a minor change to the formatting engine. So, I am pretty confident we'll have a beta in a few weeks.

Martin Kotulla
SoftMaker Software GmbH

[SoftMaker]

Just tried it on my Casio E-125. Very nicely done.
...
2. This version installed directly into the main memory area. The Pocket PC version must allow option to install TextMaker in the storage card. :!:

I can't wait to try the Pocket PC version... :lol:

JJ:

This question comes up from time to time. Pardon my ignorance here, but what is preventing you from changing the default installation path from \Program Files\SoftMaker to \StorageCard\SoftMaker?

TextMaker works from Compact Flash (actually had to fix a bug today here; the fix is not yet in beta 3a). How much you like it, depends on the speed of your CF card. I have a Toshiba card, and it's nearly as fast as internal RAM. Others have seen significant slowdowns with other manufacturers' cards.

Martin Kotulla
SoftMaker Software GmbH

[JJ]

JJ:

This question comes up from time to time. Pardon my ignorance here, but what is preventing you from changing the default installation path from \Program Files\SoftMaker to \StorageCard\SoftMaker?

TextMaker works from Compact Flash (actually had to fix a bug today here; the fix is not yet in beta 3a). How much you like it, depends on the speed of your CF card. I have a Toshiba card, and it's nearly as fast as internal RAM. Others have seen significant slowdowns with other manufacturers' cards.

Martin Kotulla
SoftMaker Software GmbH

It could be an oversight on my part but I did not see a dialog box or any option that asks where I want to install the software. If the option is already there, then well done!

[SoftMaker]

It could be an oversight on my part but I did not see a dialog box or any option that asks where I want to install the software. If the option is already there, then well done!

This is getting interesting ...

If you start the setup program, the first screen offers the options "Install TextMaker", "Uninstall TextMaker", and "Abort". If you hit the first option, the next dialog appears, offering what kinds of dictionaries you want to install, and an edit field for the installation path. It defaults to \Program Files\SoftMaker but you can change it any way you like. Then you click on Install, and TextMaker gets installed.

Can you start the setup program again to check whether the above is true for the beta that you downloaded? There could be a bug in the setup program, and we'd like to know about it.

Martin Kotulla
SoftMaker Software GmbH

[Marcel_Proust]

We are working on fitting the full-featured version of TextMaker to the PocketPC display. There are three main areas we are working on:

1. Dialog boxes are resized to the smaller screen. This already works really well (hint: the dialogs will have scrollbars, and they are surprisingly usable this way).

2. The main menu bar will be gone. Instead, there will be a toolbar, and one of the buttons will be a Menu button. Clicking on it opens a list of the main menu entries. You can still reconfigure the toolbar to have some or all of the main menu entries always visible, but this will cost you screen estate.

3. There will be an option to break lines on the right border of the screen so that you don't have to scroll horizontally.

(2) is already done; (1) is halfway through, and (3) is actually a minor change to the formatting engine. So, I am pretty confident we'll have a beta in a few weeks.

Martin Kotulla
SoftMaker Software GmbH

Sounds excellent. I was worried #3 would not be implemented but it's a critical feature. Judging by the success of Wordsmith, a much less capable program, on the Palm platform, this should be a big hit.

[JJ]

This is getting interesting ...

If you start the setup program, the first screen offers the options "Install TextMaker", "Uninstall TextMaker", and "Abort". If you hit the first option, the next dialog appears, offering what kinds of dictionaries you want to install, and an edit field for the installation path. It defaults to \Program Files\SoftMaker but you can change it any way you like. Then you click on Install, and TextMaker gets installed.

Can you start the setup program again to check whether the above is true for the beta that you downloaded? There could be a bug in the setup program, and we'd like to know about it.

Martin Kotulla
SoftMaker Software GmbH

I see it now. It wasn't obvious when I first installed it. I guess it could be made a little more user friendlier by allowing the user to browse into the Pocket PC folders or simply provide an option to install it on the Storage Card. :idea:

[SoftMaker]

I see it now. It wasn't obvious when I first installed it. I guess it could be made a little more user friendlier by allowing the user to browse into the Pocket PC folders or simply provide an option to install it on the Storage Card. :idea:

OK, thanks. I'll put it on the suggestions list.

Martin Kotulla
SoftMaker Software GmbH