Everything that Pocket Word wished it could be?

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://www.softmaker.de/anywhere/anycepocket,en.htm">http://www.softmaker.de/anywhere/anycepocket,en.htm</a><br /><br />I'm immensely pleased to bring you some great news on the Pocket PC software front: TextMaker is officially being devleoped for the Pocket PC, and it should be available in beta form shortly. And when it comes time to buy the software, you'll hear about it here first.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.softmaker.de/anywhere/pics/ppc,menus,en.gif" /><br /><br />"Ever wanted to do be able to view and edit your Word or TextMaker documents on your Pocket PC? Then TextMaker for Pocket PCs is for you!Compared to a certain "word processor" called Pocket Word, TextMaker offers the full feature set of a high-end word processor: Spell-check your documents. Work with pictures in numerous formats. Insert footnotes. Create TOCs and indices. Insert tables, even create forms. Use the integrated outliner. And there's a lot more...<br /><br />TextMaker for Pocket PCs has practically all the features of the desktop version of TextMaker and is the most comprehensive word processer ever made for your Pocket PC. TextMaker for Pocket PCs brings Desktop-class word processing to your Pocket PC! Availability: TextMaker for Pocket PCs is currently under development. The first beta version will be available for download in a few weeks."<br /><br />And here are just a few of the features:<br /><br />• Documents can be opened and saved in numerous formats – e.g. TextMaker for Windows, Pocket Word, Word for Windows, RTF, ASCII, Unicode<br />• Direct document exchange with TextMaker for Windows and TextMaker for Linux – no conversion required, no loss of formatting<br />• Integrated file manager<br />• Almost unlimited undo/redo<br />• Search and replace text, formatting, and meta characters<br />• Sophisticated table support<br />• Sort text and tables<br />• Calculations in text and tables<br />• Outliner<br />• Insert fields like date, time, page number, author, auto-numbers etc.<br />• Character map for inserting special characters<br />• Bookmarks<br />• Glossary function: just type "asap" and "as soon as possible" will appear (fully customizable)<br />• Create forms including text fields, checkboxes, lists, calculations etc.

[Venturello]

Looks VERY nice. If the developer ever reads this, I guess this will be mostly used by people who write and travel light. If I where you, I would include full support for the portable (foldable especially) keyboards available for the platform, in the form of key shortcuts, etc.

Best wishes with this program, it looks GREAT.

[heyday]

Definatly looks like a winner. I wonder how hard it would be to print from the PPC in this program...

heyday

[Janak Parekh]

If this is ultimately ends up as a fast, stable app, it could easily become the best-selling program for PPC's.

--bdj

[SoftMaker]

If I where you, I would include full support for the portable (foldable especially) keyboards available for the platform, in the form of key shortcuts, etc.
Even better: the keyboard shortcuts are fully user-configurable. You can create as many keyboard mappings as you like and switch between them.

Martin Kotulla
SoftMaker Software GmbH

[BTS]

What would be really nice is to be able to perform a mail merge with Pocket Excel and then be be able to print via IR. A whole office in your pocket! 8)

[huangzhinong]

SoftMaker, good job.

you should inform us to test it as soon as it is avaiable.

[heyday]

How about we had text-to-speach or better yet.... Mind control to text....

heyday

[SoftMaker]

What would be really nice is to be able to perform a mail merge with Pocket Excel and then be be able to print via IR. A whole office in your pocket! 8)
Well, you asked for it ... TextMaker has an integrated database that lets you view and edit .DBF files, and TextMaker supports mail-merging ... :D

[SoftMaker]

How about we had text-to-speach or better yet.... Mind control to text....
Well, not text-to-speech, but maybe speech-to-text with the upcoming Windows CE.NET. I hear it supports SAPI 5.0, and we have worked on speech recognition support for the Windows version of TextMaker in the past. Looks like we should revive this project ...

[mvoosten]

I sure hope they include a landscape option. As for large text documents with images and tables etc. it will certainly enhance readability.

[humphrey22]

What about built-in printing? Also would we have to move our contacts to your .dbf database to do mail merging? At 16MB (get that down some please) internal ram for your software to load doesn't leave much room. I wouldn't want to eat up precious memory with duplicate contact databases. Know what I mean?

That said...you guys are unbelievable!!! I love what you are doing man. We needed this soooooooo much. Thank you!

[JJ]

Wait a minute!!!! MIPS is not one of the supported CPU? If Pocket PC 2000 is one of the supported OS, why not make it MIPS compatible? Beside, the MIPS processor is already one of the supported CPU for the handheld PC version. :2gunfire:

[Duncan]

How long have we asked for this? Please, please rush the beta out... this is the program I have wanted since buying my first Palm-Size PC all those years ago...! The definitive addition to my (and many others') Pocket PC software collections :D

[mookie123]

Somebody call Jeff Kirvin. Now he has to think harder about waffling between Palm and PPC.

[Brad Adrian]

Pardon my candor, but what makes this announcement any different from this one in May?

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1405

Just how close is this to launch?

[Timothy Rapson]

This would go some ways to getting me back in the PPC camp. It looks great.

Looks terrific, really terrific.

Good on 'ya SoftMaker.

[Duncan]

One word Brad - screenshots!

[Rob Alexander]

Everyone's asking for advanced features like mail merge, but let's not forget the basics. The thing it would absolutely have to do to be of any use to me is make a perfect round trip with my (desktop) Word documents. That is, I should be able to move a native Word document, containing text, tables, figures, equations and images onto my PPC for editing, edit the document, save it back to Word format, move it back to my desktop and have everything be intact. If Textmaker doesn't support something, like equations, it should at least not destroy them in the process of my editing text or tables. If you can do this, then I'll be there the day you put it on sale whether or not it can mail merge, print or rub my feet after a hard day's work. :D

[humphrey22]

Adrian I think the May announcement was about the Handheld PC version and this one is about the Pocket PC version.

I can do with out the mail merge my self, but I guess others need it. I would like to see the memory requirement drop well below 16mb if possible. I know features eat up memory, but PPC manufacturers only ship them with 64MB. Add your business/entertainment software and then you have very little room to maneuver.

All in all I am for this program. Roundtrip document transfer is awesome if we can get it. The way I see it we have NOTHING now. Oh man this is getting fun (and useful)!!

[humphrey22]

....and please dont forget printing. Thanks!

[Jeff Kirvin]

Somebody call Jeff Kirvin. Now he has to think harder about waffling between Palm and PPC.

Oh, if this lives up to the hype I think my waffling days are over. Built in outliner, footnotes, droooool...

[Hugh Nano]

Looks wonderful, but ouch!, what a price! $70US!?! Definitely out of my poor-student price-range, no matter how functional. Too bad, since this is something I've been waiting for for a very long time. :cry:

[humphrey22]

Maybe we can convince the developer to do a limited introductory offer type of thing. Maybe 29.95 or someting.

[humphrey22]

Now that I think about it he/she may sell a lot more at half that price ($70-50%=$35). There is usually an intial recoupment cost of R&D, hence the initial high price, then we may see a reduction to more affordable rates for the masses.

Well what do you guys think?

[JJ]

$70 US is the price for Handheld PC version. Price wasn't set for Pocket PC version yet for Pocket PC version isn't even ready for Beta release yet. Let's hope the price would be something affortable when they do release it.

[Jason Dunn]

Pardon my candor, but what makes this announcement any different from this one in May?http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1405

"But don't get too excited yet. It only works on the Handheld PC, including the H/PC Pro and H/PC 2000 devices. Nothing for Pocket PC's."

Back then it wasn't even on the drawing board - now it's fully under development as a real product.

BIG difference! :lol:

[Jason Dunn]

Don't jump to any hasty conclusions on the price yet guy - have faith. :-) Remember that the HPC market is MUCH smaller, and they'd need a higher price to recover R&D expenses.

[hollis_f]

If Textmaker doesn't support something, like equations, it should at least not destroy them in the process of my editing
Rob has hit the nail squarely on the head. I can't imagine there'd be many people who would do all of their document creation on a PPC. I want to be able to use Word at work/home to do the complicated stuff - like equations - and my PPC for the simple stuff. But it's no good if the PPC totally mangles the stuff I'd prepared on the desktop.

[IanG]

Here's an idea for somebody to jump on - How about porting the openoffice word processor to the PocketPC - as far as features, its comparable to Word and supports .doc files. I had a look into this a couple of months back, but have minimal programming skills so gave up on the idea.

Anybody want to give it a try?

Ian G

[SoftMaker]

I sure hope they include a landscape option. As for large text documents with images and tables etc. it will certainly enhance readability.
While TextMaker does not do landscape by itself, it cooperates nicely with NYDITOT, fitting its editing screen and dialogs to the current screen size and orientation.

-mk

[Ed Hansberry]

Hefty memory requirements - 16MB RAM or 8MB Flash and 8MB RAM. Wow! Does it use its own spell checker or can it share what is already in the Pocket PC 2002 ROM? It looks great but given the footprint, this will take up a significant chunk of even a 64MB device. Not for the casual user.

[SoftMaker]

At 16MB (get that down some please) internal ram for your software to load doesn't leave much room. ... That said...you guys are unbelievable!!! I love what you are doing man. We needed this soooooooo much. Thank you!
Ah yes, the wording on the web page has been confusing. What we meant is that you need a 16 MB machine to work with TextMaker.

Actual RAM requirements are 6 MB in data storage (may be on a Flash card) plus 3 MByte RAM in internal program memory (when TextMaker is running).

Does that sound more palatable to you?

I've changed the web pages accordingly.

-mk

[SoftMaker]

If Textmaker doesn't support something, like equations, it should at least not destroy them in the process of my editing text or tables. If you can do this, then I'll be there the day you put it on sale whether or not it can mail merge, print or rub my feet after a hard day's work. :D
Equations are stored as OLE objects in Word. As Windows CE does not support OLE objects, TextMaker warns on file open that it cannot display the object and draws a gray rect instead. When you save the file again, the object is saved verbatim, so you can get it back in Word again.

-mk

[JJ]

Wait a minute!!!! MIPS is not one of the supported CPU? If Pocket PC 2000 is one of the supported OS, why not make it MIPS compatible? Beside, the MIPS processor is already one of the supported CPU for the handheld PC version.
Update:
I wrote to SoftMaker last night to ask them to include MIPS in their supported CPUs and here's the content of my e-mail and Martin Kotulla's (cool guy!!) reply.

Your web site does not indicate that MIPS based Pocket PC 2000 as one of the supported CPU. I've been waiting for an application such as TextMaker ever since I bought my Pocket PC almost two years ago, so please don't disappoint us Cassiopeia E-125 owners by not making it available for MIPS.

Ah, I kind of feared that ...

Yes, it's on our list of things to do. Another trip to Ebay to snatch up
another used Pocket PC then, I guess.

Best regards,

Martin Kotulla
SoftMaker Software GmbH

It just proves that it never hurts to ask!!

P.S. One more thing...TextMaker will be 100% compatible with my Stowaway keyboard right?

[SoftMaker]

Looks wonderful, but ouch!, what a price! $70US!?! Definitely out of my poor-student price-range, no matter how functional. Too bad, since this is something I've been waiting for for a very long time. :cry:
Those $69.95 is the price of the handheld version PLUS the full Windows version (which regularly retails for EUR 150 alone).

Pricing for Pocket PC has not been set, but we will probably offer the Pocket PC version unbundled as well (i.e.: less expensive)

-mk

[SoftMaker]

P.S. One more thing...TextMaker will be 100% compatible with my Stowaway keyboard right?
Yes. Definitely.

-mk

[Brad Adrian]

Adrian I think the May announcement was about the Handheld PC version and this one is about the Pocket PC version.

Right, but part of that announcement was that a Pocket PC version would be in the works soon.

[JMountford]

This truly looks like a nice app. It should be interesting to use.

Out of curiosity will it support exporting to HTML? If not is that something to difficult to implement on this release? Maybe on a subsequent update?

[SoftMaker]

This truly looks like a nice app. It should be interesting to use.

Out of curiosity will it support exporting to HTML? If not is that something to difficult to implement on this release? Maybe on a subsequent update?
HTML import/export (with styles and everything) is currently being worked on. It will be in the next release.

-mk

[hvelez]

When?, When?, When? :( :( :( :crazyeyes:

I am ready now!

Thanks for the App.

[JMountford]

Softmaker thanks for your response to my post. I look forward to seeing this app. Looks like you will have a hit on your hands.

[Ed Hansberry]

Great news on the RAM requirements - 16 MB was a bit frighting. :crazyeyes:

On the pricing - everyone remember this thread? http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1405&highlight=textmaker

Obviously they can set the price they want, and have already indicated the $70 is for a much fuller suite of products, but I hope they are in the zone that poll indicates people would be willing to pay. I'd fork out $29 in about half a second.

Then again, they could charge $999 and we know Kirvin would pay for it at least. :wink: :lol:

[Jeff Rutledge]

When?, When?, When? :( :( :( :crazyeyes:

I am ready now!

Thanks for the App.

I agree. Any guess-timate on when we might see a beta? I think it's obvious that you've generated a great deal of interest here. Definitely an area that needs to be filled on the PPC.

Regardless of when, I'm very glad to see this product is coming! Thanks!

[humphrey22]

HTML Import/Export????!!!! As in WYSIWYG? Oh man don't hurt me that bad! You better stop adding fuel to the fire my man. :wink: :P

[SoftMaker]

When?, When?, When? :( :( :( :crazyeyes:

I am ready now!

Thanks for the App.

I agree. Any guess-timate on when we might see a beta? I think it's obvious that you've generated a great deal of interest here. Definitely an area that needs to be filled on the PPC.

Regardless of when, I'm very glad to see this product is coming! Thanks!
Some time in September. More towards the end of that month.

-mk

[Hugh Nano]

Looks wonderful, but ouch!, what a price! $70US!?! Definitely out of my poor-student price-range, no matter how functional. Too bad, since this is something I've been waiting for for a very long time. :cry:
Those $69.95 is the price of the handheld version PLUS the full Windows version (which regularly retails for EUR 150 alone).

Pricing for Pocket PC has not been set, but we will probably offer the Pocket PC version unbundled as well (i.e.: less expensive)

-mk

Wow! Great news! Thanks for the reply. I would jump at an unbundled version for $20 or $30US (preferably $20, of course! :wink: ). Unbundled would make more sense for me in terms of the software I already have as well as financially, since I managed to get Office 2000 at a low student price. I am really looking forward to this app! :D

[Rob Alexander]

If Textmaker doesn't support something, like equations, it should at least not destroy them in the process of my editing text or tables. If you can do this, then I'll be there the day you put it on sale whether or not it can mail merge, print or rub my feet after a hard day's work. :D
Equations are stored as OLE objects in Word. As Windows CE does not support OLE objects, TextMaker warns on file open that it cannot display the object and draws a gray rect instead. When you save the file again, the object is saved verbatim, so you can get it back in Word again.

-mk

Thanks for the reply! It would be nice if I could see the equation, but it sounds like that's not possible under CE. What you've described should work as a next-best option. One thing, though. Please don't make it notify us every single time it finds an OLE object. I sometimes have hundreds of equations in a document and would not like to have to click OK once for each. :lol:

[Jonathan1]

SoftMaker,

With MS most likely planning an upgrade to CE.NET within the next year what are your intentions on support? Let’s say MS releases a Pocket PC 2003 OS 1st qt of 2003. Would you plan on giving free upgrades to support this OS to current owners.

Don't get me wrong I'm ecstatic about your product as everyone else but anytime a new OS could potentially be near it makes me twitchy on how software vendors support their customers.

PS- Any plans on a Excel or PowerPoint product? Sorry call me greedy :D

[humphrey22]

No. Good questions.

[SoftMaker]

Please don't make it notify us every single time it finds an OLE object. I sometimes have hundreds of equations in a document and would not like to have to click OK once for each. :lol:
It shows it ONCE per document load, and there is a checkbox in the dialog "Don't show me this message again".

-mk

[SoftMaker]

SoftMaker,

With MS most likely planning an upgrade to CE.NET within the next year what are your intentions on support? Let’s say MS releases a Pocket PC 2003 OS 1st qt of 2003. Would you plan on giving free upgrades to support this OS to current owners.

Don't get me wrong I'm ecstatic about your product as everyone else but anytime a new OS could potentially be near it makes me twitchy on how software vendors support their customers.

PS- Any plans on a Excel or PowerPoint product? Sorry call me greedy :D
Our software is "well-behaving" which means that it SHOULD run under future versions of the operating system without change. Remember when people were running the handheld version compiled for WinCE 2.10/2.11 on Pocket PCs with WinCE 3.0 and it basically worked except for the screen layout?

That said, service packs (bug fixes and program changes to make the software compatible with future OSes; sometimes minor features added) are free downloads, while new versions that add new features are being charged for.

As for additional apps, you're not greedy, just enthusiastic ... If you look at the full SoftMaker Office anywhere page at http://www.softmaker.de/anywhere/index,en.htm and browse from there, you will find that we are also working on:

PlanMaker, our Excel-compatible spreadsheet
DataMaker, a desktop-type database
A groupware/PIM combo
A document management system

All these components together will make up SoftMaker Office anywhere, and it's multi-platform: Windows, Windows CE, and Linux.

-mk