TextMaker For Everyone!

[Brad Adrian]

<a href="http://www.softmaker.de/freetmc.htm">http://www.softmaker.de/freetmc.htm</a><br /><br />Well, maybe not <b>EVERY</b>one, but almost! SoftMaker, creator of the TextMaker word processor for mobile computing, is giving away 5,000 free copies of the desktop version of their software.<br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/textmaker.gif" /><br /><br />"To promote TextMaker, between April 4, 2003 (8 pm GMT) and April 11, 2003 (8 pm GMT), [SoftMaker] will give out 5,000 FREE copies of TextMaker <b>for Windows</b>, the Windows counterpart of TextMaker for Pocket PCs. This is our full-featured, Word-compatible word processor for Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP that reads and writes Microsoft Word files and has all the features that one expects to find in a high-end word processor."<br /><br />To get your free copy, all you have to do is <a href="http://www.softmaker.de/freetmc.htm">download it from the SoftMaker site</a>. And, as a special promotion, Pocket PC Thoughts will be giving away three free licenses for the Pocket PC version of TextMaker shortly after April 11. We'll select the winners from our list of <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/profile.php?mode=register">registered</a> readers, so make sure you're registered.<br /><br />I've looked at a couple of beta versions of this software, so I'd be very interested in hearing the impressions of anybody who has had a chance to use the Pocket PC version. Is it REALLY a complete Pocket Word replacement?

[Pat Logsdon]

I've had the Pocket PC version for a few months now and I'd say that it's MORE than a complete replacement for Pocket Word. It supports tables, different bullet styles, numbered lists, it will preserve Word formatting and save files in the Word .doc format, supports images, etc., etc. It's really very nice.

I have an Axim, and it was basically unusable until they issued the patch that played nice with the Dell keyboard driver. Now it can keep up with me. I've switched to it and use it as my primary word processor now. I write several pages a day in it, transfer the file to my PC to edit in Word, and save it back to the Axim. Very smooth. If the desktop version of TextMaker is as good as the PPC version, I'll drop Word completely.

Definitely worth the $50 bucks, in my opinion.

[Hugh Nano]

Yes. This is absolutely a replacement for Pocket Word. It is almost a replacement for desktop Word. The only thing really lacking (besides a few minor feature limitations) is a larger screen for final editing--and, of course, that's hardly TextMaker's problem!

[bbarker]

I've had it for 3 months. It really is excellent.

[yiks]

Heh... i thought it was TextMaker for pocket pc that was free.. got me excited for a while.....anyway great program. Couldn't afford it at the moment.

[darrylb]

Woohoo :D . I was trying to figure out how to purchase the trial version before the 15th when their combo offer runs out. This means I can wait until the trial is over (which suits me better) 8)

This is a great product. I will probably ditch word now (I only have one license and two computers) so I will use textmaker on my computer and word on the other one.

Way to go SoftMaker. To top this off, why not knock $10 off the PPC price and sell en masse :wink:

[kfluet]

Is it REALLY a complete Pocket Word replacement?

It is AWESOME.

My only complaint is that you can't print from the PocketPC version. As far as I can tell, in order to print something you have to either (1) sync the file to the desktop version and print from there or (2) save in Pocket Word format (losing of all that wonderful formatting) and print with 3rd party PocketPC printing app.

I dunno if lots of people print from PocketPC. Maybe nobody cares?

[spursdude]

Heh... i thought it was TextMaker for pocket pc that was free.. got me excited for a while.....anyway great program. Couldn't afford it at the moment.
I thought so too. I'm not going to download it... save it for people who will actually use it. But I am interested in the Pocket PC version...

[Charles Pickrell]

My only complaint is that you can't print from the PocketPC version.

If you really want printing that supports Word formatting, you could try WesTek's ClearView and HP's mobile printing software. Together these packages allow you to print Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files. It supports Bluetooth too, pretty cool.

Link to HP (http://h20022.www2.hp.com/busprod/LCoverview/0,,series=238131%5Etype=13037%5Ecategory=64180,00.html?lsidebarLayId=79&rsidebarLayId=235)

[Weyoun6]

yea! I dont have to pay as much! Finally have a reason to try textmaker.

[SassKwatch]

If you really want printing that supports Word formatting, you could try WesTek's ClearView and HP's mobile printing software. Together these packages allow you to print Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files. It supports Bluetooth too, pretty cool.

Just curious.....has anyone tried this HP Bluetooth Printer Adapter (http://www.shopping.hp.com/cgi-bin/hpdirect/shopping/scripts/product_detail/product_detail_view.jsp?product_code=MPIPA330&script_name=product.cgi)?

Does it work reasonably well?[/url]

[EricMCarson]

Just curious.....has anyone tried this HP Bluetooth Printer Adapter (http://www.shopping.hp.com/cgi-bin/hpdirect/shopping/scripts/product_detail/product_detail_view.jsp?product_code=MPIPA330&script_name=product.cgi)?

Does it work reasonably well?[/url]
I've been using it for over six months now in the office on several printers, and it works great, particularly with hp's mobile printing software. Only downside is that on older hp printers, you can to also use the power cord. Newer hp printers provide power for the module automatically.

[Jonathon Watkins]

I thought the PPC version was free as well. :? Oh well. :) If it were a bit cheeper......

I have Office XP, so am not too interested in the desktop version

[Roosterman]

This is great. I've been hearing everyone rave about this product. Glad to have this outstanding opportunity to try it out. Thanks for the heads up.

[jmarkevich]

I thought the PPC version was free as well. :? Oh well. :) If it were a bit cheeper......


I don't really mind the cost, if you get all of that, it should be worth it. Like others were saying, it's really a desktop version but extremely portable. Where can we get a desktop WP for that price!

The problem is the SIZE of the thing!!! It won't FIT in my 3650 :(

[robclif4d]

The only problem I have with the PPC version is that is saves larger docs (18 pages of nothing but text) a LOT slower than PPC Word. If speed was increased when saving, then I might put TextMaker back on my PPC (ipaq 3955).


Rob

[SoftMaker]

The only problem I have with the PPC version is that is saves larger docs (18 pages of nothing but text) a LOT slower than PPC Word. If speed was increased when saving, then I might put TextMaker back on my PPC (ipaq 3955).


Rob
Saving to .DOC format is a CPU-intensive operation. You should consider saving to our native .TMD format and only converting to .DOC when you move the file back to the PC. Our .TMD format is much more apt for the slow devices that Pocket PCs essentially are (compared to Gigahertz PCs)

Martin Kotulla
SoftMaker Software GmbH

[Chris Spera]

I'm writing a review of this application for another site...

The desktop and Pocket PC versions are effectively IDENTICAL. the only difference is the size of the screen and the placement of some objects and elements due to the smaller screen size on your device.

As a word processor, TextMaker isn't bad. Since it can edit and save in Word format, and it comes at such a small price point, it is exceptionally affordable.

however, if you don't have a keyboard, this can be a problem if you're really trying to edit big documents; but its not a killer. Also, if you don't have a means of Landscaping your device while typing, then the lack of screen space is going to be problematic.

The fact that most devices can't landscape and dock to a keyboard at the same time is a HUGE problem, tho not one for SoftMaker, this could be a sticking point that keeps the app from completely taking off, in my opinion.

There are some keyboards out there that have a cable connecting it to your device; allowing you to landscape your device while you type; but last time I checked, a complete solution that turned and held your landscaped device in place and a keyboard with a cable was about $70 bucks (I spec-ed the cheapest available), plus the cost of the software, another $70 bucks.

The total price for a truly usable word processor on your device: $140.

Even with all of the writing I do, that's a bit pricey. I also have a Stowaway keyboard; and while it IS POSSIBLE to use TM with it, TM really begs for a landscaped screen.

This is obviously a personal choice issue; but after trying to make it work for a while, I found it a bit hard on the eyes...

Christopher Spera

[SoftMaker]

I'm writing a review of this application for another site...

The desktop and Pocket PC versions are effectively IDENTICAL. the only difference is the size of the screen and the placement of some objects and elements due to the smaller screen size on your device.

As a word processor, TextMaker isn't bad. Since it can edit and save in Word format, and it comes at such a small price point, it is exceptionally affordable.

however, if you don't have a keyboard, this can be a problem if you're really trying to edit big documents; but its not a killer. Also, if you don't have a means of Landscaping your device while typing, then the lack of screen space is going to be problematic.

The fact that most devices can't landscape and dock to a keyboard at the same time is a HUGE problem, tho not one for SoftMaker, this could be a sticking point that keeps the app from completely taking off, in my opinion.

There are some keyboards out there that have a cable connecting it to your device; allowing you to landscape your device while you type; but last time I checked, a complete solution that turned and held your landscaped device in place and a keyboard with a cable was about $70 bucks (I spec-ed the cheapest available), plus the cost of the software, another $70 bucks.

The total price for a truly usable word processor on your device: $140.

Even with all of the writing I do, that's a bit pricey. I also have a Stowaway keyboard; and while it IS POSSIBLE to use TM with it, TM really begs for a landscaped screen.

This is obviously a personal choice issue; but after trying to make it work for a while, I found it a bit hard on the eyes...

Christopher Spera
Depends on what you want to do. If you just do mobile editing on existing documents, neither landscaping nor an external keyboard are really necessary. In fact, a bunch of customers have been begging us to port TextMaker to Smartphones, and these have even smaller screens and just a numeric keypad.

If you do a lot of document creation on the road, Nyditot (with which TextMaker is fully compatible) and an external keyboard are nice. But then you could just as well consider getting a cheap Handheld PC off Ebay - especially considering that owners of TextMaker for Pocket PCs can get platform upgrades to TextMaker for Handheld PCs at just $25 (you keep the rights to your TextMaker for Pocket PCs).

Martin Kotulla
SoftMaker Software GmbH

[Down8]

I don't really mind the cost, if you get all of that, it should be worth it. Like others were saying, it's really a desktop version but extremely portable. Where can we get a desktop WP for that price!
Here: OpenOffice.org (http://www.openoffice.org)

-bZj

[kfluet]

...

This is obviously a personal choice issue; but after trying to make it work for a while, I found it a bit hard on the eyes...

Christopher Spera
Depends on what you want to do.

...

Martin Kotulla
SoftMaker Software GmbH

I find myself doing actual writing of documents in a quick, light app (specifically Tillanosoft's awesome freeware PocketNotepad (http://www.tillanosoft.com/ce/pnotepad.html), and then moving that text into something more complicated for layout or HTML markup.

I think people's desire for landscape is to put things into a mode that is more desktop-like (i.e. familiar). I had this desire until I realized that landscape wasn't really any better than portrait because you still only get a portion of a row if the text is large enough to be comfortable to work with.

[kfluet]

My only complaint is that you can't print from the PocketPC version.

If you really want printing that supports Word formatting, you could try WesTek's ClearView and HP's mobile printing software. Together these packages allow you to print Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files. It supports Bluetooth too, pretty cool.

Link to HP (http://h20022.www2.hp.com/busprod/LCoverview/0,,series=238131%5Etype=13037%5Ecategory=64180,00.html?lsidebarLayId=79&rsidebarLayId=235)

Hey, thanks for the tip. This might just work for me...

[ddwire]

I have been using the desk top and pocket pc version now for about 3 months and I think it is great. The wrap to screen feature is nice if you do not have a lot of pic.s or objects in the doc. Best feature of the desk top version is stability, no crashes yet!!! Word locks up and crashes all the time on all my computers. My only complaint is that I use ACT! as a contact manager for my business and it does not support textmaker as one of the word processor choices. You are stuck with Act or word as a choice for writting documents directly from ACT! I have HP 's mobile print software and the HP 450 mobile printer and have had no problems printing from my Casio E-200 pocket pc.

Great product, I can't wait for the database and spread sheet versions.
Daniel Dwire
[email protected]

[Trokair]

I just got this in my Inbox. :D

DEADLINE: April 6, 2003, 8 pm GMT


Dear TextMaker user:

Thank you for downloading TextMaker. You now have a fully-licensed
copy of TextMaker for Windows AND you can also try out TextMaker
for Windows CE for 30 days.

This means that you can use the Windows version forever, but the mobile version times out after 30 days.

We'd like to make you an offer you can't refuse: Order TextMaker
for Pocket PCs or TextMaker for Handheld PCs in the next 24 hours (i.e. until April 6, 8 pm GMT), and we give you a discount of 50%
off the regular price!

So, if you act quickly, you pay just US$34.95 instead of US$69.95, or EUR 39.95 instead of EUR 79.95, respectively.

Click one of the following links to go to our order page:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. European customers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

TextMaker for Pocket PCs: http://www.softmaker.de/order1_en.php4?&curr=eur&tmw02bp=1&_tmw02bp=39,95


TextMaker for Handheld PCs: http://www.softmaker.de/order1_en.php4?&curr=eur&tmw02hd=1&_tmw02hd=39,95

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Customers outside Europe
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

TextMaker for Pocket PCs: http://www.softmaker.de/order1_en.php4?&curr=usd&tmw02bp=1&_tmw02bp=34,95


TextMaker for Handheld PCs: http://www.softmaker.de/order1_en.php4?&curr=usd&tmw02hd=1&_tmw02hd=34,95


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
But hurry: This is a one-time offer and is valid for only 24 hours!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Best regards,

SoftMaker Software GmbH
http://www.softmaker.com
[email protected]

[jmarkevich]

I don't really mind the cost, if you get all of that, it should be worth it. Like others were saying, it's really a desktop version but extremely portable. Where can we get a desktop WP for that price!
Here: OpenOffice.org (http://www.openoffice.org)

-bZj

:roll:

Yeah I know, I use OOo on all of my machines in two OSs to the exception of other WPs if possible. While a great and very usable program, it lacks what many serious commercial offerings would include (like, say, frequent updates). But even if it were $49, I'd pay for it. If it had a PocketPC version... I'd run out and upgrade so I could run it!!!

However, until the day Mozilla and OOo merge to make a uber application/platform, I'm looking around. :)

[kagayaki1]

Can someone please provide a link for Westek's Clearview. I'm having a little trouble Googling it...

-Jaosn

[spursdude]

Right here (http://www.westtek.com/clearvue.htm)... just a few spelling nuances.

[darrylb]

I got this too!

We'd like to make you an offer you can't refuse: Order TextMaker
for Pocket PCs or TextMaker for Handheld PCs in the next 24 hours (i.e. until April 6, 8 pm GMT), and we give you a discount of 50%
off the regular price!

So, if you act quickly, you pay just US$34.95 instead of US$69.95, or EUR 39.95 instead of EUR 79.95, respectively.


I thought that 50% off the PocketPC version would be US$25.00 :wink:

Still - great deal, trying to figure if I can afford it or whether I need to wait until the next pay :?

[GoldKey]

I'll second the thumbs up for Open Office. Every once in a while, I need to bring a word doc or excel spreadsheet home to work on. I was not about the spend the high price for Office for just occasional use, so when I found open office, I was very excited. Not quite as easy to use as office, but that just might be because I have used office for so long and it has me well trained.

[RickP in AZ]

A new user of OOo here and I of course pounced on the free offer for TextMaker desktop.

For my use TM on the PPC is a little too much stuff in such a tiny package but it is a programming marvel when you realize that it is almost and exact copy of the desktop version. Really incredible capability on a handheld.

TextMaker on the desktop can be summed up in one word: F-A-S-T!!!!! Of course at only 8MB it is going to fly anywhere. If I can break myself away from the familiarity of MSWord, TextMaker is an excellent option. (I think of it as Word 5.1 or 6 in size but with more function.) So far the only problem I have had was with opening an RTF file I had created in TM which caused the program to crash on start. But this is only after 24 hours of testing.

OOo: My enthusiasm for this suite is growing, of course it has been only a month and as it was a rather hectic month I have not really investigated it fully. As I am merely an aspiring writer I am only concerned with OOoWriter, the word processing component. For some reason my mind seems to gel with this program wonderfully.

But what do I know, I'm just a wornout, wannabe writer and bedraggled father of a brand new son... (And his name shall be Zane... and he shall be early!)

[Rob Borek]

I've downloaded the desktop version, and plan on giving the Pocket PC version a try... I'm not a heavy user/editor of Word documents, so I doubt I'll buy it.

Still, it's great to see a full-featured document editor for the Pocket PC. I look forward to seeing it in the next Pocket PC Awards nomination list.

[dean_shan]

I'm going to keep using TextMaker for windows. Mostly because I'm to cheap to buy MS Word. I won't buy the handheld version unless the price drops to 10-15. It's a nice program but I don't do much paper writing with my pocket pc to justify the price, even if it is 50% off.

[darrylb]

Has anyone actually purchased the PPC version of Textmaker yet? There are heaps of comments here, but not many say they will purchase - even at 50% off!

Is it me or is this an app that looks great but is hard to justify? :|

[PacMan]

Has anyone actually purchased the PPC version of Textmaker yet? There are heaps of comments here, but not many say they will purchase - even at 50% off!

Is it me or is this an app that looks great but is hard to justify? :|

At this price it's hard to resist (and I didn't). It's a full featured word processing program. People continue to whine about Pocket Word (and justifiably so), and here's what looks to be a good alternative. It may not be perfect in every way (i.e. it costs money), but for what you get, $35 seems like a good deal. The ability to move documents back and forth was, to me, more than worth it. Hopefully it lives up to advance billing.

[drahn]

A little disappointing. I can't enter my native language, Korean. Its characters are double-byte.

[mv]

well, if they can make a version in spanish, and keep the $35 price for the bundle - then i´ll buy.

[Mona13]

I bought it and it's worth the money. Synching without the formatting disappearing is worth it.

[SoftMaker]

well, if they can make a version in spanish, and keep the $35 price for the bundle - then i´ll buy.
TextMaker ships with Spanish spell-checking (even separate dictionaries for Castilian and Latin American), hyphenation, and thesaurus, but we don't yet have a Spanish user interface.

Martin Kotulla
SoftMaker Software GmbH

[spaceman]

I just brought it. $35 seems like a pretty good deal for the features.

[nj_lee]

Hi guys

I just trialed and bought TM for PPC. It is great, but there is one problem i have found - maybe not relevant to all.

I wirte a lot of academic articels with (bad spelling it seems!) diagrams in them, which i create with word.

Unfortunatley, TM can not convert these properly, since it has few facilites for drawing them anyway. I have contacted the support desk and asked them about it, and they helpfully replied within half and hour so i could still get the cheap deal. They said that they were working on a fix in the new version to come out this summer (northern i assume).

So, if anyone thinks that converting diagrams from word is an ESSENTIAL part of their needs, then don't buy yet. Personally, its a pain but i will work around it to keep formatting and tables in my documents. At the cheap price its a steal for a full WP package.

If anyone is interested, i am using a Fujitsu LOOX with an external keyboard, and things seem to work fine. Can't really comment on TM long term since i haven't used it a lot as yet, but it seems excellent. Definitely requires some change in the way of looking at your documents due to the screen size though (hardly their fault).

Cheers, hope this helps.

Dr. Nick

[yiks]

Further, word docs with black background displays as white in TM.........??!!! Tried to manually set the background to black but doesn't seem to allow it. Maybe I should read the manuals or something...keh heh

Should be a simple thing to rectify?

[nj_lee]

i would have thought the background was a setting within word, not part of the document itself? Therefore textmaker wouldn't display the black.

i.e. if you set word appropriately, all docs have black backgrounds and white text. I have a colleague that does this, he reckons its easier to read. Theres a setting somewhere in word i think.

Doesn't do much for me bu plenty of people say its better on the eyes.

Nick

[yiks]

Well I normally use MS Word2000 on white background but when I loaded a particular document the background turned black automatically. The document uses yellow fonts. So I think the background setting is embedded in the document.

This document in Textmaker displays as white background. With yellow fonts it's difficult to read. It can be changed to a black background via 'Menu-> File->properties 'Internet' Tab ' but it doesn't save to the document ie. I gotta set it everytime I load the document.

Another issue I found is with the formatting of tables. In my particular document it doesn't display the same in Textmaker as it does in MS Word 2000 ie the formating runs. What's worse is when I edit the document in Textmaker and view it in word2000 the messed up formatting is carried back in the original document.

Having said all that I've got numerous documents that views properly in Textmaker. Maybe it still needs some updates before it works properly with table formatting as well..

[SoftMaker]

Well I normally use MS Word2000 on white background but when I loaded a particular document the background turned black automatically. The document uses yellow fonts. So I think the background setting is embedded in the document.

This document in Textmaker displays as white background. With yellow fonts it's difficult to read. It can be changed to a black background via 'Menu-> File->properties 'Internet' Tab ' but it doesn't save to the document ie. I gotta set it everytime I load the document.

Another issue I found is with the formatting of tables. In my particular document it doesn't display the same in Textmaker as it does in MS Word 2000 ie the formating runs. What's worse is when I edit the document in Textmaker and view it in word2000 the messed up formatting is carried back in the original document.

Having said all that I've got numerous documents that views properly in Textmaker. Maybe it still needs some updates before it works properly with table formatting as well..
Can you send me sample documents? (both for the background and for the tables) We are always improving the filters and we need to look at files as diverse as possible.

Martin Kotulla
SoftMaker Software GmbH

[yiks]

Sure...Softmaker what e-mail address should I send the files to?

[SoftMaker]

Sure...Softmaker what e-mail address should I send the files to?
Duh... :D [email protected]

-mk

[yiks]

Softmaker i've sent the files to u.