Re: WP 8 problem
On 20-Dec-98 Riccardo Tommasini wrote:
> Charles,
> indeed I think all this satisfactory reports about WP8 and the fact
> that one should not have complains about limitations of "free" a
> software are an example of the "poor's man happiness".
>
> The points are:
> - the cost it takes to dowload 23 MBytes of software, i.e. the phone
> bill.
> - the fact that corel never pointed out any limitation.
> - the fact that at no cost there are a lot of products much better than
> the "free" version of WP8.
>
> Hence congratulations to all the guys happy with such a bunch of
> useless
> code.
>
> ric
Let me try to balance this argument. I'm basically in agreement with
Riccardo, without wishing to be so dismissive.
The "free" download version is in fact _very_ useful for anything which
is plain text/tables/etc so long as you don't need equations or drawing
capbilities.
However, it would have been fair dealing for Corel to make the true
limitations clear beforehand. I think that in ALL European countries
people pay by the minute for phone connections, and getting WP8 cost me
at least $5 (equivalent).
I'm keen to get WP8 anyway, if only for the MS file format import/export
facilities (otherwise, what DO I do if I get a Word7 file by email? I can
run Word-6 under WABI, but no Win-95 software). I've used WP since 5.1,
including WP6 on Linux and the demo WP7 (indeed "fully functional" but
reminds you every minute or so that you haven't paid for it). In order to
legitimately use WP8 "outside the home", anf for the sake of the manual a
nd the extras, I would happily have paid up the reasonable price for the
commercial version when it came out, subject to being satisfied that it
worked properly for me.
The interest of the download version is that it lets you check it out for
misbehaviour, and for whether it does enough for you. With equations and
graphics missing, I can't do this properly, and I do feel somewhat
cheated of my $5.
I don't think Corel were straightforward about this. Their Web page said
the download was a "Fully functional word processor" (which it isn't,
even compared with WP-5.1 -- i.e. equations, though you can still import
grahics e.g. jpeg); and that the commercial version would include in
addition "Advanced drawing and charting applicationsd with online Help"
-- no mention of equations, and "Advanced" suggests that "Basic" drawing
and charting applications would be available.
Among the few recent benefits to modern civilisation which we in the UK
can claim is the concept of being "economical with the truth"; it seems
we have managed to convey it to others ...
Best wishes to all,
Ted.
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E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <Ted.Harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk>
Date: 20-Dec-98 Time: 17:51:59
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