#Transcript
12 messages in this thread
Hello, Roy.
I noticed that you've been using ProPage in conjunction with Transcript. I
was wondering wether or not you've been enjoying it. I've been using
ProPage to create a sporadically published EDP newsletter for our users.
I've been doing the copy in PC WordPerfect, then bringing the text into
PPage. Transcript (being cheap and made by Gold Disk) has been intriguing
me as an idea (sounds like a good one), and I thought I'd just thought I'd
get some first-hand impressions from you, if you don't mind. What's
it like? What's it like w/PPage?
I'd appreciate your input, eh?
–Paul Nelis
Paul:
I too use PP and Transcript. It's a really nice setup, as if you leave
transcript (TS) running in the background, and then load up PP, when you
are in a text window, you can use the "Transcript" menu item, and it
automatically moves whatever text is in the window right into TS where you
can edit it as much as you want, without any slowdown from screen
refreshes, and when you're done, by choosing "Send Text Home" from the TS
menus, the text will automatically be sent back to PP, where you *might*
have to make some changes to make the text fit nicer. I've never used Amiga
WP, (or ANY version of WP for that matter) so have no idea how it runs.
-Mike Schiller
In sunny Fort Lauderdale
Hi Paul:
I couldn't let this one go by. Aside from telecomms, Transcript and ProPage
are all I do with the Amiga. I'm an editing kind of guy. We did TransAmi
(and Transactor) with Transcript. Before Transcript was released the other
magazines started using it too! Since we lived all day and all night in
ProPage, Transcript was specifically written for text editing prior to
typesetting. By the time it was released it was also a WP with print
capabilities! 🙂
We were finished making magazines <sigh> by the time the interprocess stuff
was done. It's fantastic! I would never think of using anything else. The
original Transcript had a (small) fixed buffer size. It was made to edit
magazine articles. It went through _dramatic_ transformations to become
Transcript as the world knows it. Before that, I found Word Perfect to be
so annoying that I said I would never run it again. I was using Speedscript
on the 64!
If you look at past issues of INFO, you'll see that the last 8-bit program
on their `credits' page was PaperClip II. When that disappeared it was
replaced by Transcript.
It's not a pseudo-DTP program like some of the Amiga WP's but I now think
of it as an indispensible adjunct to ProPage. In fact, it virtually ensures
that I won't change DTP programs. Run both, highlight anything in PP, press
RightA-/ and up pops T with the highlighted text – with or without PP
codes. If you hide them you can save the edited text without the codes and
have an ASCII file of the finished product. Same key in T sends it back
into your PP document. Fast, smart text editing. Just what you want.
It's the best thing going!
Malcolm
Thank you, Malcolm, for the rave review. I'd been kind o' vacilating on
the issue of purchasing Transcript because the software house I use has
been unable to get the new version for me. I believe that this is simply
another GD holdup (they seem to keep us waiting for ever for their
products), and not incompetence on the vendor's part, but I was thinking of
simply choosing a different package–one I *could* get.
Your comments have stayed my hand. I'll wait for the new release of
Transcript.
Acutally, my need has slackened, as well. We've recently placed our Amiga
2000 HD on our DEC thin-wire ethernet network, and may copy file to it
directly from our 80+ IBM clone network. This is certainly easier than a
local modem connection!
Transcript sounds easier still! Thanks again!
–An Other Voice
Paul:
I have Transcript, (I guess the older version), and it's so cheap @ under
$50.00 for what you get, I'd run out and buy it if you can, even if it's an
older version, as it works really nice. I was considering getting WP for
Amiga but after playing with it at my dealer, I think Transcript is a
better program (for me at least) and MUCH cheaper too.
-Mike Schiller
In sunny Fort Lauderdale
Thanks for the suggestion, Mike. I might just get the older version and
then update right away.
I thought you might like to know (In sunny Fort Lauderdale) that I was
caught in torrential Chicagoan downpours yesterday. Hope you appreciate
your climate.
–An Other Voice
Post script: Lazzarus Long once said that: Climate is what you expect.
Weather is what you get.
–Time Enough for Love.
Paul, One thing to remember with Transcript that no one (I think) has
mentioned is that if you have its window iconified and try to send
ProPage's text output to it you better be sure that you last save to disk
includes your last additions or changes, 'cause the sucker is gonna crash
and burn! That seems to be one of the bugs that are still in Transcript, I
might have an older version but have yet to receive any update notices or
bug fixes for it. I always send in my registration cards, first thing I do
when I open a new package is fill out the postcard and put a stamp on it
and get it in the mail. Just make sure you got transcript's window opened
before you load up ProPage and you'll be OK, I also have noticed that if I
got text in transcript and then load up ProPage I can't get it to pour into
PP. I find I first must save the transcript file, clear that window, use
the text import feature of ProPage to load my new copy then I can send it
back into Transcript. All in all I don't think ProPage is complete without
its text editor (story editor is what ALdus calls it in Pagemaker 4.0), I
do all my text formatting first in it and make all changes with it. It sure
beats waiting around for screen refreshes.
Thanks for the caution concerning Transcript. I'm certain the info will
cut down on my "I've got a new program how's it work/why's it doin' *that*"
frustrations.
I appreciate it!
–An Other Voice
Well, Paul, I don't think your need has slackened if it means you have to
use PC word processors. They're SO annoying! Using PC WP's with Amiga DTP
is the "How many CR's can a person throw away in one lifetime?" game. I'd
probably rather use ED. 🙂
Malcolm
ED's a good buddy o' mine, but since I support a 80+ PC network running
WordPerfect and Harvard Graphics, among others, constant familiarity with
the PC WP product is kind o' a must. I shouldn't, however, *have* to do my
newsletter on the thing. Copy should just be copy, after all.
In fact, I've got to export the WP 5.0 files as 4.2 files inorder for PPage
to recognize them–Amiga WordPerfect is still on a 4.somethingorother
release. It is a pain.
I think GoldDisk may be waiting for CBM to burn the new operating system
into ROM before they release their new version of Transcript. We'll see,
eh?
–An Other Voice {=-}
Paul –
Transcript with ProPage IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO! I do all my composing,
editing, spellchecking, and rewriting with TS. I think it is a perfect
combination and is really what transcript is for.
Have you ever had to edit an article down for size. I mean really cut
it down, and then you have to maybe add a few sentences here and there to
fill in the gaps. Well with TS running in the background it's a simple
matter of Shift F4 in ProPage (Select All) and then R_Amiga "/" to throw
the whole thing over to TS. While there you can add or cut all the
sentences you want and have the full speed and convience of using a WP.
With TS you are not waiting for screen redraws and font management etc.
Also with TS you can R_Amiga "6" and it will show all ProPage embedded
codes, so you can change font size, spacing, and other characteristis (sp?)
of the font or text while in TS and then its a quick R_Amiga "/" agian to
take it all back to ProPage. This all comes in especially handy when you
have to use ProPage in a lower mag. where you can't really see the words,
but you can still see enough to highlight a range and then throw it over to
TS.
Generally Paul, I think this is a better approach than having WP
capablities built into the DTP package (aka Pagestream), because you are
better utilizing the capacities of each piece of software. Here
TransScript can be used separately from PPage to compose the bulk of your
copy for any given project. Spellcheck it, (Which BTW the spellcheck is on
to of the best!) edit, refine and save your different articles. Then load
PPage and do your DTP work. If something needs correcting just hot key it
over to TS and edit away.
Paul – I can't say enough good things about the PPage/TransScript
combination. Even if you have another wordprocessor (And I do to for other
chores) it can not compete with transscript for ease of use with ProPage.
– Roy Pahnke –
Casper, Wyomin'
Thanks, Roy. That's one heck of a good recommendation. I'm becoming more
and more enamoured of PPage/Transcript as I read about it here on CServe.
Your input is valued.
–An Other Voice
Post Script: Valued highly, by the way.