[monkeybrain]

Just downloaded the demo and it's a very different beast from 1.0. I was able to open a word doc with footnotes and styles and it recognised all of it. Then I changed the formatting and added a footnote, opened it in word and the changes actually showed up.

My only grip so far is that scrolling is rather slow compared to Word X (not Word 2004, which I stopped using because it was unbearably slow).

The inclusion of a thesaurus and what looks to be nifty way to edit styles is also nice. As for stability, only time can tell. Does anyone know how long this demo lasts?

[Millennium]

I've been considering this. I do have a question, though: what file formats can it import? I see them loudly trumpeting Word and RTF; these are very useful, but can it handle anything else?

[midwinter]

Originally posted by Millennium:
I've been considering this. I do have a question, though: what file formats can it import? I see them loudly trumpeting Word and RTF; these are very useful, but can it handle anything else?

Wordperfect. I've been using it to convert them for a while now.

[Millennium]

Originally posted by midwinter:
Wordperfect. I've been using it to convert them for a while now.

OK; good. I need to be able to deal with Wordperfect files. Does it handle anything else?

[Cadaver]

While I really, really want to like Nisus 2.0, I think I may have found a show-stopping bug for me.

In Nisus, create a document with several lines and set the spacing to double space the text. Save it as either a Word file or an RTF. Now, open it in Word. No double spacing for me.

I send documents to Windows users constantly, and while most never realize I send them RTF files, this issue with the double spacing (or lack there of) might really be a problem.

If someone can confirm this issue, I'll submit a bug report to Nisus.

[arjay]

Originally posted by Millennium:
OK; good. I need to be able to deal with Wordperfect files. Does it handle anything else?

Well, it will save as:

RTF
Abi Word
Microsoft Word
Wordperfect
PDF
HTML
RTFD
Text
Perl Macro

So far, I like it!

[arjay]

Originally posted by Cadaver:
While I really, really want to like Nisus 2.0, I think I may have found a show-stopping bug for me.

In Nisus, create a document with several lines and set the spacing to double space the text. Save it as either a Word file or an RTF. Now, open it in Word. No double spacing for me.

I send documents to Windows users constantly, and while most never realize I send them RTF files, this issue with the double spacing (or lack there of) might really be a problem.

If someone can confirm this issue, I'll submit a bug report to Nisus.

Just confirmed it here. I set line spacing at 2.0, saved as Microsoft Word document, opened in Mac Word 2004, and line spacing was gone. I haven't confirmed if this is also true with Win Word however.

[Shades of Gray]

Originally posted by Cadaver:
While I really, really want to like Nisus 2.0, I think I may have found a show-stopping bug for me.

In Nisus, create a document with several lines and set the spacing to double space the text. Save it as either a Word file or an RTF. Now, open it in Word. No double spacing for me.

I send documents to Windows users constantly, and while most never realize I send them RTF files, this issue with the double spacing (or lack there of) might really be a problem.

If someone can confirm this issue, I'll submit a bug report to Nisus.

Not sure, since I just downloaded 2.0 about half an hour ago. But did you change the settings in the Styles (View > Style Sheet)? What about in the Preferences? I know on the Nisus Forum at nisus.com, there was some discussion about what "took" and how to get around it.

[monkeybrain]

Well i suspect you might be right about the double spacing issue. I had a word doc which featured extensive italics, opened it in nisus - everything ok - then saved and opened in word again and all the italics were lost. Clearly they have formatting issues still, although it is a big improvement over the last version.

At least I would say this is competition for Mellel (which I never used for its illogical insistence on using a metal window).

[cpac]

I think ultimately, if you need complete Word compatibility, you're going to need to use Word. But Nisus 2.0 is now a full featured, cocoa word processor - a nice alternative for all those people who don't need (full) Word compatibility and who just want a good word processor (that doesn't cost as much as Word, doesn't suck like AppleWorks, and is WYSIWYG unlike Mellel)

[Cadaver]

Originally posted by cpac:
I think ultimately, if you need complete Word compatibility, you're going to need to use Word. But Nisus 2.0 is now a full featured, cocoa word processor - a nice alternative for all those people who don't need (full) Word compatibility and who just want a good word processor (that doesn't cost as much as Word, doesn't suck like AppleWorks, and is WYSIWYG unlike Mellel)

I agree with you for the most part, but there's no reason simple double spacing should be lost when going from Nisus Writer to Word. Tables, complex formatting, macros... I accept those wont convert. But double line spacing? Mellel doesn't have that problem.

Hopefully, this is just a minor bug that we'll see fixed in 2.01.

[Love Calm Quiet]

I just tested it out. Very robust. Snappy. Opens in a flash.

Style sheet adjustment is different that Word... but I think once adjusted to it I may like it better. (nice flip between page/style editing modes)

BUT... no outlining feature. That's crucial for me. Is it called something else? Is there a workaround?

[cpac]

Originally posted by Love Calm Quiet:
BUT... no outlining feature. That's crucial for me. Is it called something else? Is there a workaround?

I'd say it's either called OmniOutliner or Nisus Writer Express 3.0....

but really - what do you need the outlining feature to do? (that wouldn't be better done by a dedicated outliner?)

[Love Calm Quiet]

I need the outliner to be integrated into my word-processing program (like *gasp* Word), so that I can view the same document in either full text view or outline. It's really the only reason I use Word

[Love Calm Quiet]

Here's a REALLY aggravating bug after Nisus writer express is installed: Command-Shift-Period (or command-shift-comma) launches Nisus Thesaurus: from non-Nisus applications. I need those keyboard shortcuts to continue to work in FILEMAKER Pro6 as they used to: to increase or decrease font size.

Even TRASHing and deleting the Nisus Thesaurus from my HD does not give me back by FMP shortcuts. This is NOT acceptable practice. Worse: neither Nisus Writer nor Nisus Thesaurus has any preference to CHANGE the keyboard short cut for launching Thesaurus (even though there is amazing flexibility for changing shortcuts for almost every command within Nisus Writer).

I don't like software that mucks with OTHER software without asking

[cpac]

have you logged out and back in again since you trashed Nisus Thesaurus? These are shortcuts which were in the services menu - and that why they worked in any application - but they should be gone once that application can no longer provide that service (by, e.g., being deleted)

[cpac]

Originally posted by Love Calm Quiet:
I don't like software that mucks with OTHER software without asking

It's not mucking with other software per-se. It's providing a service (like countless other apps also do). That said, Apple should provide a way to better manage the shortcut keys for services....

[monkeybrain]

You can probably change the shortcut in the keyboard pref pane of system prefs. I've changed services' shortcuts in there before.

[Love Calm Quiet]

Thanks, cpac, re-login did clear the problem.

Let's see how well Nisus tech support responds to my objection to their MO on this.

PS: It's a shame to have to trash the Thesaurus. I liked its functioning - just not its insistence on omnipresence & omnipotence (that's what we have MS products for)

[pliny]

I wonder how well Nisushandlesl onger documents. It chokes to uselessness after opening some very long Word files I work with.

[monkeybrain]

Originally posted by Love Calm Quiet:
Thanks, cpac, re-login did clear the problem.

Let's see how well Nisus tech support responds to my objection to their MO on this.

PS: It's a shame to have to trash the Thesaurus. I liked its functioning - just not its insistence on omnipresence & omnipotence (that's what we have MS products for)

Well you don't have to trash it. Like I said install it and then change its shortcut.

[JKT]

Originally posted by monkeybrain:
Well you don't have to trash it. Like I said install it and then change its shortcut.

Or move it to a location other than the Applications folder. Services can only be offered by apps that are in the Applications folder.

[Gee4orce]

Originally posted by cpac:
...and is WYSIWYG unlike Mellel)

This requires an explanation. If you're referring to section headings, etc, the only thing non-wysiwyg about them is that they have a background shading to show they are 'objects' and not just text.

[Love Calm Quiet]

UPDATE on NISUS support.

(by the way, log out/in did eliminate my problems after trashing Thesaurus)

Got a (seemingly) personal support email back from Nisus. Guess I didn't have to trash Thesaurus. It would have been helpful if PREFERENCES for Thesaurus led me to this info without having to wait for support:

"I'm sorry the shortcuts assigned to Thesaurus have been giving you problems. You can change the keys assigned to Thesaurus (or even remove them altogether). A complete description is on our web-site at:

http://www.nisus.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=576

""The process is a little complicated. Unfortunately, Apple does not provide a way for us to do this any other way so we cannot make it as easy to change this option as we would like.

"Please let me know if this does not solve your problem!"

Cheers,
-Charles

[Millennium]

Originally posted by Gee4orce:
This requires an explanation. If you're referring to section headings, etc, the only thing non-wysiwyg about them is that they have a background shading to show they are 'objects' and not just text.

WYSIWYG is overrated; too often it becomes WYSIATI (What You See Is All There Is).

Damn MacWrite and Word anyway, for ruining the writing talent of a generation.

[Shades of Gray]

BTW, there is an update NWE 2.0.1 just available overnight. Fixes some of the immediate needs problems.

[Mr Heliums]

Originally posted by Millennium:
WYSIWYG is overrated; too often it becomes WYSIATI (What You See Is All There Is).

Damn MacWrite and Word anyway, for ruining the writing talent of a generation.

I'm really impressed by Express 2. This is exactly what a word processor should be.

I know it's been mentioned already, but this is the definitive list of supported formats from the website:

RTF
MS Word PC 97-2003
MS Word Mac 1998-2004
Nisus Writer Classic (read only)
Plain Text and Unicode
Word Perfect 6-11 PC
AbiWord
RTFD

I've owned Nisus Writer in the past and it genuinely excites me that an old stalwart of the Mac scene can come out with something that just blows away Word in the usability stakes.

My credit card is about to take a �40 hit any second now.

[Mr Heliums]

And if this doesn't make me glad I bought it, what will?