I am planning to restart using my iMac G5 next year and I find Wayfarer and Iris a touch of magic.

I just need good word processor. Is old Amiga Writter best I can get or there is some better more modern solution that can do e.g. RTF format, hopefully ODT and PDF export, at best Word 2003 formats?

Spellechecking is OK, but not needed, but True Type support and picture insertation would be most welcome.

Since I am social worker and university teacher that could make iMac productive.

Quote:What exactly did you mean by ...Quote: I'm not sure which "both PGS m68k versions " you are referring to, as there were 4 x m68k versions - PageStream v1.8, v2x, v3x and v4x? Ahem! Five! 5 x m68k versions if you are also prepared to count the almost totally non-functional v5.0.5.8. Though I think you are referring to PageStream v5.1.2 - as you got that via - FREE copies - paid for by discreetfx
Quote: There are two built-in tutorial files Lesson 1 and 2 in PageStream, which is also mirrored in the PageStream Help menu (HTML) files, which you can either load in the HHV (Hypertext Help Viewer - PageStream's own help Browser) which works OK in v4x but seems to have issues with v5x, or load the Help file into a MorphOS Web Browser (OWB or Wayfarer), which seemingly works better, and you get better, clearer more legible text, to help you learn some of the basics, which are actually not that difficult to learn.

These same Lessons and other tutorial, and example files are of course in the PageStream website's documentation.

PageStream can be used fairly easily as a wordprocessor, you just have to learn the basics, and don't try to over-think what you don't need at that time. There are probably more options in PageStream than any wordprocessor available has.

PageStream is fairly intuitive in use, and has logical steps to each process, but you will, no doubt, find a few of the principles more tricky to learn than others.

I used to like WordWorth, more than any of the other specific wordprocessors available on the Amiga, and even though it loads and in use is very stable - even on MorphOS, the screen is very 'blocky' by MorphOS standards. It allows printing to PostScript printers and to USBPAR:, which is a current MorphOS device to print via USB to PostScript printers, though you could use NETPAR: or some other printing method, but I just don't feel as comfortable using it on MorphOS as I did on my Amiga system. Also, I haven't found any other specific wordprocessor that I would prefer, other than to use PageStream as a wordprocessor, which it is highly capable of doing.

However, if all you need to do is create a letter, then just choose from the File menu - New Document, and using the New Document options, probably the only default option needed to be changed will be to A4 paper, though I usually also change the File> Preferences> View options to disable 'Snap-to-Grid' and also 'Snap-to-Guides', and Save those choices, for wordprocessing. Then you just need to choose from the Layout menu option choose 'Create Text Frames', and ideally create more than you need - frames, i.e. pages - which are then created automatically for you to insert text into them, this creates more pages than you expect to use, though you can add more text frames as required - ensuring the option 'Link Frames' is 'ticked', and you can always delete the pages you don't need when you've finished what you needed to create anyway. Click the Text Tool "A" and type away to your liking.

The advantage with PageStream is that it can save as PDF, so images are generally catered for, though PNGs are not correctly supported, so TIFF or JPGs work best. You currently cannot save as ODT, but you can use RTF saving for text.
Quote: That's if you choose the 32-bit version, though it does have a few issues it seems if you check the PageStream Forum pages for Windows as there are seemingly plenty of issues to choose about the Windows versions.
Quote: I can't say that the MorphOS version is perfect, it's not, but it works better and with many improvements over the 68k PageStream v4x version, and I would also say stably, compared to the Windows version ... for the most part.
Quote: I cannot agree that PageStream v4.1.5.6 68k is "buggy", as this was my go-to program for wordprocessing and DTP use when I first got my MorphOS licence, as it had been on my Amiga OS3.9 system before I bought my MorphOS licence. Also many of the 68k wordprocessors just had issues that did not lend themselves to either load correctly or be poorly supported to print anything out using MorphOS. I would also have to say, that PageStream 4.x still was my main wordprocessor/DTP software, until v5 for MorphOS came out, which I have barely a few criticisms about for either platform (Amiga OS3.x or MorphOS).
Quote: I would have to agree there, like the 68k version of PageStream v5 that never got completed ... as yet, neither release functions reliably ... if at all!
Quote: Spellchecking, TrueType fonts, and picture insertion options are quite obviously well supported, a lot better supported than most wordprocessors, with masking options and other features that you usually only get with DTP software anyway, such as combining drawings with images for nice effects, and some vector drawing options.

There have been a few recent PageStream v5 workshops (which also work generally in v4) in Amiga Future magazine - Index - Issues 163, 164 and 165, which may be of use to you.

If you have any difficulties with PageStream, then you can also send me a PM and I will always try to answer your problems, if I can!

Thank you for great answer and links.

Will give PGS a try after disappointment with PGS5 on OS4.

Covers one more need, more use of PGS. Version 5 has PDF export,
but I dont see any export to anything editable elsewhere (e.g. RTF)

Will start practicing :D

@ vox - PageStream v5 - is virtually useless on OS4, as it is on 68k hardware.

Quote: RTF text import and export is linked to the text format you have available to import or that you write that can be exported in RTF if you choose that option. These are a few of the links to these topics on the PageStream website - Documentation:

PageStream - Import text as RTF - options

PageStream - Export as RTF

The PageStream v5x program for OS4 or 68k has never, as yet, got to a mature state where it can basically even do anything. I know some OS4 users have asked for help to get this to happen, though currently this seems highly unlikely, so realistically the only option for Amiga users is the MorphOS release, which was only brought about by the extremely involved hard work, and kudos mainly thanks to Frank Mariak (cyfm), with lots of PageStream user knowledge and insights from Christoph Poelzl (rmsvideo) and his son Sebastien (to get it to this point.

If you use Windows as well then the 32-bit version of PageStream is also supposed to be fairly stable, but I still think that the MorphOS version is currently better than the others - thanks to Frank Mariak.

I did get an email from Deron Kazmaier a few days ago stating that he might set aside some time in March-April, as he said he is about to finish whatever project he is/was working on, and he should manage to set aside some time to get on with fixes to PageStream during that time. I am hopeful this will happen, but we will have to see how it all plays out.

I'm still practising with PageStream, and I've been using it for about 30 years! Just use what you need and try some things out and see how they go, it's a learning process as the program's features are so extensive.