Word processor for OS 4.1

[Hiddenevil]

Hi guys

I'm a little new to OS 4 and I'm still getting my sea legs. In the fact on older Amiga's I would just use Wordsworth or Final Copy. I've tried using Cinimon writer, however it keeps asking for an Exec.library and crashing out.

Any help would be appreciated as I'd like to use the Au1 for writing some of my blog posts.


James

[Hiddenevil]

Hey guys

Little disturbing that after over 40 views, nobody has suggested a decent word processor for OS 4. I know Open office is any option, through Amicygnix. But running on an 800Mhz uA1 - C, its proven to be a bit slow. I'm guessing if i ask about a decent paint package I might face a similair lack responce?

Not a criticism mind, just a little disheartening as I'm new to OS4 and was expecting it to have at least some of the basics in place for productivity. Might go back to my A3000 at this rate :P

[Locutus]

I guess your best bet would probably be to check if Wordsworth or Final Copy just work on OS4.

[Hiddenevil]

I've not tried running classic apps throught OS4, but i thought I needed UAE if i wanted to run any 68k programs?

[amigakit.com]

Hi James

AmigaOS 4.1 has a built in process called Petunia which runs all 68k Classic Amiga apps seamlessly on workbench. Anything that needs ECS or AGA chipset such as a game, you can use RunInUAE to launch it from Workbench. More info on http://wiki.amigaos.net

Have you fully installed AmiCygnix package ? http://www.amigaos.net/node/51

This has a good word processor called AbiWord.

We are in the process of porting Libre Office but it is a large project.

Finally, don't forget AMIStore App Store available to download here: www.amistore.net

[Hiddenevil]

Hey

I do have AmiCygnix installed, but my system is a MicroOne uA1 PPC 800mhz, so Abiword runs a little sluggish. I couldn't even get Gimp to load up, it hangs on loading the Plugins.

Just spent the evening trying to get a PCI usb card working in my system, but it keeps locking the machine up when it loads in the workbench.

[Bugala]

If you havent tried it yet, try waiting gimp to load for 1 hour or something.

At least on PC side, the first time GIMP is started, it can take real long. I remember one time I had installed it to one of my machiens, it took so long i thought it didnt work at all and only some other time noticed it actually did start up finally when i left it on background instead of using task manager to stop it, as it obnviously wasnt responding when it was loaing for first time.

But after that first time it started in normal windows software time (as not fast, but not unusually long either). I think it checks your fonts or something the first time it is started, and I had bought this package with thousands of fonts, so I think it went through them all and did something that took a real long time for it to get it finished.

[jPV]

Originally Posted by Hiddenevil

I've not tried running classic apps throught OS4, but i thought I needed UAE if i wanted to run any 68k programs?

No, it should run system compatible 68k software (non hw banging) as it is. Operating system has a built-in 68k processor emulator and an OS3.x compatible API, so old programs should run just like native programs without fully emulating the old Amiga. They're not in any sandboxes, they're using OS4 functions for everything and their arexx ports etc are available for the OS4 just like on native programs too.

I'm not sure how well old hardware banging programs will run on real classic PPC Amiga (or under WinUAE's PPC emulation), but still at least better than on more modern systems without real Amiga chipsets. Maybe even some games will run on classic PPC. But on those modern systems (AmigaOnes, PegasosII, Sams etc) you need UAE for the hardware banging programs (most games, demos, older apps etc).

Anyway some old productivity apps like word processors should run without any emulator on all OS4 systems. I think I've heard people are using Final Writer for example (at least it runs fine on my MorphOS system, which is pretty similar to OS4).

Graphics programs should work just fine too. I'm running fxPaint 2, ArtEffect, ImageFX, TVPaint, Photogenics, PPaint etc just fine on MorphOS and they should work as well on OS4 too. But beware, they're insanely fast in drawing operations compared to real classic Amigas, no lag at all!

[Daedalus]

I can confirm that Wordworth 7 works fine on OS4.1 (though I did lift it directly from my 3.9 setup rather than reinstalling it). As others have said, no need for UAE or anything, other than the very old-fashioned interface you'd never know it wasn't written specifically for OS4.

Edit: As for paint packages, TVPaint works well under OS4. The old version of PersonalPaint worked well until OS4.1FE, but there's a new version available for a small fee on the AmiStore that runs natively under 4.1 so that shouldn't be an issue.

[Hiddenevil]

Hi guys

Basically I wanted something I could write with and have a spell checker and then another app for editing, rotating photo's I had taking on my camera. Just the basic stuff, cropping and correcting colour. I tried using Personal Paint but I dont seem able to rotate images in it.

Cheers
James

[Devlin]

Originally Posted by Bugala

If you havent tried it yet, try waiting gimp to load for 1 hour or something.

At least on PC side, the first time GIMP is started, it can take real long. I remember one time I had installed it to one of my machiens, it took so long i thought it didnt work at all and only some other time noticed it actually did start up finally when i left it on background instead of using task manager to stop it, as it obnviously wasnt responding when it was loaing for first time.

But after that first time it started in normal windows software time (as not fast, but not unusually long either). I think it checks your fonts or something the first time it is started, and I had bought this package with thousands of fonts, so I think it went through them all and did something that took a real long time for it to get it finished.

Every time GIMP starts, it checks the font drawer for changes. If it detects any, it 100% completely rebuilds the font cache (which can take hours even on a strong windows/linux system if you have lots of fonts)

Sucks, but they have no plans to do anything about it (their focus is changing and it seems to be going in the direction of being as complicated/unuseable as Blender)

[Hiddenevil]

Ok, I'm going to set it going and leave it. Lets see how i get on..Thanks everyone!

[jPV]

Originally Posted by Hiddenevil

Hi guys

Basically I wanted something I could write with and have a spell checker and then another app for editing, rotating photo's I had taking on my camera. Just the basic stuff, cropping and correcting colour. I tried using Personal Paint but I dont seem able to rotate images in it.

Don't use PPaint for photos. PPaint is 8bit pixeling program and you really need some true color app for photos

[Hiddenevil]

Well here is the news update, Gimp has been sitting with the progress bar stuck on "Plugins" for more then 40minutes and it's not moved an inch. I might reinstall gimp and see what that does for me.

Anyone else had this issue?

[Daedalus]

Yes, Personal Paint is for doing pixel graphics and animations, GIFs etc. Very useful for that sort of work but not for photos. ImageFX is very good but has a strange GUI. Photogenics and Art Effect would probably work well for you. GIMP is obviously very powerful and modern, but it runs like a pig on my A1 so I wouldn't worry too much about getting it working.

Edit: Oh, and Wordworth has a spell checker included, and I presume the later versions of the other word processors (AmigaWriter, FinalWriter etc.) had too.

[Hiddenevil]

Can photogenics be gotten hold of?

[jPV]

fxPaint 2 is a very nice program for photos too... or actually I don't know it's processing functions that well, but they'll probably enough. But I've been using and still use fxPaint2's fxAlbum function to create HTML album pages of digital photos. Very handy with good themes.. you can automatically create thumbnail pages with drop shadows etc easily with it.

I myself will do all photo processing with MorphOS's ShowGirls program. It's designed with photo handling in mind.. very nice Straighten function for correcting horizon in photos, sharpening, color corrections etc... it's so good that I haven't used Amiga programs for that anymore. But I use Amiga programs for other things.. fxPaint2 for that HTML creating, ArtEffect for painting, PPaint for pixeling etc.

[Hiddenevil]

jPV thanks for that, I'll check FXpaint out. I do have a copy of photogenics and a serial for it....some place. Though I think I might have lost it :-( My mate gave me all his Escom Amiga gear and Photogenics was one of the programs he got with his Amiga. Got all the manuals, just not sure if I have the serial number. But then there is the issue of not having a floppy drive in my AmigaOne uA1. So not sure how i'd get it on the machine.

MorphOS wont work on my AmigaOne, so thats really not much of an option. I guess I've sort of hit an area where AOS4 falls short. If you want to get anything done, it seems like you have to fall back on 68k software. This is the first time I've ventured away from my trusty A3000 and I must admit I'm a little underwhelmed at the lack of PPC specific apps. But thats just my observations over the past two weeks :-/