0o0o0o0o› ATARIWRITER PLUS review By A. Pignato› Member of THE OL' HACKERS AUG, NY›      One of the prime reasons for  my› purchasing  an  ATARI  800XL Computer› System was a desire to  have  a  Word› Processor  available in the house for› me and for family use.›      The first Word Processor I owned› was  the  Atariwriter  Cartrige.  The› documentation was a little  difficult› to  read  and  get  through,  but the› actual use of the program  proved  to› be  amazingly  easy.   In  fact,  the› program was so easy to use that I was› able to show my daughters the  basics› of  how  to  use  it  in less than 15› minutes.›      I also own or have been able  to› use  several  other  Word  Processing› programs  like  1ST  XLENT,  TextPro,› Paper  Clip, Home Pak, Letter Perfect› and some IBM Word Processors at work. › Out  of  all  of these, the 1ST XLENT› has remained  my  personal  favorite,› with  TextPRO  and  ATARIWRITER  PLUS› both right up there.›      This  article  however  is about› ATARIWRITER and ATARIWRITER PLUS, not› any  of the others I mentioned above,› and I hope it will expain some of the› features of these programs.›      When  Atariwriter  Plus  hit the› market   [800XL/130XE   version  both› available] I was absolutely thrilled. › The heart of the new Plus version was› still   the   same   old  comfortable› Atariwriter program I was used to and› happy  with,  only  they had added on› several improvements  that  make  the› Plus  version an even more useful and› easy to use Word  Processors.  I  was› pleased to note that the improvements› were in areas that I also felt  would› greatly  improve   its   versatility,› usefulness and ease of use.›      The  first  big  plus for me was› the fact that the program had printer› drivers  for  the most commonly owned› printers built into  the  program  as› well  as  a  custom  printer   driver› generator  that  allows you to design› your own to meet your special needs. › I  have  a friend who has a Panasonic› 1091 printer and  the  FX-80  printer› driver  seems  to work well with it. › My friends printer does have features› that  are  not  incorporated into the› existing   printer  driver,  such  as› Italic  print,  so  he  also  made  a› custom printer driver set up the  way› he wanted.›      The Global Format screen is also› a big  improvement.   All  the  basic› format settings are written out which› makes it much easier to  use  and  to› understand.  This  is  really  a  big› improvement    over    the   original› Atariwriter  abreviated  settings  at› the top of each file.  To  make  your› old Atariwriter files compatible with› the new  Atariwriter  Plus,  all  you› have to do is load them into the Plus› version and delete the format line at› the  top  of  each file.  The file is› now  subject  to  the  global  format› settings.›      The Proofreader that  Atari  has› added  to  the  Plus  version  is the› feature that I like the  most.   This› is  probably  because most people are› such    terrible  spellers  and  this› particular feature will provide  them› with  the most help and actually save› them the most time.  I  have  already› used  the  proofreader   on   several› items,  including  a  report  by   my› daughter.   The proofreader proved to› be very easy to  use  and  is  almost› self  explanatory.   It can be booted› in and used after a quick  review  on› the short section in the manual.  Its› ease  of  use  should  eliminate  the› possibility of ever sending out  copy› again  with   obvious,   simple   and› embarrassing   spelling   or   typing› errors.›       The   Mail   Merge  is  another› feature  that  is  easy  to  use  and› understand.  It is a simple data base› that  can be merged to an Atariwriter› Plus file in a  selective  manner  by› field  of  information  on  command. › This feature allows your data base to› contain several  different  kinds  of› information  that  can be selectively› tapped  and  used  as  needed.   Each› record in your data base  is  limited› to  255 files, and although each file› has a standard  default  format,  you› also  have the ability to design your› own custom layout.›      The Atariwriter Plus is a  great› word  processor,  wthout  a  doubt. I› must confess however,  that  I  moved› over  to 1ST XLENT some years ago and› still use it  for  letters  and  more› importantly  for  editing and putting› together  the  OL'  HACKERS  AUG  bi-› monthly newsletter, but that will  be› the  grist  of another article in the› future. Though my personal preference› is  1ST  XLENT Word Processor, if you› can't buy  1ST  XLENT,  then  by  all› means  buy  and use ATARIWRITER PLUS.› It will make  your  computer  a  very› valuable  household  (and   business)› tool.›             * E  N  D *