Protext bounces back! After a period in limbo, this heavyweight text crunching package has a new distributor, Richard Harrison conducts the history lesson... Protext first appeared way back when Amstrad PCW's and PC286's roamed the planet and I've heard rumours the Dead Sea scrolls were compiled using this very software! However, since then versions of Protext have appeared for the Atari and other platforms. The Atari version currently stands at v6.6 with the PC version one step ahead at v6.7. I'm sure for every Atarian pleased to see Protext back there's a GEM fan groaning in disbelief because Protext largely ignores GEM in favour of a text (DOS) style interface with comprehensive keyboard shortcuts ard control options. However, setting our prejudices to one side Protext has traditionally appealed to professional writers and power users and it is an easy program to get to grips with. I first discovered Protext a couple of years ago when I came across a cover disk version and I was soon up and running with this version. I firmly believe the hallmark of good software is how far you can find your way around it without reading the manual and Protext is a winner in this respect. The title bar offers plenty of clues and all the drop down menu entries have their respective keyboard short-cuts clearly marked next to them. Protext critics loved to say "it's not WYSIWYG" but the current release includes a Print Preview feature, similar to IdeaList, which lays this criticism to rest for good. Protext has one serious advantage over other word processors - it can extract every last ounce of power from modern printers, including colour graphics and text printing. Protext provides complete and comprehensive support for Epson Esc P2 printers - it's hard to avoid this these days. Unlike many other Atari programs Protext has my Epson Colour II completely under its control and I can directly access all of the internal fonts, colours and enhancements available. For this reason alone, Protext has got to be a serious contender for Atarians intent on keeping up with the game. Printer support is unusual in that you configure the program to work around the printer of your choice. As soon as your selection is entered, the software automatically generates the driver of your choice and there's no GDOS to worry about! Was that a loud cheer I heard? PCX file import, a popular PC format, is now supported along with an option to dither images to greyscale. I'm more fascinated by some of the bells and whistles such as a nifty facility to add up columns of numbers and shift vertically divided boxes around. I don't need the auto correct option becouse my spellnig is quit gud! It is lightning fast but does require a hard disk or RAM disk to operate efficiently. Spell check options include the ability to add words to a dictionary as you go along and there's a first class thesaurus included - now what other Atari program offers you one of those? Other neat touches include index and tables of contents generation, Roman numerals for page numbers, comprehensive mail merge facilities and a print spool buffer. Compatibility between Protext and file formats on other platforms is made considerable easier by the inclusion of several alternatives. In addition to the lowest common denominator, ASCII, Protext offers Rich Text Format (RTF), WordPerfect, CPM, Amiga, Archimedes, and even ST Guide hypertext format! As you have probably gathered I like Protext. It is lightning fast and will run on everything from a bog standard 520FM to a fully fledged Falcon with equal ease. It is the only currently supported professional level word processor on the Atari platform and represents an important middle ground for those who have realised the limitations of 1st Word Plus and yet have no desire to go for either the expense or the system demands of Papyrus with its awesome hunger for new fonts and its complete dependence on Speedo GDOS or NVDI 4. Do we really need to spend all this extra money just to type? If we do we are quickly moving away from one of the Atari ST's most valuable features - its ability for both it and its software to be upgraded in easily affordable stages. Protext occupies an important part in this process for anyone involved in word processing and text crunching. For many of us, there has never been any need to move on. Think about it! The User Manual is a neatly wire-wrapped A5 tome stretching to nearly 200 pages. It is designed to steer the beginner through from inserting the floppy disks along the tortuous path to word-processing proficiency. I personally found the manual hard going but better in-depth coverage than the skimpy coverage which has become the norm for printed software documentation these days. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Protext 6.7 Publisher: ComSoft 10 McIntosh Court, Wellpark, Glasgow, G31 2HW, Scotland Tel/Fax Orders: +44 (0)141 554 4735 Enquiries: +44 (0)1353 777006 RRP: ś49.99 inc P&P, upgrades Requires: Any Atari Pros: Cons: Score: