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Let us chat about Desktop Publishing on the QL

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 8:33 pm
by SinclairSociety
One of the things I loved about my Atari is the great DTP I could have at the time... Power Without The Price with my Atari Mega ST2 and a nice printer, Calamus or Pagestream. Was great.

So, tell me about how well, poor, or blah blah blah that the QL did with DTP.

I see mentioned in my limited reading so far of my QL World Magazines that such apps existed.

What seem to be the most popular DTP of the time?

Were they mouse driven?

How well did they work?

Anyone actually professionally or at least in some QLUB use the QL to get real DTP work done in the day?

I mean when I personally thing of the 68xxx systems... I think DTP like Mac, Atari, etc.... did the QL springboard off this power?

TJ

Re: Let us chat about Desktop Publishing on the QL

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 8:56 pm
by RalfR
I know, that Andrew Astrand has make Professional Publisher (ProPub) of DP work with the Smiling Mouse, unfortunately I have never read from such experiences. Would be good to make it work with the PE mouse. But I think, there has to be a lot of investigations.

I once get the the source of ProPub from Freddy Vaccha but not the source of the Smiling Mouse, which seems to be lost unless someone tries to contact the one who has written it.

Re: Let us chat about Desktop Publishing on the QL

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 9:57 pm
by Peter
SinclairSociety wrote:I mean when I personally thing of the 68xxx systems... I think DTP like Mac, Atari, etc.... did the QL springboard off this power?
After Sinclair went bankrupt in 1986, I can't recall any larger QL application software that could compete with the rest of the 68K world. Everything was very limited, and I would not expect any former Atari, Amiga or Mac user to find something exciting. This also goes for DTP. Only our operating system was still superiour for a long while. ;)

While QL hardware sometimes did catch up, e.g. with the (Super)GoldCard, or later the Q40/Q60, QL application software never did.

Re: Let us chat about Desktop Publishing on the QL

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 10:13 pm
by SinclairSociety
Peter wrote:
SinclairSociety wrote:I mean when I personally thing of the 68xxx systems... I think DTP like Mac, Atari, etc.... did the QL springboard off this power?
After Sinclair went bankrupt in 1986, I can't recall any larger QL application software that could compete with the rest of the 68K world. Everything was very limited, and I would not expect any former Atari, Amiga or Mac user to find something exciting. This also goes for DTP. Only our operating system was still superiour for a long while. ;)

While QL hardware sometimes did catch up, e.g. with the (Super)GoldCard, or later the Q40/Q60, QL application software never did.
Ah that is a shame.

Even with 150K sold... still not a bad number but guess low in terms of computers, one would think some niche markets appeared for the QL.

Was there anything that seemed to click well for the QL in terms of markets?

Example... even though Atari never did great... DTP and in Germany they did OK.

Atari also had great MIDI use too.

Amiga as we know had a nice niche in video production (Newtek toaster etc...).

Anything for the QL at all in some country?

TJ

Re: Let us chat about Desktop Publishing on the QL

Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 7:08 am
by Peter
SinclairSociety wrote:Even with 150K sold... still not a bad number but guess low in terms of computers, one would think some niche markets appeared for the QL.
I think it was not mainly the number of machines, but the demise of the manufacturer. Software business did not see a perspective for the future.
While, for example, Apple manufactured 68K Macs until 1996.
SinclairSociety wrote:Was there anything that seemed to click well for the QL in terms of markets?
In terms of application software? Not after Sinclair/Amstrad abandoned the QL, I guess. Not in a scale that could be compared to Mac, ST, or Amiga.

Re: Let us chat about Desktop Publishing on the QL

Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 8:17 pm
by swensont
The two DTP programs that I remember are FrontPage and Page Designer. I think I might have used both, but it's been a long time.

Tim

Re: Let us chat about Desktop Publishing on the QL

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 9:03 am
by Derek_Stewart
swensont wrote:The two DTP programs that I remember are FrontPage and Page Designer. I think I might have used both, but it's been a long time.

Tim
Hi Tim,

Most of the DTP programmes for the QL are not supplied with the source code.

DO you think it is worth trying to write an open source DTP programme?

Re: Let us chat about Desktop Publishing on the QL

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 5:41 pm
by RalfR
Derek_Stewart wrote: Most of the DTP programmes for the QL are not supplied with the source code.

DO you think it is worth trying to write an open source DTP programme?
I think, neither was. In our days, I think, everyone wanted to use a pointer driven DTP System. Simply ask Francois Lanciault, why he doesn't has developed his QL-"Paragraph" program further. I think, he can tell you a few bits.

Re: Let us chat about Desktop Publishing on the QL

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 5:55 pm
by SinclairSociety
Ralf R. wrote:
Derek_Stewart wrote: Most of the DTP programmes for the QL are not supplied with the source code.

DO you think it is worth trying to write an open source DTP programme?
I think, neither was. In our days, I think, everyone wanted to use a pointer driven DTP System. Simply ask Francois Lanciault, why he doesn't has developed his QL-"Paragraph" program further. I think, he can tell you a few bits.
With my recent question and poll about "who uses a mouse on their QL"... it seems to me coming from the outside and about to be a new QL user, a stable and usable mouse that can be purchased today to 100% work with a QL is a needed item.

Most every platform that folks use today for mission critical or even hobby have and use mice. Whether it be Mac and Windows and Loonix (yes I call it loonix hehe) or any other alternative platform.

Almost sounds like to me a revisit among those that have a good clue on what is needed to analyze and maybe find a modern solution today that folks can buy. I know it may be small volume but if QL is to keep going... and heck even grow a small bit, to me a mouse and way to easily use it on a QL is an important thing to get working again.

TJ

Re: Let us chat about Desktop Publishing on the QL

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 8:08 pm
by swensont
> DO you think it is worth trying to write an open source DTP programme?

I think there is little bang for the buck in doing that, unless someone is really interested in it. There are other Open Source DTP programs that run under other platforms (Scribus is what I use). In this day, what would be the benefit of a QL-based DTP program?

Tim