On Sun, Jul 04, 2004 at 01:15:01PM +0100, Jon Dowland wrote: > On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 23:10:45 +0300, Micha Feigin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Mon, Jun 28, 2004 at 12:07:37PM +0100, Jon Dowland wrote: > > > On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 23:21:41 -0500, cecil <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > Someone told me today at lunch that what with my "wierd obsession", as > > > > he called it, to perhaps go without a gui(X), I should try "that latex > > > > thingie". My buddy is a real wordmaster. LOL. I did some reading up on > > > > it; it's interesting. I never knew that you could do all that with no > > > > window system. Does anyone here use it on a regular basis, and if so, > > > > how hard is it to use, setup, print, etc? > > > > > > I used it to write up my 3rd year project, and I think it probably > > > ended up being as useful as writing it in microsoft word (not taking > > > into account of course the unavailability of word for linux). > > > > > > > Word does have most of the features of latex if you are very careful, > > use it correctly and _really_ know what you are doing (i.e styles) and > > still the output always seems to come out looking less professional. > > Indeed - you will make fewer catastrophic mistakes with latex and an > incomplete understanding. Latex by default does look more professional > than an amateur word document. However I think had I invested the same > amount of time in word as I did in latex (by the end); I would have > had a similar experience. > > I have read some academic papers where I could not tell which program > was used to compose them until I inspected the source.
I'd like to see those documents! (Until now) I was always able to make the distinction between LaTeX and the rest by looking at the equations. And if there are no equations, you can always look at the font, ;-) > > Somehow word seems to end nowhere, it supposedly gives you complete > > control over the graphics appearance (as a knowledgeable typesetter > > would need) but it keeps trying to do what it wants instead of what you > > want assuming that it knows better what you want it to do. > > I think its a matter of learning how to control it. Which, given an > investment of time, I would have had. > > > Latex doesn't give you full control directly (unless you know tex and > > aren't scared to dirty your hands) > > When I eventually tried to play with the styling, it was a horrible nightmare. Indeed. LaTeX 3 seems to be the solution. Not soon though, if ever. > > Word is good for writing short notes with a little more control then > > latex and less head ache then tex, but will generally take you more > > time and effort for anything serious then latex will and still look > > worse. David -- Hi! I'm a .signature virus. Copy me into your ~/.signature to help me spread! -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
