Quickword Now Includes Spell Checker, Thesaurus, Custom Fonts
Cutting Edge Software has just released a new version of Quickoffice that includes a major upgrade in the Quickword word processor, adding built-in custom font support and an integrated spell-checking engine and thesaurus. The company has also improved the application suite's speed and it now has better support for portable keyboards. Quickword is $20 and the entire Quickoffice suite is temporarily $30. It's a free upgrade for current users.
Cutting Edge Software has collaborated with DDH
Software to add a 45,000 word spell-check dictionary and a 55,000 word thesaurus to Quickword. This is the same spell-checker and thesaurus that are included with WordSmith.
For the first time, Quickword users will be able to view custom fonts on their handhelds. Previously, users could select different fonts, but they would not be able to see the effect of their selections until the Quickword document was synchronized with MS Word.
To provide this new capability, Cutting Edge Software implemented Hands High Software's FontBucket technology, a font management system that is now integrated with Quickword to give users true font support. Further, Quickoffice will now come equipped with a Windows desktop Font Converter designed to convert TrueType fonts into display fonts for use within
Quickword.
Cutting Edge has worked to improve the speed with which Quickword opens files and scrolls through documents. It has also improved the processing speed of Quicksheet.
In addition, Quickword now offers improved performance with the popular Stowaway folding keyboards. Finally, Cutting Edge Software has made it possible to view and edit files in the standard DOC format from within the Quickword file list.
Quicksheet has support for the Sony Clié's hi-res display. It has over 80 built-in spreadsheet functions and can synchronize its files with Microsoft Excel. The suite also includes, Quickchart, a charting and graphing tool that comes with Quicksheet.
All the Quickoffice conduits are for Windows only.
Thanks to Bryant Smith for the tip. -Ed
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RE: How does it stack up with other products?
RE: Who needs Mac?
RE: How does it stack up with other products?
RE: How does it stack up with other products?
RE: How does it stack up with other products?
QuickWord opens documents VERY fast, and when you scroll, it moves quickly.
My MAJOR problem with WordSmith was its inability to open a large document under low memory conditions. For example, I have an e-copy of "The Fellowship Of The Ring" which weighs in at about 985KB uncompressed. I have it (and a ton of other stuff) loaded on my 8MB Palm Vx, leaving me with about 370KB free memory. QuickWord opens the file to read quickly and efficiently. I edited the file without incident. WordSmith? Forget it. I CONSTANTLY get "Not enough memory" errors.
OK, granted, I am using this mostly for document reading, not editing, but the fact remains that QuickWord has remained fast, fast, fast!
expansion card support when?
I'd especially like to see more in this area for Quickword. Since their app now seems to be focusing on more HTML-like editing, I'd like to be able to just save and load a document as an HTML file on the card. Then I could just edit the document from Quickword on my PDA, keep the document on the card and edit it from the card as well on my PC. Then there would always just be one version of my document, and I could carry it with me. I know that isn't the only solution people might want, but any kind of card support at this point would be a huge improvement.
RE: expansion card support when?
Jim
-------
James Sorenson
RE: expansion card support when?
I knew about that, but thanks. $10 for a hack to add minimal card support which should already be integrated into the currently $30 Quickoffice suite, is ridiculous.
BTW, $29.95 for Quickoffice is a bargain. Everyone ought to be jumping on that one.
Quickword hi-res
RE: Quickword hi-res
RE: Quickword hi-res
RE: Quickword hi-res
but also does subpixel rendering for smoother fonts.
Support for HandEra 330
(1) This new version supports the HandEra 330 (QVGA, soft Grafitti, hi-res fonts, etc.)?
(2) Is it free for HandEra users?
RE: Support for HandEra 330
I'll have to see if that version works or now.
RE: Support for HandEra 330
This will ONLY run on HandEra devices, and here is the link:
http://www.quickoffice.com/download/56/qoffice_handera.exe
HandEra 330 users must register Quickoffice to obtain a serial number and the unzip password for this archive. If you have already upgraded once in the past 4-6 months or so, you'll have the information you need to install this newest version.
Keep in mind, it is a fair bit larger than past Quickoffice installations, if all optional modules are installed for spelling, thesaurus, their dictionaries, as well as FontBucket (www.handshigh.com/fontbucket) and any fonts you convert for use.
Mike Compeau
Cutting Edge Software, Inc.
RE: Support for HandEra 330
That is what I thought. I was able to install it on my HE and it appears to be working.
Yes, the size, with all options, is big... ~1.4MB on the handheld.
I hope this new version fixes some of the stability issues I've seen with 5.6.3. I really like this product because of its support of the HE hi-res screen.
RE: Support for HandEra 330
Are there any changes on the PC side of things in the new version with Quickoffice Desktop or in MS Word or Excel?
RE: Support for HandEra 330
But, that's the extent of PC enhancements at this point.
Mike
RE: Support for HandEra 330
A problem with 5.6.3 was that although you could run QuickWord and QuickSheet from MMC/SD/CF (not from RAM), it would cause issues with HotSync and the documents syncing with the desktop correctly.
Does the new version support running the PRC's from expansion memory... to save some RAM space?
Am I missing something here?
Even if you convert the DOC files over to QW format, you need to unlock it even to get to the "change font" dialogue box. And I can't seem to change the font at all if the files on the expansion card.
Wordsmith has had this for a while already
RE: Wordsmith has had this for a while already
RE: Wordsmith has had this for a while already
RE: Wordsmith has had this for a while already
Wordsmith only got the spellchecking stuff last November.
The finetype fonts are anything but "fine"--should be called "fuzzyType" as they are far harder to read. Smooth is overrated if contrast is messed up inthe process.
Builtin print support in Quickword preceded Wordsmithg by months last year, and your device already HAS a memopad.
So where's the BlueNomad Spreadshet? are we EVER gonna get to see and laugh at it?
Wordsmith CERTAIN DOES NOT sync better to Word, as TONS of pasted/embedded objects are specifically stated to NOT SYNC in their manual. Read it and weep.
Hats off to CESINC>
RE: Wordsmith has had this for a while already
RE: Wordsmith has had .......but not Font Bucket
With resolution on Palm OS devices getting better, I would imagine more applications would offer more fonts flexibility. Font Bucket is a step forward and it is good that QuickOffice takes the lead to embrace it.
Francis Lo, HKG
RE: Wordsmith has had this for a while already
The finetype fonts look better on some devices than others. I have Palm Reader, iSilo, Docs to Go Professional, and Wordsmith. The FineType fonts were good enough for me to switch to Wordsmith as my ebook reader all the time now. Fonts such as stilltime look fine with FineType, but are almost unreadable with the hi-res turned off... but like I mentioned, they look good on some handhelds and fuzzier on others.
No comparison yet!
I have the Palm keyboard and WordSmith is a real gem when used with the keyboard. QuickWord just doesn't understand the concept of a keyboard well enough to make one want to trying using one with it. Some of the keys work the way I expect and others are totally ignored. I understand the Palm philosophy simple is better and I realize that few have keyboards, but for larger documents, a keyboard is something that is essential and adds significant functionality when I am on the road. I can not part with it.
QuickWord is not a total lame-duck however, It does offer HTML editing and faster operation. The new font handling is nice, but not as nice visually as that in WordSmith. I do find that HTML seems to get in the way sometimes by reinserting HTML thingies after I had just deleted them. Line breaks are particularly annoying since single spacing becomes double spacing after a scroll (sometimes!) Also, I notice that it takes several delete stokes to wipe out a marker. It appears to me that while I can not see them, each stroke is deleting one of the characters that make up the HTML markup at that point in the document.
If they figure out how to do menus from the keyboard and provide much better keyboard functionality, I will reconsider QuickWord.
By the way, they both use the same spell checking software so it's a push for this feature. It is too large to be of much use to me. This is especially true since it is impossible to move the dictionary to SD memory and if it was, the slow spell checker would be even slower!
If you are looking for a document editor or word processor, download both, take them for a spin and see what you think works best for you!
RE: No comparison yet!
-Timothy Rapson-
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How does it stack up with other products?