News and Reviews > Word Processor Roundup
Textmaker (Softmaker/Ashampoo Office) 2008
CWuestefeld:
Just got a marketing email from them, touting their new 2008 release. It notes one significant difference between the Softmaker and Ashampoo versions of the product:
Please note that only genuine SoftMaker Office 2008 contains the BasicMaker macro language, not the licensed Ashampoo Office.
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For the vast majority of users this probably doesn't matter, but the folks on DC are probably more likely to be power users that might want scripting capability.
Here are the major bullet points on the new version:
SoftMaker Office offers four new and improved applications:
* TextMaker 2008 with many enhancements such as PDF export, OLE server capabilities, a style manager, print preview, envelope printing and, and, and...
* PlanMaker 2008, the latest version of our spreadsheet application.
Now with OLE server capability, PDF export, new calculation functions and many other improvements.
* SoftMaker Presentations 2008, SoftMaker's brand new alternative to PowerPoint. Just as capable, but much easier to use!
* BasicMaker 2008, our new VBA-compatible macro language that lets you automate TextMaker and PlanMaker like in Microsoft Office.
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Darwin:
One thing I'd like to know is if DataMaker - which is supposed to be released to beta January 2008 and as a full release February 2008 is going to be part of a service pack or available as an upgrade? I had really hoped that it was going to make it into the final release of 2008...
CWuestefeld:
One thing I'd like to know is if DataMaker
-Darwin (January 15, 2008, 09:30 AM)
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After looking at their web site, I'm not enthused:
DataMaker 2008 works with any ODBC or ADO database. It will ship with a very fast database driver for the dBASE database format, but you are not limited to that: You can use DataMaker to access databases from MySQL, SQL Server, IBM DB/2, PostgreSQL, Oracle, Microsoft Access etc. – all databases for which ODBC or ADO drivers exist. (emphasis mine)
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dBase is a nonstarter for me, since there's no provision for protecting it from multiprocess accesses. Your average Joe won't be able to set up mySQL, and if you've got Access, Oracle, SQL Server, etc., then I don't see much that this product will offer.
Darwin:
Hmm... I'm on revision 482 already, but thanks for directing me to check for updates, Tom! I'm checking out pdf creation now (well, next, actually) and will report back.
Darwin:
Well... SoftMaker TextMaker (rev. 482) exported a 63kb, 4 page, Word Document to a pdf that is 134kb in size. This is with the "embed only embedable font"s setting applied and at Low (96dpi) quality with auto table of contents generated. I printed the same file from within SoftMaker to Scansoft PDF Creator at medium quality with embed fonts enabled and it produced a pdf of just 16kb in size (complete with TOC). So... the current SoftMaker revision is better than it was, but far from optimized.
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