Overview

Nisus Writer is a thoughtfully designed word-processing program that caters to the needs of the most demanding writer. While containing all the essential word-processing features present in other packages, Nisus Writer provides users with greater flexibility and options through extended features. Multilingual word processing is unique to Nisus Writer. Nisus Writer supports Apple's WorldScript and conveniently handles languages written from right-to-left and left-to-right within the same paragraph and document. Nisus offers 20 different language dictionaries for spell checking. Other unique features include multiple undos, even after saving the file; 10 fully editable clipboards; and noncontiguous-text selection and manipulation. File sharing with colleagues using Microsoft Word can be effectively done by saving Nisus Writer documents in "RTF (rich text format) by Mercury," since these RTF files retain formatted tables, graphics, and text quite impressively. Table insertion and manipulation are Nisus Writer's least intuitive features, but it adequately handles these tasks. Nisus Writer is otherwise very well designed, uncompromising in features, responsive in speed, and modest in hardware requirements, all worthy reasons to give Nisus Writer a look. A free downloadable demo is available.

How Long Did It Take to Learn to Use It Productively?

Basic word-processing features took no real time to master since they are common to all word-processing programs. Advanced, extended, and unique features took about two days to adequately use and understand.

Product Quality

Customizability

Excellent. The Nisus Writer environment can be tailored to the individual writer's needs by changing the preferences. Macros and scripts can be used to automate frequently performed tasks. Frequently used macro files can be added to the macros folder so that they load when the program launches. Menus and floating palettes can be displayed as desired.

Ability to Program in Scripts, Add Extension Modules, etc.

Nisus Writer uses macros and scripts. Fifteen macro files containing over 50 individual macros are installed; however, only two macro files launch by default: the Nisus macros and text-editing macro files. The other macro files may be opened from the macro menu; up to 24 macro files may be open simultaneously. Many user-contributed macros for automating tasks are available. Nisus Writer users can also record or edit their own macros easily. In addition, Nisus Writer is able to use both AppleScript and UserLand Frontier scripts.

Ability to Import and Export in Different File Formats

Nisus Writer is able to save in a number of different file formats. Nisus Writer installs its XTND translators into the Claris folder located in your Macintosh's System folder. The translators installed with Nisus Writer 6.0.1 are Nisus document, Nisus stationery (template files that are protected from editing), Nisus HTML (for Web page HTML formatting), Nisus TextPlus (a format that converts the document and all endnotes and footnotes to text), text only, and RTF (rich text format) by Mercury, as well as some older word-processing formats: a translator by Claris for Microsoft Word 5.0, MacWrite II, Nisus, and Nisus Writer. Nisus Writer is compatible with 68K (System 8.x and below) and PowerMac (System 8.x and above) processors. Because Apple's MacOS 7.5-8.x included a complimentary version of DataViz's MacLink Plus translator software, which offered a wide array of translators, it is therefore possible that the number of XTND translators contained in the Claris folder and available for use within Nisus Writer may differ from computer to computer. The MacOS version 9.x no longer provides these translators from DataViz. If your PowerMac came with OS 9.x, you may wish to obtain additional translators by purchasing a third-party software such as DataViz's MacLinkPlus. Nisus Writer provides no direct file-saving choices for Word 6, 98, or 2001; however, I found that complex Nisus Writer documents containing formatted tables, graphics, and text were extremely well preserved when saved as "RTF by Mercury" files prior to opening in Word 98. The only items missing from my document were date and time stamps. Documents were not as well preserved with this same format when subsequently opened in WordPerfect 3.5 enhanced.

Colleagues who do not own Nisus Writer 6 but who receive a Nisus Writer 6 native document can easily open these documents in Word 98 or 2001 simply by using Word's Recover Text from Any File option; however, this option does not preserve tables, graphics, or formatted text. Despite the fact that the Nisus Writer document format has not changed since version 4, the newest version of MacLinkPlus Deluxe (version 12) by DataViz, which supports versions 3 and 4, but not 5 or 6 directly, has yielded a variety of mixed results amongst Nisus Writer users. In my hands, Nisus Writer 6 documents were not even recognized with MacLink Plus version 11 or 12 and therefore could not be translated.

The Nisus Table Tool can import table information from Microsoft Excel saved in SYLK (symbolic link), comma-delimited, or tabbed-text formats, and likewise exports data in comma-delimited or tabbed-text formats, PICT on clipboard, or PICT files. Both importing and exporting worked adequately to move data between applications.

Nisus Writer can be used with bibliography and reference-managing software. Bookends Plus 6.0.1 by Sonny Software supplies a set of macros for Nisus Writer that allows users "cite as you write" convenience. EndNote 4 by ISI ResearchSoft also supports Nisus Writer document formats but provides no add-in module for access from within Nisus Writer.

Useful or Unusual Features

Nisus Writer is unparalleled in its handling of multilingual word processing. It fully supports Apple's WorldScript and has 20 editable language dictionaries available for spell checking. For writers not requiring this capability, Nisus Writer is still a worthy word-processing choice. The first noticeable difference to newcomers will most likely be the extension of common features; I was impressed by these thoughtful additions to my word-processing environment. For example, copying text to the clipboard is a standard word-processing function, but in Nisus Writer, one can "copy" text onto any one of the ten editable clipboards, "append copy" to the end of a clipboard's contents, "copy text only" (without formatting), "copy to find," which inserts text into the find box in the find and replace window, and "copy to replace," which inserts text into the replace box of the find and replace window.

Noncontiguous-word selection is unique to Nisus Writer. It allows you to select noncontiguous text and paste it elsewhere as contiguous text. Writing long documents solely on the computer can be quite arduous. Nisus Writer's unique ability to store copied formatted text and to edit this text in up to 10 clipboards allows you to play with text before adding it back to a document. Nisus Writer permits unlimited undos even after saving files, another useful feature. For those interested in HTML editing, Nisus offers two methods: (1) Saving documents as Nisus HTML or (2) using an extensive set of HTML-editing macros. HTML-savvy users will most likely prefer using the HTML-editing macros over the save-as-HTML option since they provide greater flexibility.

Limitations

Overall, the advanced and extended features present in Nisus Writer make up for the few features Nisus Writer either does not have or does not do easily. Features you might miss include an automatic outline mode, the ability to create live links to Web sites, and tables that can automatically span more than one page. Tables are handled using an external application called the Nisus Table Tool launched from within Nisus Writer. Tables spanning more than one page do not automatically flow onto the next page, but must be manually edited to achieve this effect.

Nisus Writer 6 comes with a standard U.S. dictionary; however, it would be more useful for biologists if the U.S. Super Dictionary, which includes a U.S. legal dictionary, a medical dictionary, a geographical/biographical dictionary, a scientific/technical dictionary, and an extended U.S. English dictionary, were included.

There is one bug in the installer. The alias to the Nisus Writer manual located in the documentation folder is broken. The Nisus Writer manual (Nisus Guide 6 HTML) is located in the help folder in the system folder; a new alias should be made and placed in the documentation folder.

Comparisons with Similar Software

The most notable aspects of Nisus Writer are its sleek hardware requirements and its speed and stability when compared to Word and WordPerfect with no compromise in features. The Nisus Table Tool is somewhat cumbersome to use after using the integrated table functions present in both Word and WordPerfect; however, it does perform most of the same functions. My favorite Table Tool function is the ability to insert footnotes within the table that are automatically updated as the information is changed.

The most significant changes in Nisus Writer version 6.0.1 over 5.1.3 are support for Apple's Navigation Services (the standard Macintosh user interface for document management such as navigating, opening and saving files, and the appearance of dialog boxes and user controls), contextual menus, and IBM's dictation software ViaVoice, plus the addition of a grammar checker, the Nisus text-analyzer tool, and a special file-save format called Nisus TextPlus, which saves a document and all endnotes and footnotes as a text file. A number of previous bugs were also fixed since version 5.1.3. A complete list of new features is on the Web site.

Technical Support and Documentation

No hardcopy manual exists for Nisus Writer. The Nisus Writer guide is available through the help menu, and is excellent. It includes a tutorial section worth investigating. Unfortunately, a bug in the search function when help is accessed through the help menu prevents searching the Nisus guide contents. Users must instead rely solely on the table of contents to locate information; Nisus is aware of this bug and is working on a fix for it. Support is available by phone or through email; I used email support and found it to be very responsive and helpful. Many different types of additional online support exist. Users may also subscribe to an unofficial discussion forum. A searchable archive of the discussion forum is maintained as well. The FAQ and the tips on the Nisus Web site offer superb extra help that is not available through the Nisus Writer guide. Users interested in Nisus Writer's support for IBM's ViaVoice will find a paucity of information online, but direct support from Nisus on this topic was very helpful.

Target Users

Nisus Writer is particularly well suited for any one needing to handle long documents such as books, book chapters, and dissertations, creating pamphlets, or, above all, doing multilingual word processing.

Comments

Nisus Software intends to rewrite Nisus Writer for Mac OS X, but no release date has been announced. Nisus Software has tested Nisus Writer 6.0.1, and it will run under Mac OS X in "Classic Mode."