The Other World of Word Processors

I was doing a search for an alternative to MS Word -- in my case, on the Mac, but I found PC related info as well.

http://microsoft.toddverbeek.com/wp.html



It is a list of 18 alternatives to MS Word, most of them are fairly up to date with modern data interchange protocol support. The word processor selections are rated as follows:

- Close match or substitute for Microsoft's project
- Especially high quality alternative
- Inexpensive or free alternative
- Strong challenge to Microsoft's influence
- Personal selection

Software is listed that runs on Windows, MacOS, Unix-like systems, Java-compatible systems, Symbian OS, PalmOS, Netware, OpenVMS, BeOS, OS/S, Amiga, RISC OS and DOS.

I am using Unity 3D as a game development engine. I guess that makes me a game developer. Woo Hoo!!! Anyway, the Unity development editor is Mac only for the time being. As part of our burgeoning game development efforts at work, we got a new iMac as a production PC. ("iMac as a production PC?" That's what I said. Granted, this is not your grandmother's iMac.) In addition to the slew of starter software that Apple provides, this iMac comes with "Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive". Between the big watermark that it prints on every page, and the fact that I cannot print from the demo, (it says, "Printing is not available in the Microsoft Office 2004 Test Drive, but printing is available in the purchased version of Office 2004. To order your copy of Office 2004, click Buy Now"), I am afraid that this test drive is over. (Printing is available in Google docs, OpenOffice and Word Viewer, so why should I bother?)

So, as an alternative to making a purchase of software from the corporation Microsoft, today's task is the download, installation and evaluation of AbiWord by Dom Lachowicz.

Chumps in Space

There is something to be said for new and interesting video game ideas. There is also something to be said for old and interesting game ideas, which is to say: "something" regarding the recycling of old game ideas that have not been seen in a while. Once such game, worth mentioning, is Mayhem Intergalactic.

For those two or three of you left in the world who remember the old WWIII message board system, you may remember a space battle game where once generated ships on planets, and played against other WWIII posters in a "one day equals one turn" type fashion. (Actually, now that I think about it, there were several great multi-player games deployed on that entirely text-based 3600 baud modem-bound platform.)

So for those who remember, todays find Mayhem Intergalactic is a great blast from the common gamer unconscious-past.

Games So Good You Play Them

This is getting staggering. Check out this list at http://www.freeverse.com/games/ Most of the games are both Mac and PC; a few are just Mac. Nonetheless your type of game is there. Be prepared to spend some time. These games are by and large made with Unity, and are a strong demonstration of the game building tool.

The opportunity to be a game developer seems so manifest that the consideration of any other course of action seems painfully hostile. The amount of power given to an individual to combine assets and publish games is almost overwhelming -- as I said, staggering. This tool is better in the hands of a team, especially a small one. Yet an individual can master it, and apart from legions of 'just modelers', 'just animators', 'just coders', 'just artists'. For the developer, everything, even project management, sales and technical writing, are at some point required. Excel or Quicken or whatever on the back in, but flat files and visual asset-centered development on what amounts to our lethal front end. (Or, in the words of Homer Simpson, "Suck it all, losers!")

Anyway, check out that list of games, and tell me if you don't find one that you like.