Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!ut-sally!husc6!think!ames!ucbcad!ucbvax!hplabs!hp-pcd!hpcvlo!bill From: bill@hpcvlo.HP.COM (Bill Frolik) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: EMACS for the PC Message-ID: <1610019@hpcvlo.HP.COM> Date: Tue, 14-Jul-87 12:55:51 EDT Article-I.D.: hpcvlo.1610019 Posted: Tue Jul 14 12:55:51 1987 Date-Received: Fri, 17-Jul-87 06:23:49 EDT References: <58200008@hplabsb.UUCP> Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Corvallis, OR, USA Lines: 35 >I don't recognize it, but it sounds pretty evil. Anything that puts function >key labels on the bottom of the screen should be blown up. I reflexively >type "key off" whenever i go into basic.... Now, now. Function keys aren't all THAT bad, and this emacs isn't evil. I've got source for one version of the emacs-in-question; it originated, I believe, at HP-POD (the division in Sunnyvale that makes the 150 and Vectra), and now exists in two or three forms within HP. For the last couple of years, several of us here in Corvallis have been using this emacs as our "production" editor; a lot of other people here use it because my version also runs on the Portable PLUS and can be put into a single EPROM (for ROMdisk). My version comes up WITHOUT softkey labels as the default; pressing F10 (MENU on the P+) toggles them on and off. You'd be surprised at the number of users who, first thing, turn them ON -- they'd rather hunt through trees of softkey labels instead of learn corresponding keystroke commands. Personally, I don't use function keys, but you'll find more people using your software if you provide them to those who want them. >Anyway.. if you want an emacs for the pc (which is certainly a good thing to >have), the clear best is Epsilon, put out by Lugaru here in Pittsburgh. If >you want one for free, MicroEmacs isn't bad. And Avoid MINCE at all costs. Epsilon is great, but it costs $$. Brief (from Underware) is also good, but isn't an Emacs (although you can probably configure it to look like one). Mince isn't all that bad, either, but I wouldn't buy a copy when you can get (in my opinion) equally good stuff for free. Unipress EMACS is very complete, but a dinosaur. There are lots of good flavors of MicroEmacs floating around for free. Bill Frolik hp-pcd!bill Hewlett-Packard Portable Computer Division Corvallis, Oregon 97330