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From: hannon@clio.las.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Arabic Wordprocessing / Publishing
Message-ID: <17000080@clio>
Date: Wed, 2-Dec-87 14:08:00 EST
Article-I.D.: clio.17000080
Posted: Wed Dec  2 14:08:00 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 7-Dec-87 01:30:59 EST
References: <1908@ho95e.ATT.COM>
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Nf-ID: #R:ho95e.ATT.COM:1908:clio:17000080:000:2760
Nf-From: clio.las.uiuc.edu!hannon    Dec  2 13:08:00 1987


wcs@ho95e.ATT.COM(Bill Stewart) writes in comp.sys.mac

>A friend of mine is looking for a computer system that will let him do
>word-processing in Arabic and English, as well as miscellaneous
>accounting and such.  He doesn't currently have any
>hardware, so he can be pretty flexible; I'm guessing that a
>Macintosh+Laserwriter or PC/AT+LaserJet will probably be used.
>(He's not a computer person, so the Mac will probably be easier to use.)
>
>What software packages are available?  How is printer-driver support?
>How well does it integrate with other software?

	I, of course, would recommend the Macintosh.  The reason being that
with Apple's introduction of the Script Manager (one of the first scripts was
for Arabic) most existing applications (with the exception of text intensive
one) will already be able to be used in Arabic.  Many companies are presently
rewritting their applications to work with the Script Manager or are creating
new products that will do so.
	As far as Word Processing, their is only one product that will work as
an Arabic word processor, Al-Katib.  It does not use the script Manager and is
PATHETIC!!  Watch for the release (shortly?) of a Script Manager compatable
word processor with capabilites somewhere between WriteNow and MSWord3.0.
	Also look for the release of Ready Set Go 4.0 (international version)
which uses the Script Manager, and also PageMaker (international).
	The script manager interface files include laser fonts for the script
so that you can do both ImageWriter and/or LaserWriter output in the language.
(The Arabic LW fonts are quite good!).  

	Jordan, if I forgot anything, please feel free to fill in the blanks.

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