Write this up exactly right: Anderson Financial Systems (AFS) pulled a fast one when it announced its new word processor last month.
By announcing that it would use its newly acquired PasteUp page-layout program to spin out a $199 word processor, WriteUp, AFS threw a wrench in the works of the announced acquisition of another RightBrain product, ExactlyWrite, by Information Technolgy Solutions (ITS).
Thus, the battle for the low-end word-processing market now focuses on WriteUp and WriteStep from Minneapolis-based Ciusa, both due to ship before the end of the year. Until now, the only shipping word-processing program for NEXTSTEP for Intel systems has been WordPerfect, but the company at press time announced it will phase out support for its NEXTSTEP product. Another high-end option, Pages, remains in beta testing.
After first announcing on October 1 that it would acquire ExactlyWrite, ITS dropped out of the word-processing race less than one month later.
"ITS has decided not to enter the low-end word-processor retail market due to the announced release of several other products. We are no longer negotiating with RightBrain to acquire ExactlyWrite," said Bill Thomas, ITS chief operating officer.
"However, we still have plans some time in the future to offer an improved Text object."
"I didn't know about Anderson's plans," said Glenn Reid, the former president of RightBrain Software, which ceased operations as a NEXTSTEP developer in October (see "Two developers bow out," NeXTWORLD Extra, November 1993). "I had the option to do the same thing [create a word processor out of PasteUp], but decided that adopting the NeXT Text object was the faster route to developing a low-end word processor."
AFS said that WriteUp will include many of PasteUp's innovative features, including automatic text runaround, a page navigator, and zoom controls. Ciusa's WriteStep features a tool bar including 36 common functions and comes with reference tools such as a thesaurus, quotation library, writing guide, and rhyme dictionary.
WriteUp is priced at $199 with discounted academic and multiple-user pricing. WriteStep is listed at $149.
Both companies expect to ship in December and are seeking preorders, but AFS has added a twist. If WriteUp fails to ship by December 31, AFS will rebate $1 per day to early buyers until it does. In a separate promotion, WriteUp is included free with purchases of PasteUp until December 1.