User avatar
MattX
Stargard, Poland

Posted Wed Nov 03, 2021 3:21 am

Hi, Everyone. <3 :boing:

I need some recommendations of good software that was made for KS1.2/1.3 Amiga, especially stuff like:
- word processors
- text editors
- spreadsheets
- databases

or maybe some others You recommend me to try...

I'm interestest in programs that were designed to work well on unexpanded A1000/A500/A2000 and integrate well with WB1.3 interface. I like the aesthetics of early AmigaOS and it's software, even if I had Escom-made A1200. I tried some of the most popular programs but maybe there are some hidden gems that You think are worth trying.

Thanks in advance. :)

User avatar
stevelord

Posted Wed Nov 03, 2021 4:31 am

There's a bunch of threads in the forum worth looking at, particularly Shotwell97's threads (and youtube vids). Some recommendations from me (in no particular order):

For word processors:
  • WordPerfect
  • Final Copy II
  • ProText
  • Pen Pal
For Text Editors:
  • Redit
  • CygnusED
  • MicroEMACS (Daniel Lawrence or Dave Conroy editions)
  • Vim
For spreadsheets:
  • TurboCalc
  • Advantage
For databases:
  • Superbase 4 Professional
  • Prodata
  • Final Accounts (accounts database, also Home Accounts for personal finance)
I'd also suggest Scala, CanDo and Amiga Vision which are all great Multimedia tools. Additionally, DPaint, Briliance, AdPro and HamLabPlus will help you with images. AdPro and HamLabPlus will even load Jpegs and Gifs (slowly) for use on the Amiga.

For further ideas, take a look at some older Amiga Magazines like Amazing Computing and Amiga Shopper. You're good for most serious software up to late 1992, although some might need extra memory.

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Wed Nov 03, 2021 7:16 am

SteveLord's list is fantastic. I just have a couple extras to add for your research pleasure into the deep blue waters of 1.3 productivity software.

Word Processor:
  • Excellence (a nice GUI-based solution like Pen Pal)
Text Editors:
  • TurboText
  • TextCraft (one of the first, if not THE first)
  • TxEd
Have fun!

User avatar
MattX
Stargard, Poland

Posted Wed Nov 03, 2021 12:33 pm

Thank You guys for the recommendations. I know some of the programms You recommended.

I especially like:
WordPerfect, ProText, TurboText. Superbase 4, Prodata, Advantage

They look well on WB1.3.

TextCraft is one of the first (first version was released by C=), but it's also buggy. It's window can't be resized to full PAL resolution. You can move the window down, but you can resize it to full size, so you have a small window which makes it less usable than most of text/word tools I know. TxEd is very limited.

WYSIWYG editors with graphics like Final Copy, Pen Pal, Excellence! could be nice to use with printer, but I don't have one and probably it would be tricky or even impossible to use it since I emulate Amiga on FS-UAE (Linux). Otherwise they are overkill and too slow for text editing.

For people who are interested in good software for KS1.2/1.3 I tried I can recommend:
- InterSpread/InterWord/InterBase - very good for WB1.3, look great even in 2 colors
- Platinum Works! - fully professional office suite integrated into one program with communication/network tool (they were known under the name Analyze!, Scribble!, Organize! before). I even have 500 page PDF manual.
- TransWrite - great text editor/word processor, fast as hell
- MaxiPlan (doesn't matter which version) - amount of options in this spreadsheet is mindblowing. It almost looks like they couldn't fit more stuff in the top down menus. :lol:

If you know more cool stuff like this, please let me know. :)

User avatar
nullsleep

Posted Wed Nov 03, 2021 3:01 pm

Text Editors: Cygnus Ed.

Word Processors: Kindwords, Prowrite.

Spreadsheets: Turbo Calc.

Databases: MyAmigaFile.

These are the ones I know and used at the time.
If you know more cool stuff like this, please let me know. :)
Do try AmigaXfer. (full disclosure: by me)

User avatar
MattX
Stargard, Poland

Posted Wed Nov 03, 2021 4:30 pm

Cygnus Ed is a great text editor. I remember using it years ago for playing with Amigaguide hypertext. I don't remember the version and the problem is that one I can find on Archive.org has broken interface for some reason. I think that TransWrite does the job for me now as a fast text editor/word processor.

Kindwords, Prowrite are great WYSIWYG ones with graphics. Too bad I have no printer and real Amiga to make use of them.

Turbo Calc is great. Especially for 3.x Amigas. I remember using it years ago with my A1200. My uncle had some of the latest original productivity software (from late 90's) to use on his towered and pimped A1200. I also had Wordworth from him, but it was quite heavy on my nonexpanded Amiga. I remember printing some stuff from it on my Star LC-10 printer.

My Amiga File (it's called MiAmiga File) I had the version III (if I remember well) and it was used for a software list by a dude who was copying games to disks from huge library of .dms files he had on his Amiga in his computer store. It was in the late 90's, early 2000's. The store doesn't exist anymore and that dude is probably dead by now. :( I've found MiAmigaFile II but can't find the III... It's probably the most user friendly DB with really great looking interface.
Do try AmigaXfer. (full disclosure: by me)
I've read about it after reading your post and I'm blown away... Too bad I didn't have it years ago before I got CF-PCMCIA for my A1200. I was burning CDs to transfer ADFs to my Amiga with crudely connected CD-ROM. Before that I was using PC formatted PC floppies and stuff. It was a mess. And now you can just write ADFs through serial cable straight into floppy in the Amiga. :o

I can't try it out. I'm using FS-UAE for my Amiga stuff. But I would like to see it in action.

User avatar
ArtstateDigital
Wales, United Kingdom

Posted Sat Nov 27, 2021 3:09 pm

If you're feeling adventurous, give these a shot...

Text Editor

Textra 1.06 is great from a size and feature perspective, v1.20 onwards require Kickstart 2x.

https://aminet.net/package/text/edit/Textra111


Spreadsheet

Spread, the Tiny Spreadsheet!

https://aminet.net/package/biz/spread/Spread





Return to “Software”