Hi!

The latest stable PageStream for Amiga released almost ten years before (V4.1.5.6 - 01/30/03).

I think it would be nice to celebrate that decade with a webpage and/or a pdf booklet that tells some stories about how do you started to use PageStream, why do you like it and what do you do with it.

Beyond the great memories this will may spread the word to others who could try this great DTP software, so the more users , more interest, may push the developer's will to roll forward this a bit dated but still exceptionally user friendly tool.

I have a long story with PageStream. Made several different DTP projects from business cards and booklets to bags and very large size outdoor advertisements in the last 16 years. Still using it and like to be able to use it in the future on my choosen NG Amiga platform.

So what do you think?
If you have good memories about PageStream or still using it, please share with us here, and I will prepare a little publication for the forthcoming anniversary.

If you don't know PageStream, look at www.pagestream.org now!

Are they still supporting Pagestream? What about an Amiga OS4 version?

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@Lazi

PageStream quite simply is the best D.T.P programme ever written for the Amiga, ran my own D.T.P business on it for two years back at the very end of the 80's using an A1000, two A500's and 3 or 4 Star dot Matrix printers (made me quite a bit of money too) and is still the only D.T.P package I use to this very day...

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@Everblue

There *is* an OS4.x version of Pagestream (v5.x). But it's still...hmmm...somewhere between alpha and beta, depending which 5.x-build you may try.

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X1000|II/G4|440ep|2000/060|2000/040|1000

@Everblue

Quote:

Are they still supporting Pagestream?

Frankly saying, before a correct answare, you have to define what do you mean supporting.
PageStream has an active support forum. It runs on every Amiga 68k/PPC platforms. A new version is on development for some years. Some new alpha version are released.
The author has some obstacles make the Amiga version in pair with the Linux/windows releases, however never said to drop the idea.

If you can, support the developer by obtain an OS4 version. The buyers of the OS4 version could use the mentioned latest stable 68k version which runs on OS4 while the OS4 version is finished.

@Franko

You are my man! Please if you have time fill your memories, thoughts about PageStream to the keyboard. I love to read your posts, and I am sure you can make interest for PGS with your style. :)

@cha05e90

Quote:

There *is* an OS4.x version of Pagestream (v5.x).

Yes, I know. However the latest 'alpha' is 68k, but an older one is built for PPC proved that it can have a decent speed improvement.

@Lazi
How do I obtain the OS4 version? Thanks :)

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@Everblue

There is a BUY item on the main menu of www.pagestream.org
I bought my copies before the site's design changes, which made some page broken, but the buy function should work AFAIK.

The main difference between the normal and the pro version is the TextFx extension, which enables text bending on curves. This feature is not working on my OS4 systems, but I don't sure what is the reason of the problem. On my classic setup it is working without problems.

@Lazi

I still use PageStream a lot on my AOS4 System. I would love to have a native OS4/PPC version. Currently it is used for

1) company related stuff
- business cards
- Leporellos/Flyer see here for my company: www.geobiz.de

2) iBatch Documentation see here for an example:
iBatch doc

3) teacher related stuff
in my second job as teacher, I still prepare some worksheets via PageStream

If I find some more time I will prepare some sort of story and put material online. E.g. my Master Thesis was partly written in PageStream

regards gerograph

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Geomarketing at
www.geobiz.de
www.gebietsplanung.net
www.geomarketing-consultant.de

Oh, so there is no native OS4 version?

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@Lazi

Quote:

Lazi wrote: @Franko You are my man! Please if you have time fill your memories, thoughts about PageStream to the keyboard. I love to read your posts, and I am sure you can make interest for PGS with your style. :)

There isn't much to tell actually and I'm pretty sure from my track record if I did and you used it, your blog would receive death threats and you'd have to go into hiding like me...

(I'm posting this from OSammy BinMadMans old abandoned cave where I have been in hiding with Lord Lucan since I made my first post on one of these forums)... don't tell anyone though, it's a secret...

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@Lazi

About 2 months ago I sent an email to the support email address offering my AmigaOneXE to use for any purpose (like furthering OS4 PPC version), but I received no reply. I even offered to pay for the shipping to Deron, sign a release holding him blameless for any thing going wrong, and would pay to have it shipped back to me when he was done with it.

George Wyche

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..effects of civilization upon...nature, the growing gap between what education was supposed to accomplish and what it consisted of, the national debt and...high taxes, the problem of the excess cost of medical care -- Philip Wylie, 1951

So, I have this little question, what is the practical advantages of PageStream (on Win/PC) over Word? Because, some months ago when I finished my MSc Thesis and I learned (was forced actually :P) to utilize every bit of feature that Word gives and I can say to you that an experienced user can accomplish pretty much the layout of any standard page magazine / newspaper etc. Yesterday I checked out Publisher (the Pagestream equivalent of the MS Office suite) and founded it somewhat basic.

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@Cool_amigaN

The boundaries between DTP And Word Processing may be becoming a little blurred, however I'm sure there's a good reason why professional publications don't use Word for their page layouts.

Personally, from my amateur experience, doing anything DTP related in word seems to require many steps and frustrations. Columns, images, text flow - all these things seem a little clunky, sometimes resulting in very strange behaviour. A DTP package is designed from the outset to handle these things properly.

I'm sure someone with more experience than I could list a number of functions that Word either simply lacks or implements poorly (probably using a number of terms only familiar to those working in the industry!).

Steve

Last edited by TCMSLP on 07-Dec-2012 at 09:51 AM.

@Cool_amigaN

Quote:

So, I have this little question, what is the practical advantages of PageStream (on Win/PC) over Word?

Didn't you spotted the url of this forum? Amigaworld!

Q: What is the practical advantages of PageStream over Word for me?
A: It runs on my Amiga/Amiga1/Pegasos computer. Or in other words. First: it's slightly cheaper, and second: it has the word Amiga printed in large friendly letters on it's requirements.

@TCMSLP

I agree with you regarding unexpected behavior. I experienced it with Word when the page layout was becoming increasingly complex (which often led at destroying the overall design). Publisher worked out of the box correctly even when I was randomly throwing boxes, columns images and text. But to me, it looked more than a variation of Word than a standalone program.

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@Lazi

Yeah, I know :P

My question is more general though i.e. the differences between a professional dtp and a professional word processing.

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@Cool_amigaN

Eventhough the two are getting more and more blurred from a professional standpoint the word processor is for writing content and the DTP program is for designing content. The general workflow is still based on typing versus drawing, content versus design.

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@Lazi

Quote:

I think it would be nice to celebrate that decade with a webpage and/or a pdf booklet that tells some stories about how do you started to use PageStream

I would rather celebrate the decade with a working and stable PageStream 5 for OS4 - the one I (and many others) paid for at the beginning of that decade. Then I would really be in the mood for celebration!

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The Rear Window blog

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