[SLE] Corel - some good news for a change
After the thorough slagging off which Corel got on this list regarding their Office suite, I've got some good news. I downloaded their Photopaint9 program (being given away free because they appreciate that Gimp is a serious competitor). Here's a brief report: Installation: I downloaded the RPM version of the package (94MB). I was highly suspicious, so I unpacked the thing manually to see what was in there and what it was about to do. A subdirectory inside was named Redhat which didn't bode well, and it appeared it was going to install into /usr/lib/corel instead of /opt/corel, but apart from that it looked OK. So I ran the install program from X. A pretty X installer came up, offered the licence, told me it was going to install to /usr/lib (no option to change that), and correctly identified my system as SuSE. I hit the button. It took a couple of minutes on my SuSE-6.4 650mhz 128MB laptop, then claimed success. It said I should log out and back in again to set up my launcher, which I did. Running it When I logged back in, I wasn't suprised to find no application launcher on my GNOME-1.2 desktop. GNOME-1.2 was only released a few of weeks ago. The readme has instructions about how to install the launcher icon, and it all seems to be done by simply installing more RPMs. I didn't bother. I just ran /usr/bin/photopaint9 and off it went. Startup Corel Office apps take an age to start up but this one is much better. The Wine stuff takes about 5 seconds to initialise, then the splash screen stays for 3 more. The first time I ran it it spent half a minute doing stuff with fonts. But, and it's a big but, Corel have put a progress bar up on startup! You can see what its doing - or at least it is doing something! I have no complaints - on decent hardware it's not unreasonable. The app I don't know anything about graphics really. Not my thing. But I can tell you this much: this seems to work pretty well. I loaded an image and fiddled about (there's no better stress test than some idiot who doesn't know what he's doing!). I drew curves, filled things, rotated them, and did all the obvious stuff without a problem. Text handling looks great, and the font selection (with preview popup from the menu) is the best I've seen on Linux. There's a million and one effects, all the webish stuff you would expect, movie support (no idea what that does yet) and so on. Gimp is obviously the act to follow here, and I'm nowhere near qualified to give an opinion. I will say that the Photopaint9 user interface is a world better than Gimp's, but that's not saying much! It certainly looks the part. I'd rather use this than Gimp for my hopeless graphics floundering! The silly problems like dialog boxes being hidden by their parents have been fixed, and in a half hour test run I couldn't find a problem, let alone what I would call a bug. I haven't tried printing or the font stuff which people had problems with as yet. There are still a number of morons out there who think anything with Winelib behind it isn't a Linux application so they won't use it. Don't listen to them. This is a classy application, ported to Linux, just like we are screaming for vendors to do. It works well, and they've given it away free - possibly as a showcase. It seems that good. Corel are struggling and they deserve our support. The only downside seems to be that it demonstrates that they released Wordperfect Office 2000 too early. This has the polish that that product doesn't have. But don't listen to me. It's free of charge, so go and get it! -- To unsubscribe send e-mail to suse-linux-e-unsubscribe@suse.com For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the FAQ at http://www.suse.com/support/faq
Photo-Paint 9 for Linux? For Free? Yahoo! I use PP7 for Windows and love it (couldn't get use to the GIMP), and the thought of getting a newer version for Linux, for free sounds great! 97 megs sounds a bit much, but hey, I can barely wait. -Tim, happy he didn't buy the latest Windows version for $99... ----------------------------------------------------------------- Timothy R. Butler Universal Networks Information Tech. Consultant Christian Web Services Since 1996 ICQ #12495932 AIM: Uninettm An Authorized IPSwitch Reseller tbutler@uninetsolutions.com http://www.uninetsolutions.com ===================== "Solutions that Work" =====================
-----Original Message----- From: fountai@hursley.ibm.com [mailto:fountai@hursley.ibm.com] Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2000 5:27 AM To: SuSE English Subject: [SLE] Corel - some good news for a change
After the thorough slagging off which Corel got on this list regarding their Office suite, I've got some good news. I downloaded their Photopaint9 program (being given away free because they appreciate that Gimp is a serious competitor). Here's a brief report:
Installation:
I downloaded the RPM version of the package (94MB). I was highly suspicious, so I unpacked the thing manually to see what was in there and what it was about to do. A subdirectory inside was named Redhat which didn't bode well, and it appeared it was going to install into /usr/lib/corel instead of /opt/corel, but apart from that it looked OK. So I ran the install program from X. A pretty X installer came up, offered the licence, told me it was going to install to /usr/lib (no option to change that), and correctly identified my system as SuSE. I hit the button. It took a couple of minutes on my SuSE-6.4 650mhz 128MB laptop, then claimed success. It said I should log out and back in again to set up my launcher, which I did.
Running it
When I logged back in, I wasn't suprised to find no application launcher on my GNOME-1.2 desktop. GNOME-1.2 was only released a few of weeks ago. The readme has instructions about how to install the launcher icon, and it all seems to be done by simply installing more RPMs. I didn't bother. I just ran /usr/bin/photopaint9 and off it went.
Startup
Corel Office apps take an age to start up but this one is much better. The Wine stuff takes about 5 seconds to initialise, then the splash screen stays for 3 more. The first time I ran it it spent half a minute doing stuff with fonts. But, and it's a big but, Corel have put a progress bar up on startup! You can see what its doing - or at least it is doing something! I have no complaints - on decent hardware it's not unreasonable.
The app
I don't know anything about graphics really. Not my thing. But I can tell you this much: this seems to work pretty well. I loaded an image and fiddled about (there's no better stress test than some idiot who doesn't know what he's doing!). I drew curves, filled things, rotated them, and did all the obvious stuff without a problem. Text handling looks great, and the font selection (with preview popup from the menu) is the best I've seen on Linux. There's a million and one effects, all the webish stuff you would expect, movie support (no idea what that does yet) and so on.
Gimp is obviously the act to follow here, and I'm nowhere near qualified to give an opinion. I will say that the Photopaint9 user interface is a world better than Gimp's, but that's not saying much! It certainly looks the part. I'd rather use this than Gimp for my hopeless graphics floundering! The silly problems like dialog boxes being hidden by their parents have been fixed, and in a half hour test run I couldn't find a problem, let alone what I would call a bug. I haven't tried printing or the font stuff which people had problems with as yet.
There are still a number of morons out there who think anything with Winelib behind it isn't a Linux application so they won't use it. Don't listen to them. This is a classy application, ported to Linux, just like we are screaming for vendors to do. It works well, and they've given it away free - possibly as a showcase. It seems that good. Corel are struggling and they deserve our support.
The only downside seems to be that it demonstrates that they released Wordperfect Office 2000 too early. This has the polish that that product doesn't have.
But don't listen to me. It's free of charge, so go and get it!
-- To unsubscribe send e-mail to suse-linux-e-unsubscribe@suse.com For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the FAQ at http://www.suse.com/support/faq
-- To unsubscribe send e-mail to suse-linux-e-unsubscribe@suse.com For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the FAQ at http://www.suse.com/support/faq
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 I'll add my $1.42 - First, it took me forever to get PP9 to download! I tried all day the day it showed up and it was major slow or would time out. It was well worth the aggravation. I am running it on a P200MMX w/128MB. The thing works great. I was really impressed when I went to install it. Was expecting the typical CL install - instead I got a really nice GUI. When it loaded for the first time I had zero problem running it and in the week since installing I have had zero problems. Tis nice to finally run PP9 on an environment you don't have to reboot every 30 seconds. On Mon, 10 Jul 2000, Timothy R. Butler wrote:
Photo-Paint 9 for Linux? For Free? Yahoo! I use PP7 for Windows and love it (couldn't get use to the GIMP), and the thought of getting a newer version for Linux, for free sounds great! 97 megs sounds a bit much, but hey, I can barely wait.
-Tim, happy he didn't buy the latest Windows version for $99...
- -- Randy Rathbun randy@rrr.2y.net http://rrr.2y.net There are two types of Linux developers - those who can spell, and those who can't. There is a constant pitched battle between the two. -- From one of the post-1.1.54 kernel update messages posted to c.o.l.a -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.0.1 (GNU/Linux) Comment: For info see http://www.gnupg.org iEYEARECAAYFAjlqjLoACgkQHtesIcBFkGSM9ACeKLy9wIgHsGuuomI028Wev8Vq JqUAn0vAGQWrdd4H+vkr4KPxln6N0K+1 =S8JX -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- To unsubscribe send e-mail to suse-linux-e-unsubscribe@suse.com For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the FAQ at http://www.suse.com/support/faq
I've used Photo Paint 9 for a few hours now, and I remain impressed. It has a few bugs, mainly with the Winelib stuff. Screen redraws don't happen correctly on the odd occasion, I find that hitting buttons sometimes don't work until you hit them a second time, and so on. I don't like the Windows style mouse pointers it uses (couldn't they just change the XPMs to normal X ones?), and it doesn't get on with Sawfish at all well. The point is that the application works (it's never crashed or lost me any work), and we now have the power of PP9 on Linux. This is a really good thing. I'm still concerned they've dived in too quickly. The quirky bugs are acceptable in a free download, but I'm not sure about paying serious money for them. I want Draw9 and I really want Ventura Publisher, but I'll be annoyed if those commercial products aren't properly polished. Winelib needs a few more months. I just hope Corel will be around long enough to reap the benefits of their investments.
First, it took me forever to get PP9 to download! I tried all day the day it showed up and it was major slow or would time out.
It was well worth the aggravation. I am running it on a P200MMX w/128MB. The thing works great. I was really impressed when I went to install it. Was expecting the typical CL install - instead I got a really nice GUI. When it loaded for the first time I had zero problem running it and in the week since installing I have had zero problems.
Tis nice to finally run PP9 on an environment you don't have to reboot every 30 seconds.
-- To unsubscribe send e-mail to suse-linux-e-unsubscribe@suse.com For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the FAQ at http://www.suse.com/support/faq
Photo Paint 9 is going to be bundled free with Corel Draw 9, which will be available in a few weeks. I saw a beta of Draw 9 and it looks superb. In the meantime you can download PP9 for free.
Photo-Paint 9 for Linux? For Free? Yahoo! I use PP7 for Windows and love it (couldn't get use to the GIMP), and the thought of getting a newer version for Linux, for free sounds great! 97 megs sounds a bit much, but hey, I can barely wait.
-- To unsubscribe send e-mail to suse-linux-e-unsubscribe@suse.com For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the FAQ at http://www.suse.com/support/faq
participants (3)
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fountai＠hursley.ibm.com -
randy＠rrr.2y.net -
tbutler＠uninetsolutions.com