[OS X TeX] Who should use (La)TeX - who is able to use it?

[Will Robertson]

On 14 Nov 2004, at 11:51 PM, Arno Kruse wrote:

> 4. The  future frontend "iShop" must  offer tabulars; Jérôme und 
> Richard are qualified to solve the intern difficulties when they 
> utilize the tabbing- or the tabular environment.

TeXShop has a new tabular/array GUI (menu item: Window > Matrix Panel). 
It shouldn't be too hard to implement a method of using this to edit 
existing tabulars.

I agree partially that the rift between the editors hasn't particularly 
helped things (I don't see many signs of competition helping both 
apps), but it's nice to have a basic editor and a more advanced one. 
One solution clearly won't fit all, especially if the aim of TeXShop is 
to be as easy to use as possible at the expense of complex features.

> 5. The problems concerning  fonts cannot be solved immediately, I 
> know, but the present state is completely beyond the pale.

I think XeTeX goes a long way towards solving this, as long as you're 
happy with non open-source, Mac OS X exclusive technology (which I am, 
since documents may be trivially changed to work in generic pdftex 
again if ever XeTeX becomes no longer an option).

On a final note regarding ease with which normal people may use LaTeX: 
there'll always be people who aren't happy with the conventional 
solution for the masses, whether it be in the software industry (LaTeX 
vs. Word) or in any other industry (independent arthouse movies vs. 
blockbusters, for example).

Will
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