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

[Gary L. Gray]

On Nov 14, 2004, at 11:49 PM, david craig wrote:

>> Is a "normal" user generally capable to use  LaTeX?
>
> As you describe a "normal" user, I think the answer is a categorical 
> "no".  (Well ... "capable", typically yes; "willing" probably not.  
> Nor does it strike me as an especially good idea.  What's the payoff 
> for the effort?)
>
> What would be the point, really?  Such users already have tools that 
> serve them perfectly well, whatever their limitations for our crowd. 
> TeX is for people who need the level of control that it offers, 
> especially vis a vis mathematics.

I would also argue (and I often do to students and colleagues) that one 
of the advantages of TeX is the stability and lack of frustrating bugs. 
I have written many papers (containing numerous figures and equations) 
in Word and its strange behavior and bugs (they may be features, but 
you will never convince me of that) made me pull my hair out (look at 
my picture on my web page and you will see). While TeX is not trivial 
to learn, its consistent behavior more than makes up for it.

All the best,

-- Gary

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