[OS X TeX] LyX or TeXShop?

[Adam M. Goldstein]

On Dec 1, 2008, at 7:47 AM, Joachim Kreimer-de Fries wrote:

>
> Moin Mac-TeXters,
>
> in the thread "tlmgr failure", reacting to my footer
>>>> MacTeXLive 200 - TeXShop 2.14-svn - LyX 1.6
>
> On Nov 30, 2008, at 11:58 AM, Alain Schremmer wrote:
>> By the way, why TeXShop AND LyX?
>>
>> I am not about to switch but a friend who picked LyX asked me why I  
>> picked TeXShop.
>>
>> (My response was that, learning curve apart, TeXShop (inter alia)  
>> could do a lot more than LyX since I could control the packages I  
>> used. He seemed a bit skeptical though—he is a professional  
>> programmer.)
>
>
>

TeXShop and LyX seem totally different to me---LyX is more word- 
processor like, with a GUI for various document design parameters such  
as margins, spacing, etc., etc., giving "What you see is what you  
mean" representation of the user's input; it's possible, I think, to  
use it w/o entering much LaTeX code, and maybe none at all.

TeXShop is a text editor that provides a graphical interface to the  
user's installation of TeX/LateX and whatever other TeX derivatives he  
or she wants to use; has a companion viewer that must be updated by  
typesetting; and requires that all TeX/LaTeX etc. code be entered by  
the user. This means that someone can create any document his or her  
TeX/LaTeX skills can provide. LyX makes it easier for someone to  
create a document, provides nice TeX-ified output, but is less flexible.

I am not a big LyX user so someone please add to this . . .

There seems to be a divergence of opinion concerning whether LaTeX is  
easy or hard to use, enjoyable or not. Joachim in the previous posting  
finds it annoying, but necessary; I find it far preferable to Word or  
iWork, not just for its power, but for its intuitiveness. How many  
times have I searched the menus of Word looking for something like how  
to delete page numbers on the first page, change margins in a new  
section, generate a table of contents, etc., etc.? No more!

I don't know if LyX has the same kinds of limitations.

Best to all,

-Adam


> ------------------

Adam M. Goldstein PhD, MSLIS
--
agoldstein at iona.edu
a.m.goldstein at mac.com
http://www.iona.edu/faculty/agoldstein
--
(914) 637-2717
--
Dept of Philosophy
Iona College
715 North Avenue
New Rochelle NY 10801

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