[texhax] help please!

[Nava Cooper]

Hi Karl,

I am also sending this note to the support and texhax addresses, because
I received so many helpful emails that I can't reply to them all
individually, but I did want to express my thanks to everyone who took
the time to write to me! 

With all the advice I received (from here and comp.text.tex), I was able
to get up and running with MikTeX and WinEDT.  And after finding out
that our equation editor (MathType) can translate its equations into 4
flavors of TeX and LaTeX, I was able to copy  my boss' document into
notepad (so it would be plain text) and then process it into LaTeX
rather easily, using the equations from the Word document.  So yes, it
requires me to have 3 or 4 programs open at a time, but after what I've
been through this week, I won't argue with success! :)  

So, I just want to say thanks, and I look forward to learning more! But
I know where to turn for answers when I hit a brick wall. :)

Nava Cooper
Assistant to the CEO
General Patent Corporation


-----Original Message-----
From: Karl Berry [mailto:karl at freefriends.org] 
Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2004 10:08 AM
To: Nava Cooper
Cc: support at tug.org
Subject: Re: [texhax] help please!

Hello Nava,

    My boss wants me to use TeX to format one of his equation-filled
    articles on general relativity by Friday (yes, really!).  

Good luck.

For a discussion of conversion programs, take a look at
http://tug.org/utilities/texconv/pctotex.html (which list includes the
word2tex program previously mentioned).  I don't think anything
automated will do a 100% job, but it would probably be a lot better than
starting from scratch.

    just filled out TUG's online application in order to get the TeX
Live
    software, but I see it might take 2 weeks before anyone even
    acknowledges my application.

Actually, we should reply right away.  The only reason it might take a
few days is because of vacations.  I should probably change the text.
If you haven't heard back already, please tell me.

    So I would like to know the following:
    -          Does anyone in your group process Word documents into TeX
    format for a little side money? :-)

You might look at http://tug.org/consultants.html and try to hire
someone from there.  I don't mean to be negative, but a Friday deadline
sounds impossible, if you're starting with no TeX experience and a
document with lots of equations.

    -          If not, can I go ahead and download TeX Live? Is it easy
to
    use for the non-scientist who enjoys easy software programs and
doesn't
    want to be challenged in a TeXy way?

No, TeX Live is not a standard Windows application.  Although we do our
best, TeX is simply not "easy" when starting with only GUI/Windows sort
of experience.

BTW, you don't really need all of TeX Live to do the job at hand.  If
you want to try downloading something, I suggest www.fptex.org (which is
included in TL), or www.miktex.org as another respondent suggested.
However, simply installing TeX is usually challenging.  Then *using* it
to get those equations right and everything else will be another.

Good luck.
karl