\centerline{\bf Stuff to read}
\medskip
\noindent
$\star$Markup Systems and the Future of Scholarly Text
Processing, James H. Coombs, Allen H. Renear
and Steven J. DeRose, {\it Communications of the ACM},
November 1987, 30(11) 933--947.

Although this article promotes descriptive mark\-up
systems over procedural markup, it is really
supporting {\sc sgml}. They reject \LaTeX\ since
``even the beginning \LaTeX\ user must
think in terms of low-level markup'', and cite the
need to separate contiguous quotation marks by
a thin space. 
\smallskip\noindent
$\star$\LaTeX,  Reinhard Wonneberger,
{\it Addison-Wesley-Kom\-pakt\-f\"uhrer}, 141pp, {\sc isbn}
3-925118-46-2.

A handbook of \LaTeX\ commands (in German). By page 3
Reinhard has mentioned TUG, which I think is a record for
any \TeX-related book. From my very (very) limited
grasp of German, this looks quite useful.  I
could understand the Appendices which, among other
things give a graphic demonstration of various
dimensions within some formats, and a useful conversion
table for some of the units which \TeX\ understands.
\smallskip\noindent
$\star$The pluses and minuses of \TeX,
Robert F. Goldstein, The Scientist, Jan.~11th 1988, p18.

A short description of \LaTeX, and a brief discussion
of {\it wysiwyg} versus markup. The most significant
factor about this article is where it appears ---
in a periodical read by professional scientists.
\smallskip\noindent
$\star$Two all-in-one programs for the Mac, Malcolm
Brown (yes, the one who does \TeXhax),
{\it The Scientist}, Jan.~11th 1988, p19--20. 

A brief comparison
of \TeXtures\ and Mac\TeX. He scores \TeXtures\ slightly
higher, on the grounds of speed and price.
\smallskip\noindent
$\star${\sc ibm pc} versions: hard to go wrong with
either, Malcolm Brown,
{\it The Scientist}, Jan.~11th 1988, p20--21.

Another brief review of two \TeX\ implementations, this time
micro\TeX\ and pc\TeX. He favours pc\TeX,
mainly on account of its
manual. Even Brown agrees that the \TeX book is ``a bit
harder to understand for those who are not technically
minded''. An interesting footnote is a benchmark of all
four implementations, using two test input files.
These reveal (to my astonishment) that the AT is
substantially faster than the Mac --- which does not
bear out my experience at all; that  pc\TeX\ sometimes
runs out of memory, and that Mac\TeX\ is the slowest of them all.
\smallskip\noindent
$\star$Make my page!, Thom Holmes,
{\it Byte}, May 1987, p159--166. 

Basically a checklist of lots of `desktop publishing
programs', which happens to include three of the
\TeX-on-micros group. It also includes {\sc tyxset},
which might be a \TeX78-based publishing package (anybody
know?). None of these are actually mentioned in the text.
In fact Holmes' list of features to look for in
a dtp package include ``can the programs create
equations as graphics elements in a document'', which
suggests he never did see \TeX\ in action.

\smallskip\noindent
$\star$The Desktop-Publishing Phenomenon, John W. Seybold,
{\it Byte}, May 1987, p149--. 

Mildly interesting, but only included here since
\TeX\ gets one glancing mention.

\smallskip\noindent
$\star${\sc sgml} and style sheets: the implications
for electronic document preparation, P. T. Warren,
{\it University Computing\/}, 1987, 9, p81--6.

A remarkable attempt to simulate many of the features
in the {\sc sgml} starter set from MicroSoft {\it Word}
style sheets.

\smallskip\noindent
$\star$Desktop publishers learn the language,
Anonymous, {\it Computer News}, July 23rd, 1987, p14--5.

A lukewarm review of JustText and \TeXtures, which
ends by concluding that ``there will be users
though who need precision setting, or special maths
formulae and for them these packages will be ideal.''

\smallskip\noindent
$\star$Programming in \PS, Denis G. Pelli, {\it Byte}, May 87, 185--.

A handy introduction, which includes some comments
on hardware and support software. He even dares to suggest
that \PS\ is not perfect. 

\smallskip\noindent
$\star$Designing a Raster-Image Processor, Jon Barrett and
Kirk Reistroffer, {\it Byte}, May 1987, p171--.

A description of some page description languages
(Interpress, \PS, DDL, RIPrint), as well as a brief
discussion of laser printing.

\smallskip\noindent
$\star$Tutorial: {\sc unix} Document Formatting and
Typesetting, Narain Gehani, {\it IEEE Software}, September 1986,
p15--24.

Most of this is reasonably familiar, since the
basic assumptions of Troff and Nroff are pretty similar
to those of \TeX, and |eqn| is very similar,
although a trifle more verbose and clumsy. Curiously,
for a proponent of a typesetting system which
depends on pre- and post-processing,
Gehani criticises \TeX\ (wrongly) for its supposed inability to generate
the table of contents automatically, or to
number equations automatically. although he  recognises that
\LaTeX\ will do this. Gehani also has a book out on
this subject: ``Document Formatting and Typesetting
on the {\sc unix} System'', Silicon Press, Summit, N.J.,
364pp, \$33.95.

\smallskip\noindent
$\star${\sc sgml}: Complement to Established Text Processing
Systems,  {\it {\sc sgml} User's Group Bulletin}, 1987,
2(2), 119--120; {\bf and}\hfill\break
$\star$A Note comparing {\sc sgml}
to Text Processing Macro Languages, {\it ibid.}, 127.

Both articles note a distinction to be made between
generic markup within {\sc sgml} and within a language
like \TeX. The distinction revolves around context
inadmissability.

\smallskip\noindent
$\star$Seeing the light on lasers, Anonymous (?Chris Long),
{\it PC Magazine}, January 1988, 5(1), 34--.

An extensive review of no less than 20 laser printers.
Unfortunately, retrieving the information I want
(will I be able to drive it from \TeX?) was difficult.
I have met too many Laser Jet Plus emulations which
don't. Almost every printer here claims it will emulate
the Laser Jet Plus, and most will also emulate
one or more of the Epson dot matrix printers, but only
two are \PS\ printers (the NEC Silentwriter LC-890
and the TI Omnilaser 2115,
both of which do Laser Jet Plus emulation).
Still, a creditable attempt to summarise the information,
and the guys at PC Magazine really did try them all out.
No wonder they won `Best Technology Journal of the Year'
last year. Well done Chris.

\rightline{\sl Malcolm W. Clark}  
\bigskip

\centerline{\bf Periodicals}
\medskip\noindent
$\star${\it Desktop Publisher}, edited
by Henry Budgett and James Johnstone, is now in its third year
of publication. It makes the proud claim that it is
``the first UK newsletter for users and specifiers of
electronic publishing systems''. At \quid125 per annum,
for 12 copies, it does seem rather pricey, but note
that what it is trying to be is a sort of UK `Seybold
Report'. I'm in no position to judge how far it
achieves that, since I don't get Seybold. I do find
it full of interesting stuff, and quite nicely written.
The newsletter itself is quite well produced (through
dtp) and printed on gloss paper. Photographs are included,
but they were pasted in at the printing stage (I've
always had a suspicion that that was the most straightforward
way to include many sorts of graphics). For more
information, contact
{\obeylines
The Desktop Publishing Co Ltd
43 Hithermoor Road,
Stanwell Moor
Staines
Middlesex TW19 6AH
tel: 0753-684633
}
\medskip\noindent
$\star${\it DTP Desktop Publishing}, one of the Dennis stable
of publications (and looking rather like Mac\-User, if
a little thinner)
is a more recent contender. Again, I find it a useful
source for trying to keep some control over
the range of new products (both hardware and software)
which appear, and also keeping track of the latest
buzz words. If you already read Mac\-User,
you may find quite a degree of overlap in the 
many  short items which
 read like manufacturers' press releases
(perhaps that's what press releases are for\dots).
The magazine's
dependence on advertising means that it is also a good
source for products.
One of the items which I have found
useful has been Max Whitby's accounts of the origins
of various well-known typefaces.
The monthly magazine is \quid2.95 per issue, but if obtained
on subscription, is considerably less (depending
on what offer is current). Contact:
{\obeylines
DTP Desktop Publishing
Dennis Publishing Ltd
14 Rathbone Place
London W1P 1DE
tel: 01 631 1433
} 
\medskip\noindent
$\star${\it Bitstream} looks much more like a traditional newsletter.
Typed, run off on the old Roneo and then stapled.
Curious though that a publication in the
general dtp area is not better produced --- it scarcely
seems a good advert. This does it an injustice. 
Its content is good if not wholly original.
Try to put your prejudices to one side. It costs
\quid24.00 per year for 12 issues.
Contact:
{\obeylines
Citech Ltd
PO Box 565
Iver
Bucks SL0 0QZ
tel: 0753 653967
}
\medskip\noindent
$\star${\it TSI: Technique and Science of Informatics} 
comes out in both a French and English version. In the
recent past they have produced issues which were
dominated by the electronic publishing area.
Contact:\goodbreak
{\obeylines
John Wiley \& Sons Ltd
Baffins Lane
Chichester
Sussex PO19 1UD
tel: 0243 779777
}