OpenType fonts oldstyle figures

[Numbers]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: intel

I'm considering moving on to Word 2008, but there is at least one "deal breaker" I have.

Will Word 2008 be able to use the oldstyle figure fonts in the Adobe opentype (ArnoPro, MinionPro, etc.) fonts?

Numbers

 

[John McGhie]

Yes, but you may get some issues.

Word 2008 expects the fonts to be coded correctly for Unicode. If they are
not, you may have to update those fonts for modern ones.

We have had some issues reported with some older OpenType fonts: Minion Pro
is one.

Cheers

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: intel

I'm considering moving on to Word 2008, but there is at least one "deal
breaker" I have.

Will Word 2008 be able to use the oldstyle figure fonts in the Adobe opentype
(ArnoPro, MinionPro, etc.) fonts?

Numbers

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[Numbers]

John,

I know my "deal breaker" is a very small item for most people, but I have checked with some other folks. It seems that Word 2008 does indeed have some issues with some of the features of opentype fonts. So, I'll just pass on the Word 2008.

I have, however, been told about another word processor that seems to handle opentype fonts with no problem. It's called Mellel:

<http://www.mellel.com/index.html>

Since proper treatment of opentype fonts is a big deal for me, I went ahead a bought it. A very reasonable price, US$49. It is not a full feature processor like Word, but I think I can by with it.

I'm in the learning curve, but the manual seems to be well done.

Numbers

 

[John McGhie]

I would have thought the inability to correctly handle OpenType fonts would
be considered a deal-breaker by quite a large percentage of the audience for
a high-end $500.00 word-processor

So I hope Mellel does the job for you, and I hope we will have a better
product from Microsoft next version

Cheers

John,

I know my "deal breaker" is a very small item for most people, but I have
checked with some other folks. It seems that Word 2008 does indeed have some
issues with some of the features of opentype fonts. So, I'll just pass on the
Word 2008.

I have, however, been told about another word processor that seems to handle
opentype fonts with no problem. It's called Mellel:

<http://www.mellel.com/index.html>

Since proper treatment of opentype fonts is a big deal for me, I went ahead a
bought it. A very reasonable price, US$49. It is not a full feature processor
like Word, but I think I can by with it.

I'm in the learning curve, but the manual seems to be well done.

Numbers

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi John -

A little decorum, please

Mac Word is *not* a $500 word processor - it's the word processing program
in a $500 *suite* that includes 3 other applications (plus other stuff).
Granted, some buy the suite just to get Word, but it can also be said that
some buy the suite just to get Excel or Entourage... In which cases Word is,
effectively, free.

[I just happen to be in cantankerous mood this morning]

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Numbers]

John,

Well, while Mellel isn't a full-feature processor like Word, It does indeed do a geewhiz job with opentype fonts. This far into the learning curve, I've been able to do what I've used Word for ALONG with the use of opentype fonts. (I had been using the old Adobe Multiple Master Minion font.)

Maybe a Word 2008 update will come along which will resolve my opentype "deal breaker." Until then, I'll keep trying Mellel.

Thanks,

Numbers

 

[John McGhie]

Yeah, Mellel got sick of waiting for Apple to produce decent Unicode
text-rendering support and wrote their own rendering engine. They did a
great job, so long as we don't expect to much.

Everyone else did what "proper" software developers "should" do and called
the Apple system services provided by OS X. That has the benefit that their
applications are completely Apple-Standard.

The downside is that because Microsoft jumped in as soon as it could, it is
calling the "old" mechanism, and that has some problems.

Sadly, changing text rendering engines is one of those "major surgery"
changes that is not going to happen until the next version. We "might" get
the bugs with Multiple Master OpenType fonts fixed in this version, but I
wouldn't hold your breath waiting: it's quite a lot of work, I believe.

Cheers

John,

Well, while Mellel isn't a full-feature processor like Word, It does indeed do
a geewhiz job with opentype fonts. This far into the learning curve, I've been
able to do what I've used Word for ALONG with the use of opentype fonts. (I
had been using the old Adobe Multiple Master Minion font.)

Maybe a Word 2008 update will come along which will resolve my opentype "deal
breaker." Until then, I'll keep trying Mellel.

Thanks,

Numbers

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[John McGhie]

{Splutter!!} As a dedicated, one-eyed Wordie, I cannot let that provocation
go unpunished...

Those "other" bits of rubbish in the box are only there to play a supporting
role for the occasional times when our fine and skilled users have to
descend to using something other than Word...

{Running away now....}

Hi John -

A little decorum, please

Mac Word is *not* a $500 word processor - it's the word processing program
in a $500 *suite* that includes 3 other applications (plus other stuff).
Granted, some buy the suite just to get Word, but it can also be said that
some buy the suite just to get Excel or Entourage... In which cases Word is,
effectively, free.

[I just happen to be in cantankerous mood this morning]

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

I would have thought the inability to correctly handle OpenType fonts would
be considered a deal-breaker by quite a large percentage of the audience for
a high-end $500.00 word-processor

So I hope Mellel does the job for you, and I hope we will have a better
product from Microsoft next version

Cheers

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]