MicroPress Inc have provided a free (though nosource) distribution of their MicroIMP LaTeX-based word processor. This is release 0.12 of the system, and isn't yet considered a finished product: however, it is believed to be usable.
I have installed the distribution on CTAN at systems/win32/microimp. Users may view the directory at http://www.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive/systems/win32/microimp/ and the full distribution may be downloaded from http://www.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive/systems/win32/microimp/mimp-012.zip
I append the README file from the directory; this is an extract from the documentation pdf, which is in the directory (as well as being part of the zip file).
Thanks to MicroPress for suggesting that we should hold this software on CTAN.
Robin Fairbairns
For the CTAN team
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The Concept
The idea behind MicroIMP is to reconcile two so far disjoint worlds: the World of the Word Processors and the World of quality technical typesetting.
In the World of the Word Processors, where Microsoft Word reigns, the document are easy to make and no learning cycle is required; but the document are often lack in quality and the easiness comes at the cost of sacrificing features.
In the World of Quality Technical Typesetting, where TeX reigns, features and quality are abundant; but the learning cost turns off most of the new users dooming TeX to the niche enthusiast market.
Enter MicroIMP: an intuitive WYSIWYG document preparation system, based on LaTeX.
MicroIMP delivers easiness: no TeX markup needs to be learned; no commands, and no backslashes. WYSIWYG. Ready to use the moment you run it. Don't struggle with the syntax, but Imp with Impunity.
MicroIMP delivers power: it is based on a TeX kernel and incorporates TeX formatting techniques; these include math, hyphenation, automatic ligatures, and much else. As MicroIMP grows, more TeX/LaTeX features would be added -- without any burden on the user.
(Hardcore TeX users should not disappointed by the above: there is a way to enter TeX commands and s in the document...if you so insist.)
Overview:
MicroIMP has a typical Word Processing look and feel: you can enter the text right away, and use the formatting commands from the menus to change its appearance. Most of the menu commands are intuitive and no additional documentation is needed to explain them.
MicroIMP features include
* Full WYSIWYG interface. * Spelling checker. * Multiple language support (English, German, Dutch, Italian, French) * Table of Contents generation. * Index generation. * References. * Accent command support. * Lists, including itemizing, enumerating and description (build 012). * Tables. * Mathematics. * Equation numbering. * Box rotation and scaling. * Graphics inclusion (all common bitmap formats.) * Trees. * Hyperlinks. * Copy/Paste of text (including Unicode), markup, and images. * Read/Write blocks of text. * Save as TML (native format), PDF/PS, and LaTeX * Support for the TeX-standard CM fontset, EC, and a number of alternatives. * RTF import.