This review was originally published in WYSIWYG, the Journal
of the Rogue Macs Macintosh User Group (RMMUG)
SpellTools
reviewed by D.G. (Dave) Johnson,
SpellTools came my way as a freebie CD tucked into a package with Spring Cleaning,
which I ordered last December. I didn’t really want another spell checker but decided
to install SpellTools anyway to see what else it could do.
Turns out that SpellTools has been more useful to me by far than Spring Cleaning.
It works on almost any application, even Stickies, and spell checking is only one
of several important tasks SpellTools handles well.
For example, have you ever received e-mail that you wanted to Save As and print but
were frustrated by short or uneven lines, unwanted spacing between words, and garbage
characters? With SpellTools you can eliminate these problems easily by using its
convenient floating palette.
SpellTools also lets you add or delete those Internet quote marks (< and >)
all at once in one simple operation. The program is capable of changing a selected
section to all UPPERCASE, all lower case, or all words Capitalized. You can have
the program count words for you as well as find and replace.
Another function I find especially useful is the stamp tool, a text macro which lets
you paste something you use often—such as your name and address, date, time, or e-mail
signature—in one simple step. Creating macros using the floating palette is also
quick and easy.
Finally, the application has a speech tool that reads aloud what you’ve written so
you can check grammar, sentence flow, or whatever. I write poetry and use the speech
tool to check rhythm, among other things. I even had “Bruce” read this review for
me!
Keep in mind that SpellTools can be used in almost any application. After installation,
you just make sure you’ve activated plug-ins for the applications you use by dragging
the icon of each onto the SpellTools icon. From then on SpellTools automatically
shows up with those applications, ready for duty. It’s pretty simple.
I’ve found a few glitches so far:
- • If you create something with tabs using the stamp tool, you might not get what
you want. Tabs automatically revert to the settings of the document you’re pasting
into.
- * The SpellTools main and user dictionaries have about 72,000 words. That’s not
too hefty, so you'll be adding to the user dictionary as you use the program.
- * Some spell checkers automatically look for extra spaces when you click on the
"Check Spelling" button. In SpellTools this is a separate operation.
- * The spell checker apparently doesn't recognize an em-dash and reads it as a
hyphenated word.
- * According to the manual (which is part of the software, not hard copy unless
you print it out), the spell checker doesn't recognize stylized text in page layout
programs such as Adobe PageMaker and Quark XPress and therefore changes it back to
plain text.
If you order SpellTools using the Web page below, you may download the complete,
"unabridged" program and try it out free for 45 days. If you decide to
buy, you pay $19.95.
Requirements:
- System 7.5 or newer
- 8 MB RAM minimum
- 1 MB RAM available on HD
- CD-ROM or floppy drive for installation
Product: SpellTools 1.3.2
Company: Newer Technology, Inc. 4848 W. Irving Wichita, KS 67209
Web page: http://users.quake.net/~ntech/products/spell/spell.html
Phone: 1-800-678-3726
This review was originally published in WYSIWYG, the Journal of the Rogue Macs
Macintosh User Group (RMMUG). It may be
reprinted in any User Group journal or
newsletter, if credit is given to RMMUG and the author and a copy of the publication
is sent to the editor of WYSIWYG.
Editor, WYSIWYG 113 Pine Street, Ashland, OR 97520-2635
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