Nisus Writer FAQs: Getting Started

NOTE: this software is for Classic Mac OS (eg: OS 9) and cannot be used on Mac OS X.
Nisus Writer Classic is no longer for sale. This page is only for archival purposes.

Nisus Writer FAQs
Getting Started

Question:
How Do You Pronounce "Nisus?"

Answer:
This is, without a doubt, the most frequently-asked question we hear. If you refer to your Nisus Writer manual or your nearest unabridged dictionary, you can confirm that nisus is an ordinary English word deriving from the Latin Niti meaning "a striving, effort, or endeavor." It is pronounced to rhyme with "Nice us." Hence the old pun, "We have the Nisus word processor in town."

Question:
Who is that (masked) man?

Answer:
Are you old enough to remember the Lone Ranger? So, who is this Nisus Man? The Nisus Writer icon shows a picture of Hermes a Greek god who served as the herald and messenger of other gods, identified by the Romans with Mercury and generally pictured with winged hat, carrying a caduceus (a winged staff with two serpents); he was also the god of science, eloquence, and cunning. In the original Nisus startup screen, he held a pen instead of the caduceus and had a floppy disk at his right elbow with pin feed paper flowing out behind him. The current version extends the length of the pen and removes the disk and paper. We use him here as a metaphor for the efforts to communicate your ideas.

Question:
What are the minimum requirements for Nisus Writer installation?

Answer:
Make sure your system meets these minimum requirements:

Macintosh with a hard drive running Mac OS 8.5 or later.
2MB of RAM on PPC's with virtual memory turned on.
35 Megabytes of space on your hard drive.

Question:
I am upgrading from the free Nisus Writer 4.1 to 6.0. What will happen to my existing files?

Answer:
Using Existing Files If you're upgrading from a previous version of Nisus Writer, be aware that the installer will not remove or replace any of the existing files in your Nisus Writer Folder; it creates a completely new Nisus Writer 6.0 Folder.

Nisus Writer 6.0 folder

Nisus Writer Tools

Any supporting documents from the old version that you wish to reuse (e.g., Nisus New File stationery, user dictionaries, etc.) should be copied manually into the appropriate new folder. Notice that to reduce clutter, we've placed several sub-folders within the Nisus Writer Tools folder. You must put supporting files in the correct subfolder for them to function correctly:

	User Dictionaries go in the Dictionaries folder
	Stationery files (Nisus New File, Nisus Text Stationery, etc.) go in the Stationery folder.
	Macro files that you wish to load automatically go in the Macros folder.
	Glossary files that you wish to load automatically go in the Glossaries folder.

Once you have moved or copied the files you wish to reuse, you can delete your old Nisus Writer Folder.

Equation Tool Users upgrading from Nisus Writer 4.x will notice that a new, streamlined version of the Equation Tool is installed.
If you'd prefer to use your existing Nisus Equation Tool instead of the newer version, drag it from your old Nisus Writer Tools folder into Nisus Writer 6.0 Folder:Nisus Writer Tools:Tools, replacing the newer Equation Tool. If you are new to Nisus Writer and wish to purchase the full version of MathType contact Design Science.

Table Tool Users If you have an older version of the Nisus Table Tool on your computer, Nisus Writer may use that one instead of the newer one under some circumstances. Therefore, we strongly recommend deleting all old versions of the Nisus Table Tool. If, when you try to insert a table, you get the message "Unable to activate EGO," this means you need to rebuild your desktop file. To do this, restart your computer and press Command and Option until a dialog asks if you really want to rebuild your desktop. Then click OK.

Preferences None of your existing 4.x or 5.x preferences will automatically be applied to version 6.0 when it's launched for the first time.
Your new Nisus Writer 6.0 cannot read the old Nisus Writer preferences file. You may want to start Nisus Writer 4.x or 5.x choose Keyboard Shortcuts Preferences and create a Shortcut List that you can print for reference purposes.

Question:
Where's the manual for Nisus Writer 6.x?

Answer:
     You can download the pdf manual for Nisus Writer 6.5 from here.

Also, the entire manual is on your hard drive in html format. Choose Nisus Writer Help from the Help menu.

If you do not have Mac OS8.6 or later you can open the folder:

      Nisus Writer 6.x Folder
            Nisus® Writer Manual

and drop the file "Documentation" on your Web Browser and read the manual there.

Question:
What registration number do I use for Nisus Writer 6.0.1 if I've already got one for 6.0?

Answer:
Please use the same registration number.