Nisus Writer is a powerful word processor that allows you to create macros through a utility in the Auto menu. It also allows working with tables and equations, as well as different tools. Despite its spartan aspect, it is a very useful program knowing its potential.
Nisus Writer has long been known for its facility with multiple languages and its powerful search capabilities, indexing, and text editing tools. Version 5.0 adds OpenDoc support, HTML conversion capabilities, an equation editor, style libraries, AppleScript support, drag and drop, and a powerful Apple Guide. A perfect combination of power and flexibihty, right? Well, almost.
Of all the new features that Nisus Writer 5.0 includes, OpenDoc support is what differentiates it from others in the field (and previous Nisus Writer versions). Nisus Writer is the first container application (as opposed to Wav, which is a container part) to ship, but given the state of its OpenDoc implementation, Nisus would have been better off waiting for more stability. Nisus embeds OpenDoc parts just fine. It’s what happens after they’re embedded that’s the problem. Parts sometimes disappear spontaneously. Parts may sometimes duplicate themselves when moved within a Nisus Writer document, and text will not wrap around them (you have to draw a graphic behind them to force a text wrap). When you drag one OpenDoc part, other parts on the page move, and when you release a part after dragging, it ends up in a different place than where you thought you were putting it. Worst of all, Type 11 errors have made an unwelcome comeback on my Mac (but only when using OpenDoc parts in Nisus Writer). Basically, the OpenDoc support in Nisus Writer 5.0 is all but unusable.
If you stay away — far, far away — from OpenDoc while using Nisus Writer, you’ll find a powerful word processor that has a lot to offer. Nisus Writer boasts a fantastic search-and-replace facihty that can search according to font, size, style, or color, and you can now define custom search-and-replace expressions and save them on a menu for easy access. Nisus Writer also handles indexing, cross-referencing, and table of contents production to ease the creation of long documents. With 16 languages under its belt, Nisus Writer is at home with international documents. Define the language in which the text is written and Nisus Writer’s dictionary will switch automatically to match the language.
A couple of less-showy but much-needed new features found in Nisus Writer 5.0 are Apple Guide and drag and drop. Nisus Writer’s implementation of Apple Guide will lead you, step by step, through a task, a valuable help when faced with the number of features Nisus Writer sports. Nisus Writer also takes advantage of drag and drop (unlike Word), which should be standard in every Mac application because of its intuitive nature.
File translation also figures high with Nisus Writer. Since Word 6 came out with its ground-breakingly poor word processor, Mac wordsmiths everywhere have been searching for an alternative. Nisus Writer 5.0 has all the features Word users need — and then some — and it even does a fine job of importing and exporting Word documents (a must for those of us who would coexist in a Word-dominated world).
Other Nisus Writer features worth mentioning are HTML styles and a Save As command that lets you save your Nisus Writer documents in HTML for easy Web publishing. The resulting pages aren’t showy, and Nisus Writer can’t translate image formats, or use any of the fancy formatting tags in HTML 3.2, but if you just want to put text pages up with minimum fuss, it’ll do. You’ll also find style libraries, an equation editor, text wrap, unlimited undos and redos, tracking and leading controls, macros (complete with AppleScript connection), and find and replace in unopened documents.
If you have no need or desire to use OpenDoc parts and you need a powerful word processor that includes indexing, cross-referencing, macros, and multiple languages, then Nisus Writer is a great deal. With nice touches such as Word document translation, a fast word count that includes other useful statistics, multiple undos and clipboards, full drag and drop, and style libraries, in a perfect world Nisus should be able to woo disillusioned Word users. If all you do with your word processor is write a few letters or an occasional paper, then Nisus Writer may be too much processor for your words. Now if only the OpenDoc support were well done...
Reynolds, David. (March 1997). Nisus Writer 5.0. MacAddict. (pgs. 64-65).
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Nisus--Writer-5-0-Installer.sit
Emulating this? It could probably run under: 
SheepShaver
