MacLightning Spelling Checker from Target Software is the fastest and most convenient spelling checker that we've ever seen. The current version, 2.0, includes the Merriam Webster Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary. The dictionary, containing 80,000 words, is stored in RAM Memory during use. If the RAM capacity of your Mac is occupied by the application (Word Processor) then MacLightning chooses the 3,000 most common words (including an assimilation of your most commonly used words) and installs them in a RAM Cache. Although this is not quite as fast, it still enables MacLightning to check words at an incredible speed of 75 words per second.
One of the most convenient things about MacLightning is that it installs as a desk accessory and can be opened from within almost any word processing program. Large documents and those written on unsupported word processors can be checked as text only from the clipboard! While the desk accessory itself is quite compact for its features, the Dictionary occupies 300K of disk space and must be present during operation. Those with only internal 400K drives or only 128K Machines will not be able to use this incredible tool unless they use some utility program to remove a substantial amount of the less commonly used words from the dictionary.
MacLightning will let you remove your own dictionary additions but not its original words.
To install MacLightning you are provided a copy of Font/DA Mover. It can then be installed as a desk accessory to the system of your favorite word processing disk. Remember that this must be the system that you use to boot the Mac. You have to be able to find the dictionary so don’t forget where you put it
Once installed, MacLightning can be operated in either the "Interactive" or "Check Selection" mode. In the interactive mode it will wait until it detects a word ending such as space, comma, etc. Then, it will consult its dictionary and beep if the word is not present. You may then Type Command 1 and MacLightning will look up the word and display the correct spelling in its dictionary window. Now Type Command 2 and the word will be instantaneously replaced with the correct spelling. You can also wait until the end of the sentence to make the substitution as long as you have misspelled only one word. In this mode, it only remembers the last mispelled word.
MacLightning also works in "Check Selection" mode so you can select the text to be checked and perform all your corrections at once. An analysis window appears and informs you as to the number of words not found in MacLightning's Dictionary. Remember that these may be proper names, foreign words, abbreviations or words actually misspelled. You will want to add commonly used names and places to the dictionary. For the words that you want to change, MacLightning opens the Change window from your particular Word Processor and will substitute the correct spelling throughout the document. Another innovative feature is MacLightning's ability to find the correct spelling for words misspelled phonetically (i.e. fone-phone).
Another helpful feature is MacLightning's automatic capitalization of replacement words in case the original misspelled word was capitalized. MacLightning will also notify you if you fail to capitalize the first word in the sentence a if you write a word two times in a row. It also checks for correct contractions and will beep if a capital is placed in the middle of a word.
Gaedcke, Dewey. (March 1986). MacLightning. Catalyst. (pg. 1).