Richard is right -- there are disciplinary
differences here -- but two points deserve comment.
First, the Word-Windows vs TeX/LaTeX-Unix distinction
does not hold. TeX/LaTeX is perfectly compatible
with Windows. I believe also that clones of Word
are available under Unix for those so inclined.
Second, let's please get away from any kind of
elite vs non-elite thinking. The TeX/LaTeX argument is
encouraging: you get much better documents this way!
The learning curve for doing mathematical typesetting
under TeX/LaTeX may differ somewhat from that under Word,
but there are many advantages to the first route. Everything
I learned about TeX when I first started 16 years
ago still holds. In the mean time my colleagues have
experienced about four or five word processors or
equivalent.
Nick
[email protected]
Richard Williams
> I wonder how much this varies by discipline? Based on what Kit says,
> it sounds like most Economists use Latex. However, in the Sociology
> journals I have submitted to, I've never had a request for Latex;
> they always just want Word or PDF files. I use Word's freebie
> equation editor all the time; maybe a purist would say my equations
> look like a grade schooler's, but it has always seemed perfectly
> functional for my purposes. (At least nobody has ever written me and
> said they refuse to use my handouts because the equations
> look so bad!)
>
> I may be wrong, but I suspect there is this small group of the elite
> who use things like Latex and Unix while the rest of us trudge along
> with our Word & Windows XP, never realizing all the wonderful things
> we are missing.
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