Quick/LX

Reviewed by Rob Tillotson

Author: Andreas Garzotto (garzotto@ics.uci.edu)
Version: unknown
Distribution: Commercial, $39
Type: TSR, LX-specific
Compatibility: 100, 200
Installed Size: approx. 10-20k
Memory Usage: see below
Icon Provided: None Required

[Note: This review is based on the demo version of Quick/LX; see below for more information on the differences between the demo and full versions.]

Let's face it, the LX keyboard can be a real pain, especially for those of us who often write in Memo. Frankly, anything that reduces the number of keystrokes it takes to enter text is a welcome addition to the LX. Quick/LX does exactly that.

In essence, Quick/LX is an incremental abbreviation expander. As you type, Quick/LX constantly compares the word you are typing to its dictionary. When it finds a match, it displays the rest of the word to the right of the cursor. If you want to use that word, you can press the right arrow key to enter it. If you don't like the suggestion, you can keep typing - and, as you enter more of the word, Quick/LX might make another suggestion. Quick/LX will learn as it goes, entering frequently-used words into the dictionary. The dictionary is simply a text file in _DAT, so you can also add new words yourself; by editing the dictionary, you can also fine-tune the lookup process by specifying how many letters must be typed before Quick/LX can suggest a word.

Quick/LX isn't just for text editing, though. Instead of a word, you can insert a keyboard macro into the dictionary. Keyboard macros can contain any keypress the LX is capable of handling (if necessary, you can enter keys by their scan codes). When you enter the keystrokes that trigger the macro, Quick/LX will suggest the macro's expansion; press the right arrow, and off it goes. You can have as many macros as you want, and fire them off with ordinary text instead of Fn-key combinations.

Since it is a TSR loaded before System Manager, Quick/LX works in DOS applications as well as in the HP built-ins. If you encounter compatibility problems, a keystroke (CTRL-Q, unless you change it) pops up a small window from which you can toggle Quick/LX on and off and set a couple of other options. A wide variety of configuration options is available, from setting the keystrokes Quick/LX uses to selecting an alternate dictionary, so it should not conflict with most other utilities. (For example, it works fine with Buddy, although loading order is important if you want to embed a Buddy keystroke in a Quick/LX macro or vice versa.)

As I indicated above, the version of Quick/LX I have had an opportunity to try is a demo. The demo version has all the features of the full version, except that it will not learn words, and you cannot alter the demonstration dictionary. If you are at all interested in Quick/LX, I recommend that you download and try the demo... I think you will be impressed.