Talk:Adobe Type Manager

Comments about large changes
I just made a large edit to this article to include more "historical" information about ATM. For someone looking for this software's origins, I've created a jumping-off point.

I was thinking about including a bit of information about Bitstream's FaceLift, why ATM came to be in the first place (namely, Adobe wanting to monopolize the PC font business), and even a bit about Microsoft's attitude toward ATM preceding the launch of Windows 3.1 (along the lines of "Sure it will work, but TrueType's better!"). There isn't really a place for these things in this article right now, however.

ATM played a vital part in the "font wars" of the 1990s. I'd like to see at least a little bit about that in this article, but I didn't really see another article to link to for a more in-depth look at the phenomenon.

As for what I did add to the article: I left it up to someone else to find information on what the latest version of ATM for Windows 3.0 was (2.5, right?). And I know more than DV and OS/2 had ATM support, but I'm hard-pressed to find out which other systems included it. (I seem to recall some RISC machine having ATM, at the least...) And, my unsourced comment about WordPerfect 6 may be slightly inaccurate; my rusty memory tells me that Adobe modified ATM to be integrated into the program and its font installer. I couldn't find any evidence of this on the web, however. (I wish I still had all my old WordPerfect Magazines. I know one of them had a cover story on WP6's font support.)

Hopefully other retrocomputing fans will take what I added and expand upon it further. Maybe that, in turn, will encourage others to flesh out the more current information and add some technical details. ;) I'm simply not qualified to do that.

-- Lewellyn 17:43, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Cleanup info
Well, I went and added more info. Also, I noted that there are lots of vague and inaccurate dates scattered throughout the article. I removed some of them and tagged a couple more. I think all of the remaining dates are in the Macintosh section, which needs a bit of reworking. The Windows section could use a bit, too. But it's in better shape at the moment.

Cleanup that I think should happen:


 * Revamp the Macintosh section: Remove all non-Mac-specific info and place it into an appropriate section; fix the dates (make them more precise and correct) or remove them, as applicable.
 * Add any other competitors to the list, with appropriate links. Even better would to be to expand the section from being a simple list.
 * Complete the release history. I've put in all the info that I know to be at least mostly correct. What are the policies regarding this sort of list? Do I need citations for all of these? Ought it to be a tabular layout? Is this a "trivia" section?
 * Clean up Windows section: It's a bit disorganized and it seems to be giving advice in a couple of places. Either those places need proper quotes and cites, or they need to be reworded.
 * Screenshot of pre- and post-ATM effects on font rendering. Perhaps both on a Mac (System 7 would probably give the best example) and on Windows (3.1 here, for the same reason).
 * Citations for miscellaneous bits. (e.g. Microsoft actually licensing the ATM code. Did they actually license some other IP from Adobe to support Type 1?)

Any other thoughts are welcome. -- Lewellyn 17:36, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

When
There are vague dates in this article. These need to be corrected where they're outright wrong and should made less vague than "around XXXX" where they actually are correct. -- Lewellyn 17:36, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

Dubious
There are claims around the net that ATM is required for proper font rendering in Classic. Perhaps rewording and providing links to both sides of the debate would be appropriate? -- Lewellyn 17:36, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

ATM is required for proper rendering of Type 1 fonts in Classic, just as it was required for such rendering on standalone versions of Mac OS 6, 7, 8 and 9. This is simply true and easily verified, and I find it difficult to believe that there is a "debate" on the subject. Thomas Phinney (talk) 20:23, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Vista Compatibility
The info saying that ATM is totally incompatible with Vista is incorrect. I am currently running ATM Deluxe 4.1 on a Vaio laptop under Vista home premium without any kind of conflicts at all.

It should also be noted that the following comment is misguided;

Windows Vista can use Adobe Type 1 fonts natively, making add-ons like ATM unnecessary.

Generally people use ATM for font sorting, grouping, turning fonts on/off on the fly and general management - hence its name. The fact that it handles Type 1 fonts is a byproduct. Vista or any other OS has ever nativly supported this kind of font management, so that comment should be removed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.28.237.114 (talk) 18:33, 18 January 2008 (UTC)


 * Well, the functionality of ATM Light does seem to be unnecessary, and that's actually what most people used ATM for prior to Win 2000/XP... AnonMoos (talk) 20:06, 18 January 2008 (UTC)

Chronology of releases
I'm not convinced this list belongs in the article RJFJR (talk) 23:35, 12 October 2013 (UTC)
 * October 1989 : ATM for Macintosh
 * June 1990 : ATM for Windows
 * November 1991 : ATM 2.0 for Windows
 * January 1993 : ATM 2.5 for Windows
 * October 1993 : ATM 3.6.1 for Macintosh
 * September 1994 : ATM 3.0 for Windows
 * 25 August 1995: ATM 3.02 for Windows ATM 3.8.3 for Macintosh
 * May 1997 : ATM Deluxe 4.0 for Macintosh
 * 26 April 1999 : ATM Deluxe 4.5 for Macintosh
 * 24 October 1999 : ATM Deluxe 4.5.2 for Macintosh
 * 7 July 2000 : ATM Light 4.5 for Macintosh
 * 7 July 2000 : ATM Light 4.1 for Windows
 * 18 July 2000 : ATM Deluxe 4.1 for Windows
 * 19 October 2000 : ATM Deluxe 4.6.1 for Macintosh
 * 25 June 2001 : ATM Light 4.6.2 for Macintosh
 * 17 July 2002 : ATM Deluxe 4.6.1a and ATM Light 4.6.2a for Macintosh

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External links modified
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