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Mac vs. Windows software

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Saul Pink:
I'm a new constructor and I am trying to decide on what software to use. I always come across Crossword Compiler for Windows and Crossfire for Mac. I own a Mac, but from what I've read, Crossword Compiler is far superior to Crossfire. Is it worth investing in a cheap Windows laptop to use Crossword Compiler, or will Crossfire be fine? Or, is there a different software on Mac that is better?

4wd:
I use both, tend to use Crossfire for designing and filling and Crossword Compiler for clue creation and final export.
My setup's a little strange, though it's become a bit of a habit. You could do everything in Crossfire though Crossword Compiler's a lot sleeker. My current workflow's mainly due to me having the standard version of CC which doesn't have the Pro-Grid filler. Crossfire's grid filling capabilities are top notch and with a perpetual license its a great deal.

mmcbs:
I'll add a point to what 4WD said, or maybe enhance it a bit. Crossword Compiler without the professional grid filler enhancement is not very useful for serious constructing, so you must get that if you decide to go with CC. I would also suggest that you consider emailing your question to the cruciverb-L mailing list, as it will get a lot more eyeballs and you might get some good suggestions. I haven't owned a Mac in decades and don't use Crossfire, so no comment on that. I do know that you can get software for the Mac to emulate Windows and run Windows programs, and I know there are constructors who do that. Good luck!

mmcbs:
Oh, and one other point, which is that the robustness of your word list is as much of a factor in success as the software. This site as a useful wordlist (ALL), and there are others available, notably on xwordinfo.com - and you'll continue to tweak on your word list going forward by demoting or deleting unusable entries and adding new ones.

davidm:
I use CrossFire on my Mac. I like it. It's good when I hear about its strong points since I don't have a comparison basis. As far as word lists go, CrossFire comes with a default which works. I can fill grids well enough.

My question is how good is the CrossFire default word list? With XWord, you can merge their word list with the default list. Does that merger result in a much better fill? Then, the next question is how does that product compare with the Crossword Compiler? It sounds like 4wd likes CrossFire filling over CC.

Finally, with merged wordlists, does it guarantee a faster and better fill than the default (along with my "addiins")? With so many crosswords now expanding the use of multi-word entries, how good are the default wordlists?

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