Summer 1992 NPA evokes mixed developer reactions by Clair Whitmer A light is appearing at the end of the tunnel as RightBrain Software and Pages plan summer delivery of their NeXT publishing programs. RightBrain's PasteUp combines techniques of a structured document approach, like FrameMaker, with a pasteboard approach, like Aldus PageMaker or QuarkXPress on other platforms. RightBrain expects to deliver PasteUp in June. Pages is targeting August for delivery of its still-unnamed page-layout product, about three months later than originally planned. In the meantime, NeXT is continuing to promote its NeXT Publishing Alliance (NPA) to third-party developers.The NPA is developing modular solutions based on such technology as the Archetype document engine. RightBrain President Glenn Reid, however, dismissed the idea of marketing application modules based on technology from competing developers. Such technology would need to be in the system software to be useful, he said. Reid added, however, that if NPA eventually comes up with "something interesting," RightBrain would consider supporting it. Pages isn't an official member of NPA, but is "in the thick" of the discussions, said Bruce Webster, director of R&D.

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