Where would we be without word processors? "A lot better off in the pocket!" used to be my decidedly naive attitude towards the journalist's supposedly greatest companion. However, such an attitude was drastically overturned when, like pennies from heaven, a revolutionary piece of software found its way into my delerious tape recorder.

This magical utility was none other than the dot matrix version of Printer Control. While not being new, Printer Control is one of the less publicised Dragon utilities, which is surprising considering the sheer wealth of content contained in it.

On loading, the first thing to greet you is a menu; one doesn't even have to get tangled up in the complexities of configuring, as the ever helpful McGowan are ready at hand, uniquely providing a tailor-made version to suit your printer.

The menu comprises ten options, allowing you to load/save/merge/print files, while offering an option to change the key rate, edit, save/load user defined strings, and view the amount of memory available.

The features outlined in the twenty-eight page manual are numerous; I will not attempt to detail every feature. However, the core of the program is prominently divided into two modes, text and graphics.

Based on a forty column screen, the text mode simply offers the basic word processing features. The editing facilities, while being simplistic, give you easy access to manipulation. Also offered is right hand justification, allowing files to be printed in a tidy block, string detection, various type styles (including inverse text) depending on the capabilities of your printer and limited graphics from the vast array of graphics characters directly accessible. However, for more detailed graphics, a special graphics mode is available.

Endorsing that this is not 'merely a word processor', this second mode is picture mode, which, as the name implies, allows you to create your own pictures ready for printing. Virtually any form of graphics can be produced from the vast array. An additional option to create your own graphics characters is also included for people whose needs are more specific. The only restriction on graphics is the size of the screen, which is this time based on 32 columns with 24 lines. Although this can be overcome to a certain extent by simply altering the size of the printout.

Restrictions aside, I found this utility to be of unprecedented benefit and it is possibly the nearest the Dragon will ever get to Desk Top Publishing.