For the IBM PC, Timeworks ran on Digital Research's GEM Desktop (supplied with the program) as a runtime system.
Timeworks Publisher 2 included full WYSIWYG, paragraph tagging, manual control of kerning, text and graphics imports and more fonts.
Despite being described as "streets ahead" of Timeworks on the Atari ST, offering "real desktop publishing, not the pale imitation possible with a Master 128 or model B", being comparable to "mid-priced DTP packages on the Mac or IBM PC", the software was regarded as barely usable on a machine with 1 MB of RAM and no hard disk (Acorn recommended 2 MB to use the software alongside other applications[7]), and the limitations in editing and layout facilities led one reviewer to note that at the £150 price level and with other desktop publishing packages (notably Computer Concepts' Impression,[8] Beebug's Ovation,[9][10] and Clares' Tempest[11]) announced if not yet available, purchasers would be advised to "wait and see" before making any decision.
[12] Nevertheless, with competitors still unavailable in early 1990, Acorn User deemed to be the platform's best desktop publishing package, noting that there was "little available yet for Archimedes DTP, although much is on the way soon".
Developed by a freelance programmer for Clares, a pre-release version was demonstrated in late 1989, apparently requiring only 128 KB of RAM, with work underway to optimise the display routines.
Released in 1987, there were versions available for IBM PC (running over the GEM environment), Mac, and Apple II (Enhanced IIe or better) computers.