> This far I used only xelatex and was quite happy with what it can produce, so
> I got curious: what is that pdftex, dvi, ps stuff all for, when there is
> xelatex, and pdf viewers are the most common choice?
Er... because XeTeX was created much later than the formers? Your
question as such doesn't make sense; it could be rephrased as "Why
haven't they disappeared?", and to that the answer is easy: because it
would do much more harm than good. There is no reason to willingly
break compatibility when keeping the earlier programmes costs (almost)
nothing -- especially true for free software.
> Likewise (and in relation) -- why are Type1 fonts typically needed? Do they
> have any considerable advantage in printed works?
Same answer. And you should be aware that the Type 1 format was one
of the foundations of OpenType; if it hadn't existed in the past,
OpenType simply wouldn't exist as it is today.
Arthur
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