> "Presently" used to mean "now" is quite common. "I am presently working on such-and-such" is a common phrase I hear almost every day.

Gah. I thought I posted this yesterday, but looking for it, I couldn't find it. Now I have to rewrite it from memory.

When I posted my objection to its use as "now," I wasn't thinking of this particular usage. I was thinking more along the lines of "Young man, get back in here presently!" which obviously doesn't exactly convey the required sense of immediacy that using the word "now" would.

The example you describe I concede is perfectly valid. But I would contend that a more accurate synonym for that definition of "presently," in terms of connotation, is "currently." The word "now" suggests that the action in question is taking place right that second. "Currently" and especially "presently" suggest that the action is taking place over a period of time, including the recent past and continuing intermittently into the near future.

So I retract my objection to the use of "presently" to mean "now" but quibble that "now" is not the best way to phrase its "at present" definition.