WordPerfect Office 2.0, by WordPerfect Corp, provides WordPerfect Library, superior electronic mail and group scheduling that even posts invitations and, upon confirmation, updates personal ...calendars. The function-key interface is confusing at first, but on-line help and an excellent manual provide assistance for beginners. WordPerfect Corp's entry into the groupware market has one weakness: a lack of connectivity options that is especially telling in electronic mail. It is also comparatively expensive at $495 for the server and $195 for each user.
A new category of local area network (LAN) software, groupware, promises a variety of work-group productivity aids, including project tracking, document processing,and on-line conferencing. Four LAN ...software packages, combining electronic-mail and scheduling capabilities, are reviewed. They include: Higgins 2.2 from Enable Software, Office Works 1.1 from Data Access, WordPerfect Office 2.0 from WordPerfect Corp, and The Coordinator II 1.1N from Action Technologies.
Higgins 2.2 has a strong electronic mail (E-mail) system and offers extras like an expense reporter and document indexing. It offers five-week calendars with to-do lists that allow the user to set ...priorities and sort by project, due date or status. But Enable Software-Higgins Group contribution to the groupware market has a weak menu system and a poor group scheduler. Higgins's group scheduler will not select a non-conflicting time for meetings, nor will it send out invitations; both of these can be done manually, however. The top-line menu, similar to Lotus 1-2-3's, is difficult to use. Higgins 2.2 costs $995 for 20 users, and the Higgins Exchange, which provides external links, is an additional $1,595.
What the Coordinator II 1.1N lacks in group scheduling it more than makes up for with its excellent electronic mail (E-mail) system and strong link between E-mail and calendars. Users can even read ...messages while simultaneously viewing their calendars. The E-mail system is regimented; each message must have a goal and a deadline, which provides an incentive to keep work flowing and stay on schedule. It is based on a standard set of message types, like requests, promises and speculations. If this sounds too formalized, it can be turned off in favor of regular E-mail. The Coordinator has well designed menus and dialog boxes, but documentation is poorly written. Action Technologies Inc's groupware for connecting local area network users costs $995 for ten users, $1,995 for 30 and $2,995 for 50.
Office Works 1.1 is a beginner's answer to the problem of communicating with local area network users. Novices will find help in the program's intuitive pulldown menus and dialog boxes, the excellent ...documentation and the on-line tutorial. The electronic mail system is solid, with extras like priority and confidentiality classifications. Office Works's group scheduler invisibly checks schedules for conflicts before coming up with the best time for a meeting, then posts invitations and updates calendars. Despite this, the calendar is weak; it cannot schedule resources or attach messages to schedules. Office Works, from Data Access Corp, costs $495 for six users and $1,395 for unlimited access. Office Works runs slowly and lacks advanced features and connectivity options, which makes it less of a bargain.
No Pressure From the People Mellman, Mark S.; Burns, Adam; Munger, Sam
Arms control today,
10/2000, Letnik:
30, Številka:
8
Magazine Article
Many Americans back the decision not to deploy a missile defense system. It will be difficult for national missile defense system supporters to rally voters against the president's decision when ...theirs is the minority viewpoint.
