Lotus articles from April 1988

Lotus archives from April 1988

It's your magazine. (Staff Letter) (editorial)
April 1, 1988... IT'S YOUR MAGAZINE Last January, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, a man stood up at a Boston Computer Society (BCS) meeting and asked for help. It seemed he had recently purchased a copy of Microsoft Excel and couldn't get the...

Lotus-DBMS: a relational database system. (at-Lotus)
April 1, 1988... LOTUS/DBMS: A RELATIONAL DATABASE SYSTEM Lotus Development Corp. released more information about its Lotus/DBMS relational database-management system. The Lotus/DBMS products are based on a network server (software that resides on one PC...

1-2-3 Macros: mailing labels in depth. (Lotus 1-2-3, version 2.0 or 2.01)
April 1, 1988... MAILING LABELS IN DEPTH This month we create a model that prints mailing labels from a 1-2-3 worksheet. First we'll build a macro that prints a singlt column of mailing labels, then we'll modify the worksheet to print three-across labels....

For developers: you are not alone: there are many sources of information and assistance for developers of 1-2-3 and Symphony templates and products.
April 1, 1988... FOR DEVELOPERS YOU ARE NOT ALONE Who listens to the bartender's problems? As a developer, you may answer questions and solve problems for any number of computer users. But where do you turn when you need information or assistance? To...

Personal finance: building a nest egg. (using Lotus's 1-2-3 or Symphony, the spreadsheets)
April 1, 1988... PERSONAL FINANCE BUILDING A NEST EGG Despite the fact that we Americans are great spenders, many of us need to plan for and fund a variety of expensive undertakings. Some of these, such as a special vacation or the down payment on a second...

Real estate: What's your property worth? (using Lotus 1-2-3 or Symphony)
April 1, 1988... REAL ESTATE WHAT'S YOUR PROPERTY WORTH? Whether you're a real estate investor, lender, or developer, you can use your spreadsheet software to simplify your real estate valuation analyses. In this article, we'll go through the steps of...

Your table is ready. (using table-lookup functions)
April 1, 1988... YOUR TABLE IS READY YOU USE FORMULAS TO MAKE VALUES LOCATED IN ONE CELL ON the worksheet available to cells located elsewhere. For example, you might put the formula 100*E49 in cell E1. By doing so, you make the contents of cell E49 available...

Clever calculation routines: use these techniques to generate comparative totals and perform sophisticated rounding operations. (using Lotus 1-2-3 or Symphony)
April 1, 1988... Clever Calculation Routines Have you ever had to generate comparative totals? Perhaps you were asked to compare the previous quarter's performance against the current quarter's to see whether the cost of sales was rising or falling. You...

Bond-yield analysis. (using Lotus 1-2-3 or Symphony)
April 1, 1988... BOND-YIELD ANALYSIS When analyzing a bond investment, you usually want to begin by evaluating the bond's yields. Unfortunately, this information isn't always readily available. The bond page of The Wall Street Journal and other daily...

Symphony Release 2: What's new and noteworthy.
April 1, 1988... SYMPHONY RELEASE 2 What's new and noteworthy The availability of Release 2 poses an important question for Symphony users. Should you upgrade to this more capable product? Ultimately, the answer depends on what you need to accomplish with...

Making it work: helpful hints for keeping hardware and software on speaking terms. (Hardware hints)
April 1, 1988... MAKING IT WORK 1-2-3, PRINTGRAPH, AND NOVELL NETWORK I use 1-2-3 Release 2.01 on a Novell Advanced Netware 286 Network with System Fault Tolerance. I send print jobs to the network printer (an Okidata 293), which is...

Orchestrating a graphics presentation. (Graphics) (includes a related article on a checklist for the traveling presenter)
April 1, 1988... ORCHESTRATING A GRAPHICS PRESENTATION The last Graphics column (January) presented 10 tips for good graphics design. If you use your graphics in a printed report, you're all set. But if you plan to present them formally to others--either...

Software: (at)Base: disk-based and worksheet-based data management unite. (Software Review) (Reviews) (evaluation)
April 1, 1988... SOFTWARE: @BASE 1-2-3's data-management operations manipulate lists: They sort, search, and produce reports from them. @Base simplifies those operations by replacing such awkward 1-2-3 contrivances as Input, Output, and Criterion ranges...

Software-X-Y-Z:Model: a product that promises structure and control for worksheets is marred by imperfect implementation. (Software Review) (Reviews) (evaluation)
April 1, 1988... SOFTWARE--X-Y-Z:MODEL If you're facing a particularly complex application, or if you have a model you must explain to others (such as an investment plan you're selling), a financial-modeling language may be a more effective tool than 1-2-3...

Software: Inset: a quick and easy way to integrate graphics into worksheets (Software Review) (Reviews) (evaluation)
April 1, 1988... SOFTWARE: INSET Inset lets you capture images from any graphics program, modify them, position them in other kinds of files (such as worksheets or word-processing documents), and print the result. The program can also save you time by...

Lotus-compatible software products. (Listings)
April 1, 1988... LOTUS-COMPATIBLE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS 101 Tips, Tricks & Traps for 1-2-3 Macropac International, 19855 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 168, Cupertino, CA 95014, 800-624-0077; in Calif., 408-996-8143. This add-in for 1-2-3...

Why can't they get it right the first time? (software publishers) (Essay) (column)
April 1, 1988... WHY CAN'T THEY GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME? I have this recurring fantasy in which I decide to build a house. No problem, say the contractors, they'll gladly create the house of my dreams. But on the day I move in, I begin to notice...

Friendlier databases come to PCs: Lotus, Microsoft, IBM, and others jump on the SQL bandwagon. (includes a related article on SQL database engines and how they work) (Ideas & Trends)
April 1, 1988... FRIENDLIER DATABASES COME TO PCs The arrival of OS/2 has sparked fierce competition among some of the biggest names in the computer industry, as they race to capitalize on new relational-database technology. The result will be a new breed...

SAA: IBM's vision of the future. (Systems Application Architecture) (Ideas & Trends)
April 1, 1988... SAA: IBM'S VISION OF THE FUTURE When IBM announced Systems Application Architecture in March 1987, it was not unlike a school of painters announcing a new artistic movement. SAA is nothing less than a manifesto--a statement of much of...

The right type: laser-printer utility programs are flourishing. (includes a related article about the emergence of PostScript as the dominant page-description language) (Ideas & Trends)
April 1, 1988... THE RIGHT TYPE When Hewlett-Packard introduced the first LaserJet, it not only created the desktop laser-printer market, it unknowingly laid the foundation for a new software-industry niche--laser-utility software. While HP and other...

Capturing an expert's knowledge: few people are good at it. (expert systems) (Ideas & Trends)
April 1, 1988... CAPTURING AN EXPERT'S KNOWLEDGE More businesses are turning to expert systems--those programs that mimic the way a human expert solves a problem--because they are becoming cheaper and easier to use. But so-called knowledge...

Future computers: researchers focus on organic and parallel-processing models. (Ideas & Trends)
April 1, 1988... FUTURE COMPUTERS It's hard to believe that someday we'll look back on the 80386 microprocessor as an artifact from a bygone era of personal computing. No need for nostalgia quite yet, but computer scientists are busily developing new...

Tracking the candidates on-line: these days it's the only way to run a campaign. (computer strategies and the presidential campaign of 1988) (Ideas & Trends)
April 1, 1988... TRACKING THE CANDIDATES ON-LINE To be a credible presidential candidate in 1988, you need more than position papers. You need a computer strategy. There are lists of voters, advisors, campaign workers, and contributors. There are...

Bill Joy: outspoken UNIX guru: Sun Microsystems' cofounder believes in open standards. (Ideas & Trends) (company profile)
April 1, 1988... BILL JOY: OUTSPOKEN UNIX GURU This past January, Apple Computer and Digitial Equipment Corp. announced an alliance that some analysts believe will put additional pressure on IBM. Sun Microsystems' cofounder and vice president of research...

Shorts. (Ideas & Trends)
April 1, 1988... IDEAS & TRENDS LASER-QUALITY PRINTING For those who would love to own a laser printer but cannot afford the hefty $2,500 to $5,000 price, Hewlett-Packard has developed an improved ink-jet printer that offers laser-quality...

A disk-labeling option. (the NoLabelSystem from Weber & Sons) (product announcement)
April 1, 1988... A DISK-LABELING OPTION The NoLabelSystem consists of clear-plastic pockets that attach to floppy disks and hold replaceable disk-information cards, which slip in and out of the pockets easily. The $22.45 NoLabelSystem kit for either 5-1/4-inch...

Reink printer ribbons. (AutoInker from V-Tech Inc.) (New Products) (product announcement)
April 1, 1988... REINK PRINTER RIBBONS AutoInker is a motor-driven machine that injects black ink into dried-up printer ribbons. V-Tech claims that it has an AutoInker model to accommodate virtually any spool- or cartridge-type printer ribbon and that reinking...

Document at a glance. (Workstation Flex Arm Series from Fellowes Manufacturing Co.) (New Products) (product announcement)
April 1, 1988... DOCUMENT AT A GLANCE The Workstation Flex Arm Series lets you adjust your copy to the height and angle that are most comfortable for you. Each of the three styles in the seris--the Desk Clamp, the Space Saver, and the Weighted Base--consists of...

Control your monitor viewing. (the MicroPal Productivity Center from Microsphere) (New Products) (product announcement)
April 1, 1988... CONTROL YOUR MONITOR VIEWING The MicroPal Productivity Center is a high-impact-plastic support that raises the front of your computer to an angle that makes your screen easier to view and your floppy disks easier to insert. It is designed for...

Eliminate computer-area static and dust. (Staticide AntiStatic Cleaner from ACL Inc.) (New Products) (product announcement)
April 1, 1988... ELIMINATE COMPUTER-AREA STATIC AND DUST You can use Staticide Anti-Static Cleaner on workstations, desktops, and mats. The one-quart bottle of nonabrasive, nonflammable fluid removes unwanted fingerprints, oil, grease, nicotine, dirt, and...

Screen-radiation filter. (dB60 screen filter from NoRad Corp.) (New Products) (product announcement)
April 1, 1988... SCREEN-RADIATION FILTER NoRad Corp. claims its dB60 screen filter blocks 99% of the nonionizing electromagnetic radiation coming from standard video display terminals. The NoRad dB60's black metal finish reduces glare, and the copper coating...

Dust covers. (from Kensington Microware Inc.) (New Products) (product announcement)
April 1, 1988... DUST COVERS A complete line of covers for all models of IBM and Apple PCs protects against dust and scratches when your computer is not in use. The antistatic, translucent-vinyl Kensington Dust Covers cost $19.95. From Kensington Microware...

Tilt and swivel your monitor. (the Tilt-Swivel Base from Computer Accessories) (New Products) (product announcement)
April 1, 1988... TILT AND SWIVEL YOUR MONITOR The Tilt/Swivel Base can reduce eye strain by allowing you to adjust your monitor to eliminate glare. The low-profile base tilts 25 degrees vertically and turns 360 degrees. The $29.95, 12-inch Tilt/Swivel Base...

Erasable labels. (the Ro-Pat Erasable Labeling System from Ro-Pat Industries) (New Products) (product announcement)
April 1, 1988... ERASABLE LABELS The Ro-Pat Erasable Labeling System is an adhesive, floppy-disk label that can be written on and erased indefinitely. Using the included dry-erase pen, you write on the label, wait 10 seconds, then handle the disk normally. The...

High-speed printer for desktop publishing. (Toshiba's P31SX) (New Products) (product announcement)
April 1, 1988... HIGH-SPEED PRINTER FOR DESKTOP PUBLISHING The wide-carriage Toshiba P351SX accommodates 4-inch to 15-inch paper and is designed for office printing, desktop publishing, and CAD/CAM applications. Its 24-pin printhead prints 360-by-360 dots per...