Lotus articles from July 1991

Lotus archives from July 1991

This revolution is for real. (Viewpoint) (editorial)
July 1, 1991... Remember the revolution of '89? It had been rumored for months. Release 3, the dramatic new 1-2-3 upgrade that had been simmering for years, was coming. No one knew exactly when, but it would certainly change the spreadsheet realm forever....

New books on Lotus software for Windows. (Publisher's Letter) (editorial)
July 1, 1991... The most intensive software development effort ever mounted by Lotus Development Corp. is now bearing fruit. New Windows products-1-2-3 for Windows, Lotus Freelance Graphics for Windows, Lotus Notes 2.0, Ami Pro 2.0-as well as 1-2-3for...

April contest results.
July 1, 1991... In the April issue, we asked readers to submit the best method for interweaving formulas and values or labels. We provided the following example: We entered the labels in column A and the formula @SUM(C2..E2) in cell B2. Then we copied...

Add a few points to your PC's IQ; neural-network programs simulate human deductive reasoning. (includes related article on forthcoming conference on neural networks) (Ideas & Trends)
July 1, 1991... Two years ago, Connecticut currency trader James O'Sullivan bought some new software, one of a new class of brainy programs known as neural networks. He stuffed the software full of historical data about inflation, money supply, interest...

Multimedia update; the technology is still too expensive for widespread business use.
July 1, 1991... The technology is still too expensive for widespread business use. Multimedia. Not since the early days of the "connectivity" craze has a computer industry buzzword encompassed so much, fascinated so many, and affected so few. But a...

Hey, good lookin'; spruce up your output with the Worksheet Column Set-Width and Range Format commands. (Start Here)(column) (tutorial)
July 1, 1991... The data you enter into a worksheet doesn't always look the way it should. Sometimes long labels are truncated by other entries. Other times dollar amounts are packed into a cell in a format that makes them nearly impossible to recognize. ...

The evolving macro; when to use self-modifying macros, and when to choose a different approach. (1-2-3 Macros)(column) (tutorial)
July 1, 1991... When to use self-modifying macros, and when to choose a different approach. Self-modifying macros add flexibility and speed to your macros. They change their own code while they run, and incorporate and act on data provided by the user...

A template for survival. (usage of the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet program during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait)
July 1, 1991... Hidden in Kuwait CitY's alMuthana apartment complex while the Iraqi army terrorized the country, a small band of westerners trusted a 1-2-3 Release 3 template to inventory their supplies and ration their food. For four months, the group "used...

In pursuit of the perfect portfolio. (investments and the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet program; includes related articles on add-in programs and setting up the securities-optimization worksheets) (tutorial)
July 1, 1991... 1-2-3 and solver technology can help balance investments for the ideal combination of risk and return. Minimum risk. Maximum return. These two conflicting objectives define the perfect investment portfolio. Since the time of the Medicis,...

Playing the discounts. (analyzing treasury bills and certificates of deposit; includes related articles on entering dates and setting up the security-rollover worksheet) (tutorial)
July 1, 1991... Companies that deal with large amounts of cash typically put that money to work without sacrificing liquidity by investing in short-term securities, such as certificates of deposit and treasury bills. Often, these securities are handled as...

Graphical forecasting. (Intex Solutions Inc.'s Forecast! GFX data analysis software) (Product Announcement)
July 1, 1991... Whether you're deciding how many salespeople to hire for the coming season, how many units to produce, or how much advertising to buy, forecasting software can help you find patterns in your business data and project those patterns into the...

The DOS you've been waiting for; MS-DOS 5.0 packs more features into less memory. (includes related article on DR DOS) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... It's been three long years since Microsoft Corp. delivered a major upgrade to its disk operating system, but MS-DOS 5.0 is worth the wait. The latest DOS should be of particular interest to those PC users who said "Thanks, but no thanks" when...

QuickGraph Plus: cheap and easy charting. (Sumak Enterprises Inc.'s QuickGraph Plus charting software) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... Ever set out to create a business graphic, only to become hopelessly tangled in X, Y, and Z axes, font sizing and styling, and label positioning? If so, take heart. Sumak Enterprises inc. has released a new incarnation of QuickGraph, its...

PictureEze: translate graphics files. (Application Techniques Inc.'s PictureEze data conversion software) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it's worth nothing if you can't see it. To prevent such a tragedy, Application Techniques Inc. has developed PictureEze, a Microsoft Windows application that handles some of your graphics dirty...

Hollywood: presentations with panache. (IBM's Hollywood presentation software) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... If you've ever used your PC to create a slide show, an overhead presentation, or a set of handouts to accompany a speech, you know the hazards involved. You have to juggle your word processor with your graphics software and your spreadsheet...

Geneva Financial Forecasting: goal seeking for release 3.1. (Pizzano & Co.'s Geneva Financial Forecasting add-in/on software for Lotus 1-2-3 3.1 spreadsheet software) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... If forecasting conjures up visions of financial seers hunkered over BoxJenkins analyses and classical decompositions, Pizzano & Co. is out to change your perception. The company's Geneva Financial Forecasting add-in for 1-2-3 Release 3.1...

JustWrite: a feature-packed Windows word processor. (Symantec Corp.'s JustWrite word processing software) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... The advent of Microsoft Windows 3.0 has unleashed a torrent of new wordprocessing programs. Symantec Corp.'s JustWrite, released in April, is an easy-to-use package broad enough to provide something for everyone, yet moderately priced at...

Builder 1.5: a better batch language for DOS. (Hyperkinetix Inc.'s Builder 1.5 program development software ) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... There's probably nothing more vexing about DOS than its arcane and inadequate batch language. Other operating systems, such as Unix and Digital Equipment Corp.'s VMS, offer a rich set of commands for manipulating files, presenting information...

Plan Write. (Business Resource Software's Plan Write integrated software) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... * Business Resource Software of Austin, Tex., has introduced Plan Write, a $99.95 program with ready-made outlines, a word processor, spreadsheets, and sample business plans. The program works alone or in conjunction with the company's...

Value Express. (ValueSource's Value Express data analysis software) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... * Business valuations can be fully documented and made simpler with Value Express, ValueSource's $195 program that provides Proof of Valuations based on hypothetical purchase of a business at a given cost. The San Diego company has also...

ORG'anon. (KD Systems's ORG'anon graphics software) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... * KD Systems of Raleigh, N.C., is shipping ORG'anon, a $495 program that can print typeset-quality organization charts using employee data from nearly any company database. Using ASCII text files exported from a database, the program...

AQS Toolkit. (financial software from AQS) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... * AQS Toolkit, from AQS of Broonifield, Conn., helps financial advisers answer the complex questions that arise in Keogh and defined contribution plans. The 1-2-3 worksheets and formulas in Toolkit observe new regulations and current-year...

Taxinterest. (Time Value Software's Taxinterest 2.2 tax preparation software) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... If your company has received a nasty letter from the IRS, consider the newest version of Taxinterest, the Time Value Software program that lets tax professionals calculate interest and penalties on tax deficiencies. Version 2.2 incorporates...

Helmsman. (Helmsman Corp.'s Helmsman corporate planning software) (Product Announcement)
July 1, 1991... * Helmsman Corp. has announced Helmsman, a corporate planning and consolidation system that integrates data from PCs, minicomputers, and mainframes. Helmsman organizes information into structured databases that can be accessed through its...

Sqz! (Symantec Corp.'s Sqz! 2.0 data compression software) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... * Version 2 of Symantec Corp.'s Sqz!, a spreadsheet-compression utility, works with 1-2-3 Release 3.1 and a variety of local area networks. The Cupertino, Calif., firm has also included a batch utility with the $99 program. Upgrades are...

SPC Orchestra Real-Time Worksheet. (National Instruments and D.A. Martin Software join forces to offer the SPC Orchestra Real-Time Worksheet) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... * National Instruments of Austin, Tex., and D.A. Martin Software of Knoxville, Tenn., have jointly announced the SPC Orchestra Real-Time Worksheet. In conjunction with National Instruments' Measure instrumentation software and SPC Orchestra,...

The Personal Tutor for Lotus 1-2-3 release 2.2. (Sybex's tutorial add-in-on program, book and videotape) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... * Sybex of Alameda, Calif., has released The Personal Tutor for Lotus 1 -2-3 Release 2.2. The multimedia learning system contains a 90-minute videotape, the book 7-he ABCs of 1-2-3 Release 2.2, an exercise disk, and a lesson-plan booklet....

GoFax. (Ibis Software's communications software) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... * Ibis Software of San Francisco has introduced GoFax, a program that lets you transmit fax messages with any Hayes-compatible modem. The $69.95 package captures any word-processing, spreadsheet, or graphics file, dials an AT&T service...

XChange Plus. (SofNet's XChange Plus communications software) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... * SofNet's XChange Plus is a communications program designed to simplify the transfer of information between remote locations. In addition to its automated and unattended PC-to-PC file-transfer capability, the program can schedule daily or...

Scanning your input options; OCR software and hand-held scanners pack a powerful punch for fast, inexpensive data input. (Software Review) (optical character recognition software) (evaluation)
July 1, 1991... If you're like most computer users, you spend a lot of time keying data into your PC. But much of that information already exists in printed form, as printouts, books, or periodicals. If only you could easily and inexpensively convert printed...

Is your PC all that it can be? (Essay) (column)
July 1, 1991... In the fall of 1986, a group of managers from several Fortune 500 companies met with a consultant to map out the future of the personal computer. The discussions weren't about meat-and-potatoes computing issues, such as operating systems...

PFS: WindowWorks: integrated software for Windows. (Spinnaker Software Corp.'s integrated software for Microsoft Windows 3.0) (product announcement)
July 1, 1991... We've been waiting a long time for someone to provide a PC-based integrated software package as good as Microsoft Works for the Macintosh. For Windows users, the wait may be over. Spinnaker Software Corp., known for its Eight-in-One and...

Don't touch that laser! (24-pin dot-matrix printers)
July 1, 1991... For some jobs, 24-pin dot-matrix printers outperform laser printers. Epson, NEC, and Panasonic stand out in a crowded field. You say your budget's strapped and you need to print extra-large spreadsheets, multipart forms, and high-volume...