Lotus Magazine Volume 7 Issue 1

96 Pages·7.4 MB·English

by  IDG Publication

LOTUS
COMPUTING FOR MANAGERS AND PROFESSIONALS JANUARY 1991
$3.00
WHAT YOU SEE IS
WHAT YOU GET
dTruth
Comes Out.
The new dBASE IV® version 1.1 has
been rated the #1 Multiuser Database by
Software Digest Ratings Report (Volume
7 Number 3, October, 1990).
Because Software Digest accepts no
advertising whatsoever, subscribers pay
hundreds of dollars a year to receive their
reviews—which are considered highly
unbiased and objective.
In summation, their 75-page report says:
‘Among the top ranking programs, dBASE
IV (version 1.1) is the most well rounded,
with solid performance, versatility, and
usability” Commenting on speed, Software
Digest points out that “dBASE IV produces
all three test reports as fast as or faster
than FoxPro/LAN.” As for Ease of Use/Ease
of Learning, dBASE IV scored as many
times in the Excellent range as any other
database product tested.
Of course, Software Digest is definitely
not alone in its conclusions.
Because consumers have already made
dBASE IV version 1.1 the #1 best-selling
PC database in the world.
Call 1-800-437-4329 ext. 1407 for more
information.
Better yet, call
1-800-2ASHTON
now to upgrade.
The truth
is, no other dBASE IV
database can
do so much
to improve ■■
productivity ■
.4 AshtonTate
ier: dBASE IV, Ashton-Tate, Ashton-Tate logo/Ashton-Tate Corp. Other co r product names mentioned may be trademarks of the: ictive companies. © 1990 Ashton-Tate Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
LOTUS
VOLUME 7 NUMBER 1
PERSPECTIVES 50 Ways to Improve Your Graphs The
Release 3.x Graph menu gives you more
IDEAS & TRENDS control and efficiency. By Ken Saul. 44
The New View on OS/2 9
Q&A 62
Multiprocessor File Servers 10
GOOD IDEAS 66
Statistical Packages on PCs 11
@L0TUS 17 RESOURCES
ESSAY REVIEWS
Can the Feds Take Your PC? 88 Portable Printers Get the Word Out Canon
and Kodak weigh in with lightweight
ink-jets. By Marc Davidson. 73
APPLICATIONS Beyond step Mode Personics’s Macro
Editor/Debugger brings elegance and
Can You Pay the Bills? The Lambda power to macro troubleshooting. By Bill
index predicts whether your company Lawrence. 76
will have enough cash and credit. By
Kelly R. Conatser. 30 REVIEW OF REVIEWS
How to Pick a PIM What is a personal
Making Qualities Count Adding qualita¬ information manager, and do you need
tive variables—such as location-can make one? By Tracy Mayor. 78
forecasts more specific. By Everette Gard¬
ner Jr. 53 NEW PRODUCTS
Business Insight Check your company’s
Made in a Minute Coca-Cola Foods uses health. 82
1-2-3 and E-mail to keep its spreadsheet
forecasts as fresh as its OJ. By Bill The Manager’s Organizer: Master your
Musgrave and Richard Cranford... 58 time. 83
30 By incorporating uncertainty, GeoWorks Ensemble: A GUI for low-end
the Lambda index gives a more accu¬ PCs. 84
rate picture of liquidity.
TECHNIQUES New Product Listings 85
START HERE
You Can Take It With You Essential DOS IN EVERY ISSUE
commands for working with floppy disks.
By Daniel Gasteiger. 22 Staff Letter 2
1-2-3 MACROS Letters 4
Easy Printer Control a custom-menu sys¬
tem adds print attributes to your work¬ Advertiser Index 72
sheets. By Nicholas Delonas. 26
Editorial Evaluation 72
WYSIWYG: Hands On! Create persuasive
presentations with Release 3.1’s what-you- Reader Service Card 72
see-is-what-you-get add-in. By Daniel Gas¬ 58 1-2-3 forecasts sales of juice at
teiger . 37 CocarCola Foods in Houston. Cover illustration: Marty Braun
LOTUS/JANUARY 1991
STAFF LETTER
LOTUS
Why I Hate Printers
D
oes \027&llO\027&k2S look familiar? The set-up string to print a 1-2-3
Release 2.2 spreadsheet sideways in compressed type on an 8!/2-by-ll-inch
page using a LaserJet II is a good example of why I hate printers.
Much has been written about recent improvements in printer controls and
operation, such as the WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) add-in for
Release 3.1, coming soon to other releases. As with many other personal-
computer innovations, the initial hoopla surrounding the concept has settled
into the recognition that what you see is what you may or may not get when
printing. As Associate Editor Phyllis Sharon notes, “The unpredictability
when printing to a LaserJet is very frustrating.”
Her frustration over the hassles of printing is shared by hundreds of
thousands of PC users. Printer-related problems are among the most common
concerns of users calling Lotus
Development Corp.’s help lines.
11101 to page 26 for the latest
installment in our continuing ef¬
forts to help 1-2-3 users triumph
over printers. Sharon is the pro¬
ject leader for the series of printer-
and WYSIWYG-related articles
that begins this month. She has
been aided by Assistant Tbchni-
cal Editor Ann M. Marcus, the
LDC technical staff, and outside
experts.
Although nonsense like
\027&llO\027&k2S is slowly fading into history, becoming part of the
hieroglyphics of the early days of personal computing, it’s not gone yet.
Improvements in coordination among printers, applications, and CPUs must
be achieved before the industry can rightfully claim to offer true WYSIWYG.
One approach would be for application-software vendors to build periph¬
eral addressing capability into their packages. During installation, the
application would determine its environment—the type of display, amount of
RAM, mouse presence, and printer. Microsoft Windows 3.0 already does some
of this. Such an approach would substantially improve productivity and
reduce the number of printer-related headaches.
Instead of spending all their time and money on flashy WYSIWYG demo
disks, software vendors should devote more effort to smoothing the relation¬
ship between printers and people.
Larry Marion
Editorial Director
LOTOS/JANUARY
Why so many people
are going to Pteelance
instead of Harvard.
There’s one presentation graphics Ratings Report dated August 1990, Clip out our coupon or give
program that’s walked away with vir¬ which for the second consecutive year us a call at 1-800-872-3387
tually every industry award in the past ext.528. We’ll send you our free
l two years. demo kit which also includes detailed
Freelance* Plus, the presentation evaluates Freelance as the top rated information on why Freelance is
graphics package by Lotus* is the big presentation graphics the critics’ choice.
winner against Harvard Graphics* and program. Freelance 3.01
See why Freelance is the critics’ choice.
all others out scores Harvard 2.3
| Name.
according on many counts, includ¬
1 Co. TVs!
to the ing quality of output,
i Address _ _
experts printing speed and i Citv State Zin
at PC overall product quality. Disk format: 5‘A" Disk S'/s'Disk
Magazine, Freelance was also rated Or call 1-800-872-3387ext. 528.
great lookmggmptucsfir your presentations. PQ Week more powerful than Send to Lotus Development Corporation, Freelance Plus
PC World and Publish. Harvard and praised Demo Offer, PO Box 4075, Woburn, MA 01888-9822.
Yet, the greatest praise of all for its unique link to Fteelance Plus
comes from the Software Digest 1-2-3® worksheets. by Lotus
LETTERS j^ggSI
DESKJET INK ALERT anything it touches.” You can refill a single IMPROVED EXPENSE RECORDER
Thank you for “What Price Printers?” DeskJet cartridge 30 times or more, accord¬ Is there a way to expand the database
(July, page 96). I have had problems with ing to Levy. described in “An Income and Expense
power-hungry lasers and several years Ink-refill kits are not available from Hewlett- Recorder” (May, page 52)? My transac¬
ago purchased a Hewlett-Packard Packard, but the company plans to introduce tions database has grown beyond 20 en¬
DeskJet. It’s a lovely printer but it has two its own water-resistant cartridges. The HP tries. Whenever I try to add an entry, the
disadvantages: Many technical-software cartridges will cost $19.95 each and come program beeps and the database titles
packages do not have a driver for it, and it with black ink only. scroll off the screen.
uses water-soluble ink. However, Graphic Marie Hansen
Utilities of Fort Fairfield, Maine, makes CHECK THE RELEASE BEFORE Hooper, Utah
cartridges containing water-resistant ink. USING THE MODEL The editor replies: A little minor surgery on
Allen Nussbaum I’m having trouble using the model in the model will improve its performance. Edit
UnivMerisnintye aopfo Mlisin, nMesinonta. D“Dooin gY?”o u( JuKlyn,o pwa geW 5h8a)t. FYoor uarn yM poenrieoyd oisf cpellalc eN t2h4e tpou breliasdh e/dW sTnCu/gW sWubCro(suntuinge) wainthd threi¬s
The editor replies: You can order ink-refill kits time shorter than one year, the @RATE more efficient version:
for HP DeskJet printers from Graphic Utilities (return-on-investment) calculation re¬
by calling the company at 800-669-4723. turns ERR. Is that because I’m using (GOTO)trans~{DOWN4j/WTH(END)(DOWN2)
A pack of two refill bottles costs $19.95 Release 2? (IF @ROWS(database)<=5) (UP 2)
and comes with black, blue, red, green, or
brown ink. Steve Ziegler
The refills Mr. Nussbaum bought con¬ HoegemeyeHr Hooypberri,d Ns eInbcr.. ©ERR
tained 80% water-resistant ink. Graphic Utili¬
tniBUinoeutkistt l t ijhthuibaeasestts isitsnc pisdanoareckyeleiefsbu s lwdlme eo oawvnnne’ht l Jteochanlpeok e geypd oat Lhaugee ev1 ,yup0 rsi0wtie'%nsa t re iinnwtr.’ sdas e Gttilhenirrabkaptl pj er"eoh iottois’ncf.s TTaclerohhagreesur eee©m cd2Rteie tAneodtvTr aiiE snrl e ulalpeaanlsttideeser st t@or:h e aMFElnVeRr a. oRfsZnu ewiense..cgh tTleieonhrnie sgsv upeierrno stbhs1lee-e2d mp- 3er i wrgRihoaet¬ds. At(M1hI11ne9o8 r-esIis?1nhe"7cot )u(ou/JIprl1udr 8ne .bec r,ote xpa fdaoog rfem( I 14"u8P2l-a)aI. y1 T7 wh)L/aeIe1 sfs 7os r imnrBacutylhl uae dBfreo urdty h cianeilngnl
HOW TO CONTACT US your letter concerns one of our macro-oriented columns, The models are also on Lotus CD/Prompt.
send or E-mail it to Nicholas Delonas, macros editor. Abstracts of selected LOTUS articles can be found
Q&A and Good Ideas. Send submissions to Carrie through Dialog Information Services (Palo Alto, Calif.) in
WsttMMohu aeaabtY tiihm lllo:i.ey kui Toes ru ishctgi aoaohwnt n th rm ,piet teaeaael rkr eq stepfouorsh eon Puoirm(t.ysns 0 ,e )e y..ai a9 nosu 1suicset2o— er3maa fw,tdop —C6rlha 1eauivtm7nshit- ab,e4t o rro9r i yrde4g ogg-ee1uuevt 1 ,ley ha9nMora2 uvamA.re cBa c0aoiou2l m,stm1 upfw3magl9xeigum-, e 9nsseo1iutncr2ig ato3.Mgtn i eo,C snaIt TeSFsSeloahsUelroeBe wmtisBhna,ha efcSPoes kb,rr. Cem0ot ,eit. atsRc aotBhsinmoInoudPnxi ceo tTa9ofhsl 1ne p Ie2c aOsdos3guui,setN bptoC sp$2rcaS..l5 rmy i i pbnitr siti ohdlnegim eUr,ia t.etMSed.sA,. $a W07n2 dri1in t3ae Cd 9t-dao9nr 1eaS2sdis3na .,gc lahena dnC g$oe1ps0y, BCcMUmgNouousaimOaercsgpr irapao n.oz,Wunfe ci ttnsotLeehsemAreo e Ssvitp usR omiu sraftt uRtohtew sDdartAe hatee srelIv eNs ntaer ,hd DinleTsmoed kaxpY at mmooacfbt( rea hLotatnheesestrere, a i rahCra(nelaIno enardrdmdfip osep.f r,ruI rm.nol e nfNargoportreirorraomio rtmn hgaa ner ftSacriryoeo moL enudoo s re.ftco u IfeLnrstrsh OcoP e.fmI)Tuirn reUb c eaLl.aS )inOgs. dd fheTr oionUnemitgnssS
Fax: [phone] PERMISSIONS not guarantee the results obtained from use of the material or
MCI Mail: General —435-5364 LOTUS is copyrighted, and published material may not be its fitness for a particular purpose.
Features—341-3726 reproduced in any form without permission. To request LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
Macros (Nicholas Delonas}—367-5360 permission, write to Claudia Basso, administrative manager. Neither Lotus nor anyone else involved in creating, produc¬
Products (Garry Ray)—415-9379 Reprints. For information on reprints or to order a ing, or distributing software shall be liable for any direct,
You can also address LOTUS magazine in' the LDC reprint, write to Kristine Benoit, production assistant. indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages aris¬
SvSipcUree. BaSdeMseh eEIeSltesSc tFrIoOonriuNcm RS eo tnri etvhael , Cboelmowpu. Serve Information Ser¬ aEFvuLalillE abtCelexT itRn oOCf oNLmOIpCTuUt eRSr EmLiTabgrRaarzIyinE, eVa sACinDcL-eR OSeMp tepmrobdeurc t1 9o8f 7Z iifsf mibnygo dtfherelos m,t e mrumascesr oossfe, tto hrfe o orstthho eftriwn p arrtohe.gi srB aaymn sdu, s yipnorgeu c aeandgyrine egp o trpota iobraneg broaofp uthnhsde.
Models. To share a model with /LOTt/S readers, send it to Communications Co. Full text of LOTUS magazine since ADVERTISING
the editor. Explain what problem the model solves, how the January 1988 is available on Lotus CD/Prompt, a CD-ROM LOTUS accepts advertising only from vendors it considers
model differs from other solutions, and what lessons it product of Lotus Development Corp. (for information, call responsible. If you have a problem with an advertised
teaches. Include your credentials and a floppy disk. Because 1-800-223-1662, extension 3381). Full text of most LOTUS product that you cannot resolve with the vendor, write to
of the volume of material received, unsolicited manuscripts articles since 1987 can be found in Computer ASAP on Mark D. Flanagan, publisher.
cannot be acknowledged but will be returned if submitted Dialog Information Services and in Computer Database Plus Vendors. To find out how to advertise in LOTUS
with a stamped, self-addressed envelope. on CompuServe. magazine, call our nearest sales representative. The sales
Articles. If you wish to write tutorials, product reviews, Models published in this issue of LOTUS are available staff is listed opposite the Reader Service card in this issue.
case studies, or other material for LOTUS, write or send on disk. See page 65 for more information. Models ABOUT THIS MAGAZINE
E-mail to the editor. Include your credentials and samples of published since 1988 are available in the LOTUS library, part LOTUS is published monthly by Lotus Publishing Corp,, a
your work. Because of the volume of material received, of the LDC Spreadsheets Forum (GO LOTUSMAG) on subsidiary of Lotus Development Corp., and is intended to
unsolicited manuscripts cannot be acknowledged but will be CompuServe. For more information about LOTUS on line, help users of spreadsheet software. The editorial content of
returned if submitted with a stamped, self-addressed enve¬ call CompuServe, 1-800-848-8199, and ask for representa¬ LOTUS is not determined by Lotus Development Corp., and
lope. tive 146; if outside the U.S. and Canada, call 1-614-457- the software reviews and other opinions expressed in LOTUS
Letters. We welcome letters for publication. If you want 0802. For information on how to download LOTUS models do not necessarily represent the views of the parent
your letter considered for publication, send it to the editor. If from CompuServe, see page 80 of the January 1990 issue. corporation.
LOTUS/JANUARY
Witness
me Dawn
OfIDe
9ms Era.
The New Hardcard II XL.
More speed, more room, more
power, less price.
We developed a drive that
delivers truly remarkable perfor¬
mance for 286/386 systems.
With a price competitive to your
typical, standard, everyday 28ms
disk drive.
More speed. Hardcard II XL's”
9ms effective access time1 and 1.4
MB per second sustained transfer
rate2 mean your system runs 8 or
9 times faster than one with the
typical 28ms drive.
More room. 50 and 105 MB
capacity. More power to take
Windows™ 3.0 and OS/2® to new
performance heights.
More power. You’ll literally feel
the difference in your system.
It’s more of everything.
Except price.
For more information on your
nearest dealer, call 800-624-5545
in the U.S. m %
and Canada.
SI
/NTRODUC/NG JMBK
Finally, someone brings
to a wider
<-
To: Mike Rogers, President M . I , K . E ; s
From: Chris Caldwell, Office Mgr. MOUNTAIN BIKES
Great news! For about the same price we were going to pay for that dot-matrix
printer, we can get this new wide-carriage IBM Execjet printer, an inkjet that
will give us quiet, laser-quality output, more fonts and much faster printing.
One look at these graphs will show you why I'm recommending we go for the
versatile IBM Execjet printer:
Please let me know if you have any questions on the above information.
I'm ready to place the order.
Introducing the new wide - carriage 24-pin, wide-carriage, dot-matrix printer.
IBM Execjet™ printer. Yet the new IBM Execjet printer
Its the inkjet that makes versatile buys you more standard features, far
laser quality printing widely affordable. superior speed and paper handling,
In fact, the IBM Execjet printer greater compatibility and a quieter work
is so affordable, you can own one for the environment.
same price you’d pay for the leading To see just how far the new wide-
affordable laser quality
audience.
- -»
16V2-
—^H IBM EXECJET EPSON LQ-1050 fri
Print Technology inkjet dot matrix
Speed — Letter Quality 150 cps 82 cps
✓
Noise Level 49 decibels 53 decibels
Cut Sheet Paper Bin ✓ standard $269 option
Print Quality 360 dots/inch 360 dots/inch
✓
Std. Letter Quality Fonts 18 12
✓
Print Buffer Size 30Kb - 20 pp. 6Kb - 4 pp.
Emulation ✓ Epson. IBM Epson
✓
Mfr. Sugg. Retail Price $1099 $1099
WZ Cut Sheet Paper Bin ✓ $1099 $1368
carriage IBM Execjet printer takes
affordable laser quality printing, contact
Suddenly, nothing
your IBM Authorized Dealer or IBM
else measures up
marketing representative today. To
find your nearest dealer, just call
1 800 IBM-2468, ext. 928. The new
IBM Execjet printer.
mr
***//&#.
::,S'W;i,
1
©Belli
Until now, a mirror has always reflected what it was shown. Until now, «More
there’s only been one way to look at data. Now there’sThinx " software.
The revolutionary Windows* program that works with Lotus* 1-2-3,*
Excel and dBase* and, for the first time, lets you create, analyze and
present data in a whole new way. For a free demo disk call 1-800-688-4469.
O 1990 Bell Atlantic ‘Windows, Lotus 1-2-3, and dBase are trademarks of their respective companies.
CIRCLE 102 ON READER SERVICE CARD