info-mac@uw-beaver (02/01/85)
From: mtu!russell@Glacier (Russell Reid) I have had the opportunity to play with a released copy of Odesta Helix, a database program bordering on infinite complexity and infinite advertising. It's not fair to claim deep familiarity and write a real review, but some comments might be interesting. I did have, and read rapidly, all of the documentation. Odesta Helix is a very complicated program. In searching for the right word to describe my reaction, the closest seems to be "saddened". Somebody busted his butt to write that program, and I don't think it is good for almost anything at all. It may stand as a monument to how not to use icons, or how to drive iconning until it confuses, slows, and frustrates the user. The icons are cute, but even after reading the names, descriptions, and documentation, I cannot imagine why there should be an icon for "selection", why it should be a page with a T-square, a question mark, and some other stuff, and why you should have to open an icon in order to perform the most basic Mac task, that of selecting anything. An example may be the best summary: Suppose you have a database with names, addresses, and phone numbers. You are at the right level in the program to enter records, search, sort, etc. You want to find Jones's record. You must: Either have predefined a "Query" document which contains the directions to search by last name *AND THE LAST NAME JONES*, or else create and name a query document by dragging the query icon into the window, opening it, clicking the "last name" field which then opens, and typing something into the window like "=Jones", then closing name field, closing query document and naming it "last name?". Then you must open the "selection" window, highlight the appropriate query and the appropriate list, close the selection window, and pull down "find next". It will find Jones. Now you want to find Smith. You have to --wait for it!-- reopen the "last name" query document, reopen the last name field, type "=Smith" in the right place, close the name field, close the query icon, and hit "find next." It will, indeed, find Smith. This program is very big, and all the opening and closing of icons is unusually slow; so slow that until you get used to it you think you didn't double-click correctly and try again. With practice you could probably find Smith in 20 seconds. The icon graphics are amazing, the program is pretty flexible, and Odesta to its great credit did not copy protect the thing. But it costs so much (I think $400.00) that anyody who wanted the thing (probably to amaze friends with) would be awfully tempted. Helix can't print out the list of names with a 1 next to the first name, a 2 by the second one, etc. Somebody tell me: Is it that much more expensive to develop a program as it is to develop (write songs for) an album, hire musicians, cut the thing, design album jackets, distribute it an what-not? Of course, you don't need to offer software support for an album, but still. Record albums and illegal cassette copies, books and copyright-violating xerox copies, even movies and VCR copies coexist reasonably happily. Whatinthehell is the matter with software? Russell Reid