dr@cs.columbia.edu (David Robinowitz) (03/30/89)
I recently joined the local mac user's group at Columbia (CUMUG), and at my first meeting, two people from Informix presented WINGZ (TM). I was quite impressed by their demonstration. It makes Excel (TM again I think) look like Lotus ver. 1 (TM) by comparison! The only downside is that is outputs in quickdraw not postscript (although the import/export features seemed great). The integration of text/graphics/spreadsheets with multiple fonts, etc. etc. was very smooth! Basically, the program is written in their proprietary script language (hyperscript??) running over their hyper-script engine. The script-files for the WINGZ interface is included with the package so it seems completely customizable. The language seems very rich --- supporting external calls, etc. The 3-D graphics were quite sophisticated and versatile and drawing and text tools are included. My prediction is that Excel will be dead soon. Oh yes: I have absolutely nothing to do with Informix, I don't even own a copy of Wingz (yet), I am just an impressed happy-camper. Also, these are just my opinions, not those of CUMUG of CU as far as I know. If you'd like more info about it, send me Email, and I'll dig up their phone number or address. They have a demo version of the software which does everything but save your work ( I think it's free). The educational version is priced at $89 (I think). -Dave -- ---------------------------------------------------------------- David Robinowitz dr@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu CU SEAS CS MS, NYC (212) 601-1586
daw@houxs.ATT.COM (David Wolverton) (03/31/89)
In article <161@cs.columbia.edu>, dr@cs.columbia.edu (David Robinowitz) writes: > at my first meeting, two people from Informix presented WINGZ (TM). > ... > My prediction is that Excel will be dead soon. I played with the Wingz demo for an hour last weekend, on a 2Meg Mac512E w/ hard disk. I found the speed (e.g. scrolling, screen redraws) to be MUCH slower than Excel 1.5. I didn't check recalculation speed. I was also not particularly impressed with the user interface, but that was just a first impression. Yes, the 3-D (and 2-D) graphics beat the pants off of Excel 1.5, but then I bet Microsoft won't just sit around and let some other company steal a market segment that MS has wrapped up now. Especially considering how long Stubz, er... Wingz has been vaporware. For MacII owners w/ color displays, I imagine Wingz will be the spreadsheet of choice until the next release of Excel. For Mac 512, Plus, and SE owners, there's alot less to be excited about. Perhaps the Wingz/Excel challenge will do for spreadsheets what the Illustrator 88/Freehand matchup did for illustration programs. Dave Wolverton