steved@hrshcx.csd.harris.com (Steve Daukas) (03/30/91)
I am seeking advice (and discussion) on the best products to be
used with Windows 3.0. I would be happy to take E-mail and
summarize, or participate in discussions in this group or both (please,
no flames!). I am interested in all aspects of the various products
that surface during discussions, especially from those who have
actually used them! Regardless of E-mail or discussions, I intend to
save all posts for my final decision. Anyone wishing a copy can let
me know. I want to hear about everyone's favorite and why, but I'd ask
that this thread focus on the following areas:
Word Processing
Spread Sheet
Data Base
Presentation Graphics
I am looking for a seamless interface among the applications listed
above so that any datum from one can be "dragged" into the other in
a WYSIWYG fashion (I can see where this may not be germane for the
data base).
The desired features and functions for each application area are listed
below:
Word Processing
---------------
This application should be able to have more than one window open into
the same document as well as other documents. The idea here is that
I need to be able to be referencing several documents or parts of the
same document while I am creating or adding to another. I don't care
if the application has to be loaded more than once (necessarily ;-) ).
I would like it to be WYSIWYG, and have multiple column format with the
ability to paste graphics and charts into a column as well as across
columns. Scientific and Mathematical symbols would be real nice!
Additionally, tags, footnotes, subscript and superscript, auto fill in
a column, etc.. I have seen Word For Windows and it looks like it will
do what I want. Any advice on others or pros and cons?
I would also like to use this processor for writing code. It shouldn't
matter too much (my guess), but if there are any comments on this, I'd like
hear them.
Finally, I would like to be able to create Postscript, TeX (or DVI),
ASCII, as well as formatted output files.
Spread Sheet
------------
Basic spread sheet stuff like Excel or 1-2-3. I intend to do some
statistical stuff and graphing with std deviations, error bars, and
the like. It would be nice if this was rather easy to use because I'm
not really a spread sheet user (yet). I'm open to plenty of help on this part.
The important thing here is that I can select anything I want (including
graphs) and put it exactly where I want in the document being prepared -
without having to experience too much pain.
Data Base
---------
I have plenty of stuff I want to keep track of, from personal records, to
research stuff. In many cases, I want to link certain data to another
datum (sort of organized by project as well as by specific items, like
research on energy consumption and a project that has some of this
research included). Also, I expect to be scanning certain items and want to
store these away along with some text annotation. Along with scanning, I would
like to be able to store various graphs (from the spread sheet) in the
data base as well as documents (from the word processor). One thing I'd
like to also store (someday) are images that I have acquired via a
frame-grabber (CCD camera). I am not a database user, nor do I want to
have to learn the internals of a SQL to be productive. I do, however,
want the ability to do specific things with a SQL down the road.
Presentation Graphics
---------------------
Finally, I want to be able to extract stuff from the database and
put it all together for both PC display and hard-copy. I want to be
able to annotate things, pull in text et. al., and create some very
professional presentations. I have not done much of this but have seen
some really amazing presentations done with (I think) Powerpoint.
General stuff:
I have a 386 based machine (SX) with a meg of RAM and a 40M disk. I
fully expect to increase both RAM and disk so any advice here would be
nice. (I currently have 3 more meg on the way and a second 80 meg disk,
but its not firm yet.) I want to run Windows 3.0 in 386 enhanced mode so
that I can have a bunch of stuff going in different windows (I was spoiled
by X on a Unix system).
I have VGA (1024 x 768 capable, currently at 800x600) and a std monitor
(1024 x 768 at 14"). I don't expect to go beyond 800 x 600 for some time
because the resolution is sufficient to date.
I have been informed of the Word/Excel/Powerpoint "office pack" (or
some such) from Microsoft that looks like it would cover much of what I
want, but I'm not sure.
Thanks in advance for you comments, opinion, and help!
Steve
--
.-------------------..---------------------------.
| Stephen C. Daukas || sdaukas@csd.harris.com |
| (617) 221-1834 || uunet!travis!misg!sdaukas |
`-------------------'`---------------------------'steved@hrshcx.csd.harris.com (Steve Daukas) (03/30/91)
-- .-------------------..-------------------------. | Stephen C. Daukas || sdaukas@csd.harris.com | | (617) 221-1834 || uunet!hcx1!misg!sdaukas | `-------------------'`-------------------------'