daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) (01/18/91)
In article <91016.165528AXN100@psuvm.psu.edu> AXN100@psuvm.psu.edu writes: >>While its doubtful 123 is the worst, its equally doubtful that its the best, >>especially since Lotus themselves has developed a "better" spreadsheet that's >>not 123 any more than Gold Disk's or MicroSoft's spreadsheets are. > The main advantage to 123 2.2 and 3.0 is the ability to make larger > spread sheets. The older version of 123 2.01 put most of the info in > a spreadsheet into the 640 memory, and did not use extended or expanded > memory very well. The new version gets around the 640 barrier, this is > very important when LAN's are installed into companies. Sure, but any limit, other than memory [disk, real] is a silly one. Just because something has a silly restriction does not mean that, with the restriction removed, that thing is now "the best", or even "good". Of course, it's not strictly the authors' fault there, either, they do have this 70's vintage programming model to work around. Which just points out that a PClone is not the proper platform for serious data intensive work. > Additionally, the spreadsheets that I have seen that were created with > 123 are much more powerful than any Excel spreadsheet that I have seen > created. I have seen more powerful programs created with C than with Modula2. That says nothing about either language. It does say something about where I have been looking. It doesn't really say much about the folks writing in either language, either, since the sample set I have to work with is far too small to be draw statistically valid conclusions from. > Don't get me wrong, I would welcome Excel with open arms if were to enter > the Amiga market. Sure, I would welcome a good spreadsheet for the Amiga. I used to build timing models for hardware systems on our VAX based CCALC spreadsheet, back in the C128 days. But vowed never to do it again until I could get a spreadsheet that's really designed to do this correctly. You really need a sheet with user-definable cell types for this to work correctly. I'd be happier with a special-purpose tool like DV/dt (without the Mac interface) for this kind of work, though. But a good enough spreadsheet can do a large variety of jobs, and on an Amiga, any limit on the number of cells, rows, columns, pages, arrays, etc. would be purely articifial, and thus avoided, in any decent implementation. > Ajai -- Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Amiga 3000) "The Crew That Never Rests" {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: hazy BIX: hazy "Don't worry, 'bout a thing. 'Cause every little thing, gonna be alright" -Bob Marley
moore@iastate.edu (Moore Brian Joseph) (03/27/91)
Can anyone give me some good ideas for an Amiga SpreadSheet. I have seen Analyze! and VIP Professional but was not thrilled with either. I would also like to have 123 type commands if possible because I know it well, but this is not req'd. Thanks. Brian J. Moore moore@iastate.edu
yorkw@stable.ecn.purdue.edu (Willis F York) (03/27/91)
moore@iastate.edu (Moore Brian Joseph) writes: >Can anyone give me some good ideas for an Amiga SpreadSheet. I have seen >Analyze! and VIP Professional but was not thrilled with either. I would also >like to have 123 type commands if possible because I know it well, but this >is not req'd. Thanks. Well i have Analyze! (cost me $5!) It is truley Trash, (Like scribble! and most of the other programs made by the same company) VIP Professional? IS that the 123 clone with NO amiga features? I seem to remember that one. Maxiplan : Is ok.. Got it for $25, but has problems, Things to Look for in a spreadsheet. 1) AREXX port. (Very usefull)` 2) Easy to use Interface, Maxiplans is ok, But needs MAJOR helps. 3) Graphing ability (IF you need it) I Dont. MultiPlot does all ii need. 4) Importing of Other sheet formats. (Usefull) But with AREXX this is normally easy. --------- Well i've yet to find a GOOD spreadsheet for the AMiga! . -- yorkw@ecn.purdue.edu aka Willis F York aka Squid on IRC The only thing that Apple invented is the idea to borrow Xerox-invented ideas. (Hope THIS sig don't insult anyone!) :^)
es1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Ethan Solomita) (03/27/91)
In article <moore.670007067@pv0324.vincent.iastate.edu> moore@iastate.edu (Moore Brian Joseph) writes: > >Can anyone give me some good ideas for an Amiga SpreadSheet. I have seen >Analyze! and VIP Professional but was not thrilled with either. I would also >like to have 123 type commands if possible because I know it well, but this >is not req'd. Thanks. > From what I've heard the only really decent spreadsheet is Advantage from Gold Disk. There is MaxiPlan Plus 2.0, but I would recommend avoiding it. MaxiPlan, as well as everything else its author Mike Lehman has worked on, are exceedingly buggy. I won't go into what I think of what he did with UltraCard... >Brian J. Moore >moore@iastate.edu -- Ethan Q: How many Comp Sci majors does it take to change a lightbulb A: None. It's a hardware problem.
hb136@leah.albany.edu (Herb Brown) (03/27/91)
In article <1991Mar27.002125.8812@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> es1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Ethan Solomita) writes: >In article <moore.670007067@pv0324.vincent.iastate.edu> moore@iastate.edu (Moore Brian Joseph) writes: >> >>Can anyone give me some good ideas for an Amiga SpreadSheet. >> > From what I've heard the only really decent spreadsheet >is Advantage from Gold Disk. There is MaxiPlan Plus 2.0, but I >would recommend avoiding it. MaxiPlan, as well as everything else >its author Mike Lehman has worked on, are exceedingly buggy. > >>Brian J. Moore >>moore@iastate.edu > > > -- Ethan > If you set the stack to 50,000, then MaxiPlan III seems to work with no hitch whatsoever. MaxiPlan has many nice features and takes full advantage of the Amiga's intuition. Herb -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Herb Brown Math Dept The Univ at Albany Albany, NY 12222 (518) 442-4640 hibrown@leah.albany.edu or hibrown@cssun.albany.edu or hibrown@bst.albany.edu ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
ronkko@cc.helsinki.fi (03/29/91)
> If you set the stack to 50,000, then MaxiPlan III seems to work with > no hitch whatsoever. MaxiPlan has many nice features and takes full > advantage of the Amiga's intuition. Where can we get this MaxiPlan III? Is it possible to upgrade from MaxiPlan Plus 1.9 to III? (At least I have not seen any upgrade offers:-( ) Could someone give us a summary, how this v. III differs from earlier versions? I like the user inteface of MaxiPlan very much, and every time I try to use Advantage, I just get angry and frustrated... (because of strangely arranged menus and stupidly chosen Funkeys etc.;-) > Herb > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Herb Brown Math Dept The Univ at Albany Albany, NY 12222 (518) 442-4640 > hibrown@leah.albany.edu or hibrown@cssun.albany.edu or hibrown@bst.albany.edu > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reijo Ronkko University of Helsinki, Dept. of General Microbiology, Mannerheimintie 172, 00300 Helsinki, FINLAND Fax +358-0-4735426 Ronkko@cc.helsinki.fi ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
BAXTER_A@wehi.dn.mu.oz (04/01/91)
In article <1991Mar27.124236.14227@sarah.albany.edu>, hb136@leah.albany.edu (Herb Brown) writes: > In article <1991Mar27.002125.8812@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> es1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Ethan Solomita) writes: >>In article <moore.670007067@pv0324.vincent.iastate.edu> moore@iastate.edu (Moore Brian Joseph) writes: >>> >>>Can anyone give me some good ideas for an Amiga SpreadSheet. >>> >> From what I've heard the only really decent spreadsheet >>is Advantage from Gold Disk. There is MaxiPlan Plus 2.0, but I >>would recommend avoiding it. MaxiPlan, as well as everything else >>its author Mike Lehman has worked on, are exceedingly buggy. >> >>>Brian J. Moore >>>moore@iastate.edu >> >> >> -- Ethan >> > > > If you set the stack to 50,000, then MaxiPlan III seems to work with > no hitch whatsoever. MaxiPlan has many nice features and takes full > advantage of the Amiga's intuition. > > Herb > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The two bugs that get me every time are : 1) You can't have more than one window open at a time. 2) Every now and then the highlight routine wanders off through the rest of memory inverting bits. Does neat things to every other screen open. Not very nice for anyone who had some data they were rather attached to though. I always thought Mike Lehman was the name of an American commedian. Now I know it is. Regards Alan
tomb@hplsla.HP.COM (Tom Bruhns) (04/02/91)
BAXTER_A@wehi.dn.mu.oz writes: >The two bugs that get me every time are : > >1) You can't have more than one window open at a time. > >2) Every now and then the highlight routine wanders off through the rest >of memory inverting bits. Does neat things to every other screen open. >Not very nice for anyone who had some data they were rather attached >to though. > >Regards Alan >---------- Did they (he) fix this one that causes crashes in MaxiPlan Plus, up through 1.9b? : Enter a column of numbers, say -1000 followed by 11 entries each of +100. Do an IRR function on this column. Should be a positive number. Now change the range to include all but the last 100. IRR should be zero (pays back just what you put in). Now do it on all but the last two 100's. Should _not_ crash the system! (but it did just that reliably in MP+!) Also, does MP+ have decent graphics output? Support for HP-GL? Graphics that can drive a 300dpi printer at full resolution for a chart that's full-page width? (Those are the two things that drove me to SuperPlan before, even though it has some problems of its own...) Tom Bruhns tomb%hplsla@hplabs.hp.com
dhansen@amiganet.chi.il.us (Dave Hansen) (04/06/91)
>In article <1991Mar27.124236.14227@sarah.albany.edu>, hb136@leah.albany.edu (He >rb Brown) writes: >The two bugs that get me every time are : > >1) You can't have more than one window open at a time. I've used MP-III for over a year. I got it shortly after the SF earthquake. I've never had a problem opening more than one spreadsheet at a time. I've never had a problem having other programs (CygnusEd, WP, PgS, etc.) running at the same time. Perhaps your version is different from mine. > >2) Every now and then the highlight routine wanders off through the rest >of memory inverting bits. Does neat things to every other screen open. >Not very nice for anyone who had some data they were rather attached >to though. As above, perhaps your version is different. Mine is version 3.5 of MP-III. As far as I'm concerned, it's perfect. Runs on a 1MB A500 and a 7MB A2500. Never have I lost data or had any strange occurances as others have reported. Does anyone know about this new publisher that has picked up MaxiPlan? Is it an upgrade to MP-III? Is there an upgrade policy? I never did get a decent manual with my MP-III and the old MP 500 manual and the MP-III don't discuss the macro capabilities. > voice: (708)691-4747 Internet:dhansen@amiganet.chi.il.us
wak@hpfcbig.SDE.HP.COM (Bill Kwinn) (04/20/91)
You may wish to see Superplan from Precision Software. In addition to spreadsheet things, it provides for graphics and includes drivers for a bunch of printers so it can greatly exceed your screen graphics resolution. (I have seen reviews that panned their graphics, I presume because things on the screen may seem crude. (You can get something like 60 to near 300 dots per inch on an Epson LQ-850.) It supports AREXX (which I have not used), and some support for drawing job scheduling reports. It's fancier programming features, (and the graphics) are controlled by text, rather than mouse based grab and drag. Bill Kwinn
cvk@cbmvax.commodore.com (Christopher Kohler - Marketing) (04/24/91)
Gold Disk publishes a Spread called "Advantage" and Oxxi distributes MaxiPlan v III (which I use.) I'm not partial to "/" commands, so I couldn't comment on that particular feature.
cvk@cbmvax.commodore.com (Christopher Kohler - Marketing) (04/24/91)
In article <1991Mar28.175016.5753@cc.helsinki.fi> ronkko@cc.helsinki.fi writes:
$
$
$> If you set the stack to 50,000, then MaxiPlan III seems to work with
$> no hitch whatsoever. MaxiPlan has many nice features and takes full
$> advantage of the Amiga's intuition.
$
$
$Where can we get this MaxiPlan III? Is it possible to upgrade from MaxiPlan
$Plus 1.9 to III? (At least I have not seen any upgrade offers:-( ) Could
$someone give us a summary, how this v. III differs from earlier versions?
$I like the user inteface of MaxiPlan very much, and every time I try to use
$Advantage, I just get angry and frustrated... (because of strangely arranged
$menus and stupidly chosen Funkeys etc.;-)
$
$> Herb
You can, of course, check with a local dealer as far as a straightforward
purchase. Or, contact Oxxi re: upgrades.bruce@zuhause.MN.ORG (Bruce Albrecht) (04/28/91)
In article <18410001@hpfcbig.SDE.HP.COM> wak@hpfcbig.SDE.HP.COM (Bill Kwinn) writes: > >You may wish to see Superplan from Precision Software. I just bought Superplan, I I think that its user interface is a bit clunky. For example, dates must be entered as strings prefixed by a quotation mark, ranges need to be explicitly done by clicking the first cell, entering : or clicking on a ":" symbol, and clicking the second cell, instead of just holding the mouse key down. It also gurus if you use a workbench screen on 2.0 if your workbench is interlaced. I called Precision about it, and to clear up things not clear in the manual, and it sounded like they weren't sure they were going to fix it, or do any other upgrades for it. My impression of Precision's customer support is pretty low. Their phone system puts you on hold for about 15 minutes, and sometimes disconnects you. If they aren't going to talk to you within 5 minutes of putting you on an automatic hold, they should at least take a message and call you back. -- bruce@zuhause.mn.org