| At least four kinds of people are likely customers for
integrated software packages: new computer owners who need
some software to get started, casual users who don't
require the power of major applications, laptop owners who
are conserving memory and hard disk space, and anyone who
often needs to move data between different programs but is
frustrated by the inevitable problems of getting separate
applications talking to each other. The best-known integrated package is Microsoft Works, available for DOS, Windows, and the Mac. ClarisWorks, introduced for the Mac in 1991, now lays claim to the number-one spot in the Mac market. Windows users will soon be able to buy ClarisWorks (see "Serving Up the Works" on page 105 for a review of shipping integrated packages). Judging from my experience with an early beta copy, ClarisWorks for Windows is virtually identical to the Mac version — with its menus, dialog boxes, and tear-off tool palettes. ClarisWorks can even read files created with ClarisWorks/Mac, although Claris says the reverse won't be true until the next update of the Mac version. The only major difference is that Claris has dropped one application from the Windows package: communications. According to the company, the communications module found in the Mac version is not significantly different from the Terminal accessory shipped with the Windows version; therefore, including it would be redundant. The applications included are a word processor, a spreadsheet, a flat-file database, and a drawing program that does page layout. Although these applets are not as feature-laden as the best stand-alone applications, they are surprisingly powerful. For example, the graphics program lets you create linked text frames — movable rectangles in which you can manipulate columns of text. As you resize the frames, the text automatically flows from one linked column to another, even across page breaks. This saves you much time when fiddling with page layouts. In fact, the text frames in ClarisWorks are much like those in Aldus PageMaker. It's a critical feature that is missing from some low-end page-layout programs. The program's database module is equally flexible. For one thing, it doesn't lock you into a predefined record structure — you can add new fields at any time. It also allows you to sort your records in various ways or just scroll through the database and select records by clicking on them. This is a fast and simple way, for example, to winnow an address book down to a Christmas card list. ClarisWorks' best feature is its nearly seamless integration. Some similar packages are little more than collections of programs that share a common file format, but ClarisWorks takes a different approach. Suppose you are writing a letter and want to include a table of numbers and a pie chart. With some other packages, you might have to exit the word processor, enter the spreadsheet, create a table, exit the spreadsheet, import the table into the word processor, and repeat similar steps to create and import the pie chart. ClarisWorks behaves more like a single application. No matter what type of document you are working on, the program lets you select any tool you want from a toolbar that sits on the left side of the screen. To add a table to your document, you just click on the spreadsheet tool; the context-sensitive menus automatically change to reflect your choice. You can then draw a spreadsheet on your document and enter data (or paste some data from an existing spreadsheet). To create a chart, you select a range of cells in the table, choose Make Chart from the spreadsheet's Options menu, and pick the kind of chart you want from a row of icons. ClarisWorks draws the chart to your specifications. Also, the chart remains linked to the table. If you change a number in the spreadsheet, the chart changes as well. Ironically, this high level of integration can be confusing. Sometimes I would search the menus for a familiar function, only to realize that I had clicked on a different tool and brought up a different set of menus. I was also confused by the steps required to create multipage graphics documents. You must specify how many pages you want, and although you can change your mind, you can lose some valuable work if you're not careful. On the other hand, ClarisWorks lets you create multipage spreads with elements that span the page boundaries — another feature not usually found in competing programs. Despite a few drawbacks and curious omissions (adding a word count to the word processor would be a trivial task), ClarisWorks is an attractive solution for anyone who needs tightly integrated software at a reasonable price. ClarisWorks for Windows $249 System requirements: A 386 or higher with 2 MB of RAM (4 MB of RAM recommended), DOS 3.3 or higher, Windows 3.x, about 4 MB of hard drive space, and VGA or higher graphics. Claris Corp. Santa Clara, CA (408) 727-8227 fax: (408) 987-3932 Copyright 1994-1997 BYTE |