Spinnaker Program Juggles 8 Tasks

With a name like Better Working Eight-in-One and a price tag of $59.95, you might expect to see this program hustled on some late-night commercials, in between the ginzu knives and vegetable graters.

Despite the awkward name and low, low price, this eight-function integrated program from Spinnaker Software for the IBM PC and compatible computers ought to take a place on dealers’ shelves right alongside the big-name packages.

With Eight-in-One, newcomers to computing and experienced hands alike can save money while getting all the software capacity most of them really need. If you were to buy eight leading single-purpose programs to accomplish each of the tasks that Better Working performs, you would need to spend $1,000 to $2,000 and wind up with more power than most people ever use.

I started testing the program with a real task on a real deadline--writing a four-page outline the night before a presentation was due.

Outlining is one of the eight functions, and Eight-in-One’s is the easiest outliner I have ever used. Usually I spend all of my time trying to figure out how to change from one level to another in an outline. Here it was practically impossible to make a mistake.

The other functions are word processing, spelling checker, spreadsheet, database, graphics, communications and a desktop organizer with a memo pad, address book, calendar, to-do list and label maker. (If you count each function under the desktop organizer separately, Eight-in-One really performs a dozen tasks, so why didn’t they name it Cheaper by the Dozen?)

Using Eight-in-One is easy because the commands are consistent. For instance, when you are working in any of the programs, pressing the F1 key displays help messages.

The opening screen gives you a choice of functions in a row across the top. Moving the cursor highlights each available choice and brings to the screen a list of secondary commands keyed to that choice.

The manual is clear, but 148 pages isn’t much to explain eight programs. In fact, the manual is devoted mostly to describing the functions and commands that are available with each program without giving many examples of how to use them.

Word processing is the easiest computer application to learn because it is so much like using a typewriter. The Eight-in-One word processor works smoothly and has a lot of power. It displays type on the screen with left, right, top and bottom margins, just the way they will appear on paper.

Business and home correspondence, reports and manuscripts are suitable tasks for Eight-in-One. You can merge address lists, including those created in the database, with text files to create mass mailings.

The database application lets you store lists of information, such as a client mailing list or an inventory list. Its most glaring flaw is that you can’t modify the format of a database once the file is created, so you should experiment by entering a small amount of data and testing to make sure it works the way you want. If not, you can correct the problems and create a new database.

The first step in creating a database is to design the form where the information will be entered. Eight-in-One uses a free-form design in which you place blank lines, called data fields, where you want them on your screen and add text to label each field as needed.

You can import lists of information from other database programs and also export data from Eight-in-One to other programs.

Up to three fields of data can be indexed to speed up searches. For instance, a last name, company name and city could be index fields in a database listing clients.

A spreadsheet is a program that turns a computer into a supercalculator with a huge memory for numbers. Horizontal rows and vertical columns of numbers and formulas that work with those numbers are entered into the spreadsheet. Then, whenever one number is changed, all other numbers that are related to it automatically change. For instance, in a spreadsheet recording monthly and annual sales, revising the number shown for January’s sales would cause the year-to-date sales figure to change as well.

Eight-in-One can handle the medium-sized spreadsheets that small businesses typically use. It has mathematical, statistical, trigonometric and financial functions to suit most needs. Data can be exchanged with many other spreadsheet programs, including Lotus 1-2-3.

Nothing makes numbers easier to understand than seeing them displayed in a graph. Eight-in-One lets you create the three basic kinds of business charts--bar, line and pie--with a couple of options within each category.

The data to create the graph can be entered directly into a data table in the graphing program or it can be taken from the spreadsheet or database applications. The graph that is created can be simply viewed on screen or printed or stored as a file that can be merged into a word processing document. The on-screen display is quite pleasing on a color monitor that meets the IBM enhanced graphics standard.

Communications is a way of connecting one computer with another by telephone with the use of a modem. Once connected to another computer, you can send or receive text files, obtain stock market information, conduct research or merely entertain yourself playing games or chatting through the keyboard with computer friends.

Eight-in-One’s communications program is suitable for transferring text files back and forth with other computers and using on-line services such as CompuServe, The Source, MCI Mail or Dow Jones News Retrieval. But it does not have the power required to transfer computer programs over the telephone.

Addresses Your Mail

The desktop organizer is really a collection of related applications, all aimed at helping you manage your time. You can create a to-do list, write memos, create an address book from which the computer will dial telephone numbers for you.

A unique feature is a world clock display showing the current time in 16 cities. The time shown is updated minute by minute. It also gives you access to an alarm clock function, a timer and a stop watch.

There is a day-by-day, month-by-month calendar program in which you can keep track of your schedule. You can set it to remind you of each coming event anywhere from a day to 99 days before it occurs.

Finally, the desktop includes a printing application for making labels or addressing standard or business-sized envelopes.

Eight-in-One is a great bargain and an excellent choice for first-time computer buyers who want software to meet basic home and small business needs. It also is a good choice for someone who finds his or her present software too difficult to use or who needs more power but but doesn’t want to spend a lot of money getting it.

BETTER WORKING EIGHT-IN-ONE: THE SPECS

Features

The integrated software package has eight applications: word processing, spelling checker, outliner, spreadsheet, database, graphing, communications, desktop organizer with calendar, world clock, memo pad, to-do list, address book and label maker.

Requirements

IBM PC or compatible with 256 kilobytes of random access memory. Two floppy drives, or one floppy and one hard disk. A graphics adapter is required to display graphs, and a modem is needed to use communications. The program occupies three diskettes, and operation is easier on computers equipped with hard disks.

Publisher

Spinnaker Software Corp., 1 Kendall Square, Cambridge, Mass. 02139. Suggested retail price: $59.95.