Review
Palantir, Select, or Scripsit 2.0, which is best for you?
Three Model II Word Processors
Palantir Word Processing
Designer Software
3400 Montrose Blvd., Suite 718
Houston, TX 77006
$499
Select Word Processing Select Information Systems 680 Beach St., Suite 396 San Francisco, CA 94109 $595
Scripsit 2.0 Tandy/Radio Shack Fort Worth, TX Cat. #26-4531 $399
Paul Grupp
10 F1001 Esplonde Way Casselberry, FL 32707
Shopping for some business programs is a simple proposition. Need a mail list program? Send for literature from several manufacturers. Then pick the one that meets your requirements for capacity, speed of data entry, sorting and printout format.
Of course, it's not that simple, but most will agree that certain types of programs lend themselves to objective comparison. Others, like serious word processors, are not as easy to evaluate in objective terms. Whether you are a secretary churning out business letters, a novelist creating the next bestseller, or a technical writer sweating over documentation, you're likely to have some very strong feelings about how your word processor should behave. Since all good word processors now produce comparable results, it is in the highly subjective area of user friendliness and interaction that they must be compared.
Bearing this in mind, I'll compare three different word-processing programs for the TRS-80 Model II. I found all three to be high-
quality, professionally produced products. Their manufacturers have made sincere and largely successful attempts to satisfy both beginners and hardened veterans. All three offer the usual cursor controls, scrolling, word wrap around, typeover, and insert and delete options. They also include text-formatting features such as left and right-justification of text, block movement, lock, deletion, tabs, headers, footers, full control over format, file merging, special printer controls, global search and replace, and so on.
Two of the programs, Select and Palantir, require CP/M. Scripsit 2.0 is supplied with TRSDOS. I offer no judgment on the relative merits of TRSDOS versus CP/M, except to point out that all three programs are designed to be self-contained. Once they are installed, you don't need to know anything about the operating system you are using unless you want to, so choice of operating system is less of a factor than it might otherwise be.
Installation
Getting a word-processing program up and running is the first stumbling block for any user, experienced or beginner. As it turns out, all three deserve high praise for ease of installation.
Palantir must be configured for a user's specific computer and terminal by the dealer before it can be used—a slight inconvenience for the mail-order customer, but also a positive assurance that everything is working correctly. When you get it back home, all you need to know is where to put the disk. One thing to keep in mind about CP/M programs is that the price you pay for CP/M's highly touted portability is possible confusion about the function of control keys. No two computers are exactly alike, so Palantir thoughtfully includes a keyboard map for 30 different computers, including the Model II. The instructions refer to specific keys by their function. You sim ply look up the function you want on the chart for your machine, and it tells you which key to punch.
The only other area requiring customization is printer selection. Palantir includes print drivers for a variety of printers, and these may be interchanged at any time, which is handy if you use more than one printer.
Select encourages purchasers to have their dealer configure the program for a specific system, but they also make it quick and easy for the end user to install. All you do is put a CP/M, MP/M or CDOS disk in one drive, the Select disk in another, and enter a single command. The program takes care of the rest, pausing occasionally to ask pertinent questions about your computer and printer. When it's finished, you'll have the Select and CP/M on the same disk, customized for your particular system. Unlike Palantir, Select, requires that the printer be specified during installation, so if you have more than one printer, you'll need to make two or more copies of the program. Another small inconvenience is the lack of keyboard maps for specific computers. You may need to spend some time punching keys to figure out which key does what.
Scripsit, furnished with TRSDOS, is specifically designed for the Model II. Installation is a matter of putting the disk into the drive and flipping the reset switch. Tandy thoughtfully refrained from implementing a back-up protection scheme on Model II Scripsit, so you may make as many backups as you need. When it comes to printer interface, Scripsit is not quite as flexible as the other programs. If you have a Line Printer IV or Daisy Wheel II, everything is hunky-dory, but owners of other printers may or may not be able to use all their printer's special functions. If you are on good terms with Assembly-language programming (or know someone who is) you can use the information furnished in an appendix of the manual to write a driver to meet your printer's
After three years of selling my Model I and Model HI programs, I've earned back my development costs.
Now I'm offering my Model I and Model III programs for $75 each.
They've been checked out by thousands of TRS-80* users, most of whom get in touch with me, Irwin Taranto. Thousands of phone calls later, these systems are completely developed, checked out, glitch-free.
When people call, we've heard all the questions and we can answer them right off. I don't have to get on the phone and work through problems like I used to.
Since I'm getting off so easy, the least I can do is drop the price-50% for General Ledger, 25% for the rest.
These are my Model I and Model III programs: Accounts Payable It links to the General Ledger, calculates and prints checks and makes reports. It's an invoice-linked system. Accounts Receivable It keeps track of billed and unbilled invoices, open and closed items and aging. It prints statements and links to the General Ledger.
General Ledger It keeps track of time by month, quarter, year and the previous three quarters. It even includes a Cash Journal. Inventory Control It gives an immediate readout on any item inquiry, including quantity and dollar total.
Invoicing It prints your detailed invoices and links to Accounts Receivable and the General Ledger.
Payroll It keeps the files, computes pay and deductions, prints forms and checks, figures taxes, overtime and piecework pay in any state tax routine, and prints the 941-A and W-2 forms. They're all yours, for $75 each. You also need docu mentation when you run our systems. The Osborne books-one for Accounts Payable and Receivable, one for General Ledger, one for Payroll-cost $20 each. Our invoicing book costs $10.
Just send me the coupon, or call us toll free. We'll ship within 48 hours.
Please send me the following programs at $75 each:
book 0
Please send me the following programs at $75 each:
book 0
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Accounts Payable |
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