I am always forgetting where I've stored my documents, so I thought I would love Outlook's journal option. Outlook Journal tracks your use of Microsoft products, and you can open your documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and databases by clicking on them in the date-stamped time line it compiles. As it turns out, I never did use Outlook Journal. If I had to track the amount of time I spent on specific jobs, the journal might prove useful, but since I don't, I'd rather not have it eating up space on my disk or slowing down my other programs. I consider this another feature that sizzles but is largely steakless.
Microsoft is touting Office 97's new Office Assistant, but I'm sure I'm not the only experienced user who is annoyed by such on-line meddlers. Assuming the guise of Shakespeare, a smiley face, Albert Einstein, a dog named Power Pup, or one of six other choices, this reincarnation of the famously failed Bob answers questions and occasionally suggests ways to make the most of suite components.
I chose Albert to be my assistant. He stood there, blinking and scratching his face, until I clicked on him and typed, "How do I convert a Word document to HTML?" He did respond with a list of appropriate help files, but he was still a nuisance. It seemed I was forever having to move him out of my way. When exasperation took over, despite his objections--he pouted and stamped his feet--I was glad to turn him off.
Although Microsoft dominates the market, some Lotus loyalists prefer SmartSuite 97, which works well with other Lotus products like Notes and Domino. SmartSuite includes 1997 versions of the company's 1-2-3 spreadsheet, Word Pro, Approach, Freelance Graphics presentation software, Organizer, and ScreenCam--multimedia software that can record your work, keystroke by keystroke. If you're like me--I cut my teeth on an early version of 1-2-3, and most of the Lotus commands remain etched in my subconscious--you'll easily find your way around all the SmartSuite software. Unlike earlier versions, though, all the new software is 32 bit, and users can exploit such Windows 95 features as long file names. SmartSuite's street price--$399.99--is lower that its Microsoft counterpart.
Several of the Lotus programs have SmartMasters (similar to Microsoft Wizards) to help users. Working in Approach, in less time than I take to eat lunch, one of those SmartMasters guided me through the process of designing an interactive survey that lets us enter responses as we get them. Approach is also ready to do cross tabs and other queries. In the past we had to translate survey responses into numerical codes before we could compile results in an Excel spreadsheet.
SmartCenter, SmartSuite 97's user interface, operates like a file cabinet for the entire suite: you get to applications, files, and tools by opening the virtual drawers on your screen. The reference drawer, for example, holds a dictionary and a thesaurus, and the Internet drawer gives quick access to headlines, stock quotes, weather, and bookmarks. One click is all it takes to reach your favorite Web site.
Back in the early 1980s, when Lotus released its earliest versions of 1-2-3, I was one of the program's original fans. I learned to make it work for me and, over the years, came to depend on its flexibility for many of my business chores. Over time, however, I grew used to the consistent interface of Microsoft's products, and for that reason I find that Office 97--particularly the Professional Edition--has a slight edge over SmartSuite 97. Integration among applications is excellent, it's a breeze to incorporate data from one program into another, and the interface with the Internet is simple and practical. However, the Lotus SmartSuite applications are also beautifully integrated, and its Web connectivity is excellent as well. Since both the Microsoft and Lotus products are terrific at the basics, I recommend that you purchase the one whose interface works best for you.
These are elegantly efficient tools, but like any professional apparatus, they are valuable only if you train the people who are going to use them. Each product has numerous important features, many of which I discovered only by accident. The stumbling-around approach is obviously an inefficient way to learn, and you run the risk of never realizing what these suites can do--or how easily they can do it. Without proper preparation, you could inadvertently reduce these powerful tools to glorified electric typewriters and calculators.
Jordan Ayan is president of Create-It! Inc., a consulting and professional-speaking company in Naperville, Ill., and the author of Aha! 10 Ways to Free Your Creative Spirit and Find Your Great Ideas.
The Product: Microsoft Office 97 Professional Edition, Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA (1-800-426-9400; MSRP: $599)
Basic Requirements: 486 or higher; with Windows 95, 8-12 MB memory to run individual programs; with Windows NT 3.1, 16 MB memory to run individual programs; typically 121 MB hard-disk space; CD-ROM drive; super VGA video adapter and 256 colors recommended; Internet access at 14.4 Kb recommended.
Note: Check with the retailer or manufacturer for additional requirements for specific parts of each suite.
The Product: Microsoft Office 97 Small Business Edition (MSRP: $499)
Basic Requirements: 486 or higher; with Windows 95, 8-12 MB memory to run individual programs; with Windows NT 3.51 or Workstation 4.0, 16 MB memory to run individual programs; typically 196 MB hard-disk space; CD-ROM drive; super VGA video adapter and 256 colors recommended; Internet access at 14.4 Kb recommended.
The Product: SmartSuite 97, Lotus Development Corp., Cambridge, MA (1-800-343-5414; MSRP: $679)
Basic Requirements: 486/50 or higher; with Windows 95, 8 MB memory to run individual programs; with Windows NT 4.0, 16 MB memory to run individual programs; minimum 82 MB hard-disk space; VGA video adapter.
