IBMJX software 'serious'
By Richard Gorham
To coincide with the recent unveilingof their new JX computer, IBM NZ has
also released a range of software specifically for use with the machine.
The quantity, and probably more
importantly, quality of the softwareannounced is proof of the seriousness
with which IBM intends to market themachine.
Each of the more than 100 packages
is presented in a large plastic box similar
to an overgrown audio cassette jacket,
and shrink-wrap sealed for perfect"freshness".
The package will typically contain one
or more of the JX's sensible 3.5 inch diskettes encoded with the software,
together with comprehensive documentation in paperback-bound A5 format.
Over 95 percent of the packages will
run on the standard 128k single 3.5 inch
drive JX. The exceptions require either
more memory, usually 256k (although
one package does require 384k), or
extra peripherals specific to the application (such as a host PC- XT in the case of
the cluster program).
The applications covered range fromthe surprisingly comprehensive education software to the inevitable spreadsheet, work-processor, and other business programs, through the program
development area (with no less thanseven languages supported), and into
the domestic "entertainment" area.

Co-operative
Most of the packages are IBMsourced with nine being marketed inconjunction with the original software
company.
Examples of this co-operative
approach are the release of Multiplan on
diskette, and the stated "imminent"
release of Lotus 1-2-3 on JX ROM cartridge.
A large quantity of the software is
aimed at the educational market, with avariety of primary, intermediate andsenior levels being addressed.
The JX machine provided for review
last month was delivered with five educational packages, and four packages
aimed at the general business anddomestic areas.
The first of the educational programs
was "Picture Play" — a word and memory development program aimed at the 3
to 6 year age range.
My two-year-old daughter and I foundthis to be an amusing and relatively challenging application, and it was run several times in succession before thenovelty began to wear off (I don't know if

it's significant, but she tired of it before Idid!)
The program allows the participant(s)to either match a word to a range of symbols, match a symbol to a range of likesymbols (eg a picture of a hammer witha picture of a screwdriver), or play agame of matching a number of hidden
symbols with other hidden symbols —each turn revealing a symbol then hiding
it again in the same manner as the age
old "battleship" game.

Rewards
Correct replies are greeted with electronic chirps, much to the glee of theyounger viewers. Completing each setof questions results in an amusinggraphics interlude (even greater glee!)There are six different quizzes to try.
Each of the quizzes' 12 questions are
randomly picked from a pool of 30 possible ones so the same quiz can be run
more than once in succession without
losing too much audience attention.
The only slightly distracting aspect isthe use of a few symbols (for example astreet-side fire-hydrant) that are glaringly specific to the USA. I'm sure thatthe programmer(s) could have used
more universal symbols without sacrificing any of the value of such icons.
From the technical point of view I cansay that the program has been wellthought out, with a pleasing balance ofsimple commands and sophisticatedgraphics.
Whilst I am not qualified to make anassessment of the educational value ofsuch a product I am informed by my local
primary-school teacher (i.e. spouse)that it would be fairly useful in either agroup classroom situation or on an individual pupil basis — providing of coursethat the classroom in question had
access to the necessary JXs (said in atone of some scepticism, I must report).
I would give the package 8 out of 10
for general ease of use, quality of programming and value for money.

Scientific
The other four educational packages
supplied comprise the "Earth ScienceSeries", designed to be used by highschool or college level students in eithergroup or self- study science/geographyenvironments.
The objectives of the series are to givethe student an insight into the processes
at work in the physical environment, andidentify how these processes affectpeople and in turn how people change
the environment.
The general format of each of theprograms is to describe a particular concept by means of screens combining
text, diagrams, and at times moving
graphics (i.e. clouds moving from theoceans across the land and raining).
Key concepts and words are reinforced by short quizzes interspersed
throughout the course of the program,
together with a comprehensive test afterthe summary.
I skimmed through two of the four
programs and found them stimulating
enough to maintain interest without any
difficulty. I also did fairly well in the tests,
which may or may not indicate that thematerial was well presented.

Usefulness
I would rate the programs as being
technically very well presented, making
good use of the relatively limited
graphics facilities available together withwell timed "refresher" quizzes.
However, I do feel that real usefulnessof the programs would be very much aquestion of integrating them into othercourse material to extract the full potential — perhaps courses would have to beestablished around the programs?
This does raise a question in my mind,
as to the suitability of overseas educational software to the local educational
curriculum — especially if teachers areexpected to devise all the support material themselves.
Nevertheless, the programs themselves would seem to achieve what they
set out to do in an effective and stimulating way.
The other supplied packages werefour programs from the "Assistant"series of home and small business applications software. This series, nine packages in total, is an integrated set ofstraight-forward programs designed toaddress the usual PC applications ofword processing, spreadsheeting, simple database storage and retrieval,graphing, and communications.
All the programs are available for both
PC senior and JX machines. To give acomprehensive review of each of thepackages in this small space would nobe realistic. Each would warrant a column to itself.
Instead, I will give a brief overview of
their function and make comment on
their general suitability for their intended
market (typically this would be first-time
PC users, small businesses, or experi(Coatinued on page Ara

Bits & Bytes—December 1985 69

(Continued from page 69)

enced users requiring only infrequent
access to PC applications software).

Assistants
The four programs evaluated were:Filing Assistant (a simple data storage
and retrieval package), Reporting Assistant (companion to Filing Assistant, providing hardcopy reports from the storeddata), Graphing Assistant (giving business graphics such as bar-charts, andline graphs), and Writing Assistant (asimple word-processing program).
Each of the programs follows a similar
format, being menu- driven, with options
selected by entering the appropriate
choice by means of an option number,and with a consistent screen layout andsequence of operation,
There are no "windows", fancy
graphics, or provision for electricrodents. In short, no frills.
This style of application design, simple as it is. goes somewhat against thecurrent trends in PC applicationsoftware. Most of the recent PC packages released seem to be trying to fit
more and more features into what arebasically simple applications, presumably as a one-up-man-ship, window dressing attempt to outsell their competitors.
No wonder then that the average firsttime PC purchaser/user can becomerather bewildered when it comes to buying software. It can be very difficult toseparate essential from non-essential
ingredients in a software package without in-depth experience of utilising suchproducts.
One statistic may highlight my concern more dramatically. Two years ago I
did a mini-survey of word-processing
packages available for the IBM PC andclones. The staggering thing was that
there were 80 different packages available on the NZ market alone (I wonder
how many now?). How on earth should
you choose one?

Bare essentials
This is where the Assistant series'"bare-essentials-only" approach could
score well in the market.

70 Bits & Bytes - December 1985

My experience of assisting first-timeusers is that they want simple applications packages which may be limited in
facilities but which can be used without along training and familiarisation period. If
the package is going to be usedinfrequently then this will also be a factor.
One other point is that the easier it isfor users to become totally familiar with apackage then the more confident they
will be when it comes to solving those
awkward real-life type problems thatnever seem to be examples in the training manual.
With complex packages the user may
well give up trying to solve this type ofproblem — the solution may take moretime to research and craft than resortingto manual methods, and given thatchoice most users will opt for the method
they feel most comfortable with.

Word-processor
Writing Assistant is a very simple
word- processing package giving fullscreen editting of text files.
All of the text formatting commands
are either menu-driven or by extensive
on-screen prompting.
The program is of the "what-you-seeis-what-you-get" variety. If you tell theprogram to underline characters, it willshow them underlined on the screen (aswell as in printout), if you emphasize
characters then they will be highlighted
on screen.
This is in contrast to some other wellknown word processing packages.
where formatting commands have to beembedded in the text for subsequent
printing operations to unscramble.
In line with the integrated approach of
the rest of the Assistant series. Writing
Assistant provides some powerful
facilities for interchanging data with theother packages.
Form letters can easily be produced
using Filing Assistant files. For example
the same letter could be produced for all
the names and addresses in a file disk,
substituting the correct name andaddress in the appropriate places on theletter.
The package even has a rather handy
facility for labelling envelopes (something I still have problems doing with myold favourite — Wordstar).

Files
Filing Assistant (as its namesuggests) allows the user to set up simple files of data for subsequent retrieval
or update.
The method of defining the file to be
stored is by creating an input/output"form" on screen by simply typing in afield-name (terminated by a colon) anywhere on the screen.
Data can then be entered into the fileby calling up the "form" in insert mode,and typing in the relevant field data.
Various records in the file can beretrieved by means of field selection
criteria. For example, any record having
a name-field containing "Smith" could
be retrieved for viewing or printing.
Selection criteria can be quite complex if desired, with combinations offields being selected. Exclusion of certain records can also be achieved.
The program teams up with all theother Assistant programs to provide themeans of storing data for use in Graphing Assistant, Writing Assistant, orReporting Assistant.

Report sort
Reporting Assistant is the naturalcompanion (sic) to Filing Assistant inthat it provides the means of producing
reasonably complex hard-copy reports
with simple formatting commands.
Reports can be sorted on up to four
different key-fields. with automatic subtotalling and grand-totalling on changeof key- fields.
Edit masks can be provided for fields
to be printed (i.e. to insert decimal
points, dollar signs etc).
Graphing Assistant allows the user toproduce on-screen or printed graphs ofdata input directly through the keyboard
or via Filing Assistant files previouslyestablished. Data can also be utilised
from some other (non-Assistant) packages.
Graphs can be produced in either line
or bar format. Pie-charts cannot be produced. but I can't say I miss them.
Graphs can be stored on disk for subsequent incorporation into Writing
Assistant document files, thus a reporton sales this year might include a bar
chart of the sales by month.
All in all I found the Assistant programs to be straight- forward and easy touse.
Limitations in each of the programs
may cause some of the more experienced users to search for more sophisticated packages to meet their needs, butthey would probably be surprised atwhat an enterprising "novice" could
achieve with the facilities provided here.