WPC 2BVgW?3|Hman 10pt (ASCII) (Port) (FW) aeWA,,}}Wo> PA"^,40\p(88T,4,4\\\\\\\\\\00Xllxtl`x(ThXxhpl`thddd<4 PA,,0#o2 \3|H"^(08Tx,@DT$8(,TTTTTTTTTT0,Ltlt|pd<@pp|dp\hxltdpH,DT(XTHTH0HX,,T,XXTT8@0XLpD@@TTT"^,40\p(88T,4,4\\\\\\\\\\00Xllxtl`x(ThXxhpl`thddd<4 PA,,0#o"^(88T(@@T(8(,TTTTTTTTTT,,Pptth PAtb?F5$,%Fo> PfQZN^hVA(,N}d}V [ PAraeS>(,s}q}S `> XiAh :=3&,3t> XA8?3&,,3 [ PA2 @@yj4@@@@@@@@@@@@@ D8iwpwpwwpwwwwFwwpHwwIwwpJwwKwwFwwGww%  ww&  ww&  ww& ww&ww& ww% ww* ww)wwKww?ww?ww@wwwwAwwAww@wwKww 8ww 9ww 9ww 9ww 9ww 9ww 9ww 8wwKwwpJwwIwwpHwwEwwpwwwpwwpwiyj4@@@@@@@@@@@@@ D8iwpwpwwpwwwwFwwpHwwIwwpJwwKwwFwwGww%  ww&  ww&  ww& ww&ww& ww% ww* ww)wwKww?ww?ww@wwwwAwwAww@wwKww 8ww 9ww 9ww 9ww 9ww 9ww 9ww 8wwKwwpJwwIwwpHwwEwwpwwwpwwpwi <<d    ,,  Fo> PfQ IYM Software Review "3,4 4" Page 11 y%,dddy   8%҇ }V [ PAd graphs it creates directly on worksheets. Second, for all its advanced functionality, Wingz contains sloppy implementations ah  of several features. Therein lies the crux of the issue. Do you want added features, or a (subjectively) more comfortable work experience? XBoth programs are installed for you by Windows in typically ah  easy routines, and occupy about 1.5 megabytes of disk space. Excel, however, because it was written for earlier Windows ah  implementations and has only been updated (so far) for Windows 3.0 memory compliance, stops short of putting a ah  program icon in one of your program groups. Documentation is similar, as well. The thick, alphabetically arranged reference manuals are probably all you'll need once you learn the basics, accomplished via an online tutorial in Excel, and by ah  following examples in the "user's guide" that accompanies Wingz. A volume devoted to the two programs' powerful ah  macro languages is included with each, and Excel also includes ah  a sturdy template for the 123ĩmimicking function key ah  assignments, plus a getting started/quick reference booklet, while Wingz comes with a reference card for navigation; the ah  program virtually ignores function keys. We give the nod for clarity to Excel, in spite of the differences between operations ah  under prior versions of Windows (for which its books were ah  written) and the current one. Even in the tutorial, Wingz's is ah  full of prose such as this: "To enter numbers into your worksheet, select the cell or range of cells that you want to use for the numeric data. To enter a positive number, simply type the number and press , , , , , , , , click the accept entry icon, or click the mouse on the worksheet." Got that? XWingz's packaging is a bit quirky, using a box much larger ah  than necessary, and excluding sleeves for the cellophanewrapped program diskettes. These oddities are more then compensated for by a most welcome occurrence: if you ever migrate to OS/2, the upgrade is even better then free; disks for that operating system are included in the package. BRAVO! The practice of expecting users to buy a new ah  program, even when presented as a relatively inexpensive upgrade, is unconscionable, and hopefully Informix Software starts a new trend with the move here. XThe advantages of using a Windowsĩbased spreadsheet over ah  one that is characterbased are present in both products. Actions such as resizing the width of a column are reduced to simple point, drag, and click operations, and graphs are created by highlighting the appropriate data ranges (also point and click), and issuing the "graph" command. In Excel, ah  this is done by creating a new graph file, and Wingz does it ah  by selecting the graph icon and pointing to the spot on the worksheet where you want to place the graph. 123ĩentrench ah ԭed users, take a look at this. XExcel uses a 256 column by 16,384 row matrix, for a total ah  potential data space of 4.1 million cells. Wingz provides 32,768 ah  by 32,768 (over one billion). Sound impressive, but there aren't too many PCs capable of loading and working on a document of either size, so the advantage is immaterial. Both can perform recalculations either automatically or on command, but Excel beats Wingz in one very important regard: ah  Switching away from Excel to work in other programs during X0 the number crunching is virtually instantaneous, while internal workings of Wingz delay execution of a switch command ah  considerably. In one of our tests, a delay of nearly twenty seconds was encountered. y!a Li yjddPROFILEy U 1  1 5!A(Add( 3t> XA  Product Name  3 [ PA,  :=  Wingz $499 Informix Software 16011 College Blvd. Lenaxa, KA 66219 (800)GET SMART5yAa Ly-yjddPROFILEy 1 ! 1 KAA(dd( 3t> XA  Product Name  3 [ PA,  :=  Excel $495 Microsoft Corporation 16011 NE 36th Way P.O. Box 97017 Redmond WA 980739717 (206)8828080KIKPrinting with either program yielded similar results in terms of time and quality of output, but this is determined more by Window's Print Manager then by features internal to the ah  spreadsheets. In a byte for byte comparison, however, Wingz ah  $%%v !%$wins out, because the files !%it creates are only about !%half the size of those from !%Excel, and are processed ah  !%more quickly. Database !%!%features are similar, as well, !%!%but the nod here goes to !%!%Excel for it's form based ah  !%!%entry and querybyexample !%!%(QBE) abilities. Miscel!%!%Ԛlaneous niceties found in !%!%both include file and data !%protection features such as !%passwords and assignment !%of readonly status, the !%ability to create notes that !%explain the basis of your %%work (although the methods of implementation are very different), and usually bidirectional data exchange abilities with a range of other spreadsheets, ASCII file formats, and in Excel only, facilities for transfer of information to and from ah  dBASE II or III files. ah  $%%A%$IKWingz has a few features ah  A%not found in Excel. You can ah  A%have Wingz automatically ah  A%save your work for you after A%one to 999 minutes (yup, A%A%over sixteen hours), and A%A%inputting dates to workA%A%Ԛsheets is smarter in Wingz; ah  A%A%it automatically recognizes A%A%date text that is spelled out A%A%alphabetically, as well as the A%A%numeric formats understood A%by Excel. Then, there's ah  A%Ԛgraphing. While both proA%grams do admirable jobs of A%displaying many variations A%of businessstyle chart for'%%mats, only Wingz includes support of scientific layouts such as ah  two and threedimensional polar, contour, surface, and wireframe. Wingz also includes drawing and objectmanipulat ah ԭing tools for further customization. Compared to those found in programs designed specifically for such purposes they're primitive, but this is a spreadsheet, remember? IKThere are two questions to answer here. Is a Windows ah  spreadsheet inherently better then one running under character based DOS, and which of the Windows choices is superior ah  to the other. To the first question, we respond with an emphatic yes. Easier formatting and publishing capabilities, and a much higher (memorybased rather than program