APPLE II
The biggest news of the summer for Apple II fans was Claris's announcement of AppleWorks 3.0, an Impressive upgrade to the II's most popular productivity software package. Scheduled for release by the time you read this, 3.0 should make every AppleWorks user a happy camper.
The AppleWorks upgrade wasn't developed by Claris, but by another well-known company: Beagle Bros. Flushed from success with its TimeOut series of AppleWorks add-ons. Beagle Bros. was commissioned to create 3.0 under Claris's direction. The result is the most significant change to AppleWorks since the product's release in 1983.
All three AppleWorks modules have been changed. The word processor now sports a spelling checker (reportedly the most asked-for feature by AppleWorks users). Version 3.0's spelling checker is faster, is smarter, and uses a larger dictionary than QuickSpell, the Beagle Bros. Time-Out add-on upon which it is based. Even phonetic spellings are recognized by the checker, which offers intelligent alternatives. Right justification and an enhanced tab system are two other important additions.
The AppleWorks 3.0 spreadsheet offers 26 new functions, ranging from advanced trigonometric to useful financial functions. Even though most of these functions have long been part of nearly every other spreadsheet for nearly every other computer, their arrival in AppleWorks is a major event.
Database enhancements include the ability to recall up to 20 report formats and multiple sorting levels.
Some program wide improvements have also been made, particularly in the memory-management, printer, and clipboard areas. AppleWorks 3.0 now recognizes all popular memory cards, supports 22 new printers, and lets you directly transfer information via the clipboard between all three modules.
Even with all these changes, however, AppleWorks 3.0 still works on a 128K Apple II (though there's only about 40K left for the desktop). The new version can read exisiting AppleWorks files, so transferring data to 3.0 won't be a problem. But, once you've used a 3.0–specific feature in a file, you can't use it with an earlier version of Apple Works.
If you are a registered owner of AppleWorks and haven't already been contacted by Claris, call (800) 544-8554 to get upgrade information. The cost to upgrade is only $79, a bargain (or the increased power and convenience of 3.0; the program carries a price tag of $249 if you're buying AppleWorks for the first time.
Claris is to be commended not only for the program itself, but also for the confidence it shows in the Apple II's future.
For more information about AppleWorks 3.0, contact Claris at 5201 Patrick Henry Drive, Box 58168, Santa Clara, California 95052-8168; (408) 987-7000.
Print Anew
Brøderbund Software made The Print Shop a name recognized by almost every Apple II owner. Now it's readying an improved version, The New Print Shop.
This isn't just an upgrade, but a whole new program. Ease of use has been greatly improved. Users can now backtrack through the design process to make changes. Multiple fonts and multiple graphics can now be placed on a page, freeing users from the simplistic designs of the original Print Shop. Other added features in The New Print Shop include a calendar feature offering four formats, extra-large poster printing (up to 9 feet × 6½ feet), gift tag-sized cards, and a what-you-see-is-what-you-get preview function.
The New Print Shop requires at least 128K of memory and runs on all Apple II machines (there's not a IIGS-specific version of The New Print Shop, but the IIGS version of the original Print Shop will still be sold). Suggested retail price Is $49.95.
Contact Brøderbund Software at 17 Paul Drive, San Rafael, California 94903; (800) 521-6263 for more information.
—Gregg Keizer