Five group scheduling software packages for Microsoft Windows are reviewed and compared. Included are Microsystems Software Inc's $95-per-single-user CaLANdar 2.25, Powercore International's $395-per-five-user Network Scheduler 3 1.1a, Campbell Services Inc's $129-per-single-user OnTime for Windows 1.51, Microsoft Corp's $195-per-two-user Schedule+ and WordPerfect Corp's $295-per-server-version WordPerfect Office for Windows 4.0. WordPerfect Office scores the highest rating because of its power, flexibility and full range of features. CaLANdar also receives a high mark because of its good range of features and its wide variety of support services. The software is also relatively easy to install. OnTime receives a high overall rating because it is a good value for the price, although it does not work well with multiple servers.
Full Text :COPYRIGHT 1993 InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.
Setting up meetings in a busy office can be both frustrating and time consuming. The larger the meeting, the harder it is to find a time that's good for everyone. A new crop of Windows group schedulers is making the task less daunting by allowing you to scan multiple schedules across a LAN to find times when everyone who should be at a meeting is free. These products automatically notify the attendees and can schedule use of limited resources, such as conference rooms or VCRs.
In this comparison, we take a close look at the five group scheduling packages our readers said they most wanted to read about, according to a survey conducted earlier this summer. We evaluated Microsystems Software Inc.'s CaLANdar, Powercore International's Network Scheduler 3, Campbell Services' OnTime for Windows, Microsoft Corp.'s Schedule+, and WordPerfect Corp.'s WordPerfect Office for Windows.
These programs all offer the same basic tools: Each makes it relatively easy to maintain a personal calendar and set up appointments with coworkers over the network. And, with the exception of Microsoft's Schedule+, each program is available in a DOS version as well.
Beyond these similarities, we found a great deal of variation in the way these products handled our tasks (See "How we tested group schedulers," page 65) and how easy the tasks were to accomplish. Some of the programs, for example, stick to the basics, while others go far beyond simple group scheduling and notification. The most powerful products provide advanced tools for tracking appoint- ments and integration with remote computers and even palmtop systems. WordPerfect Office provides a complete set of office tools, including built-in electronic mail.
Each program has a different feel. Although it is difficult to measure the comfort of an interface objectively, it is an extremely important factor, especially when users must rely on this type of product to manage a wide variety of their daily affairs.
Patrick Marshall is vice president of Pacific Analytica International, an economic research firm based in Seattle, and a regular contributor to InfoWorld covering a variety of product categories.
Source Citation
Marshall, Patrick. "Organize meetings with the greatest of ease." InfoWorld 15.34 (1993): 63+. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Jan. 2010.
Gale Document Number:A14203211
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