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ART12
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1993-08-27
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Office Accelerator 2.1
for Windows
by Tony Curro
I have been using a program for over a year, that is a contact
manager. It allows me to keep information on contacts, write
letters, place calls, and more. I have been reviewing, and trying
several other programs since then. I would not give up on this
program as I thought it was the greatest. It is an excellent
program. But, just recently, I was sent a program that IS the
greatest. Office Accelerator (OA) by Baseline Systems.
The first thing I liked about OA was the disk requirements. It only
asks for 2.1 MB of hard disk space. For what it does, I would have
given it 21 MB of space. As its name implies it accelerates your
office tasks, making you more productive in less time. This gives
you more time to play your favorite game, as long as the boss is not
around (grin)!
The whole program is so easy to use, that I was able to run the
installation, answer the questions, and use the program without even
opening the manual. I just looked at the Quick Start Card to get
going, and it only tells you the steps for installation. To install
you MUST close all open applications except Program Manager. OA asks
which word processor you have: WordPerfect, Ami Pro or Word for
Windows. It then asks what fax software (supports all major
products) you use (must have fax modem), if any. Oh, one thing, OA
installs SHARE in AUTOEXEC.BAT file. You MUST use it. I never liked
to use SHARE, so I REMmed the line. OA would not run. After seeing
what OA does, I would rather use SHARE than not be able to use OA.
OA installs itself within your word processor. I use Word, and I now
have where the Window option was on the menu bar.
Accelerator/Window. When you drop this menu down you are presented
with a list of things to do. This is the heart of OA. The only part
of OA you will use most is the Phone Book. Options on the menu
include: Phone Book, Quick Letter, Label, Envelope, Form, Fax,
Multiples, Reports, Create/Edit, Calculator (Windows), Accelerator
Print.
Phone Book is where you enter your data. You can import a DBF or
ASCII text delimited file into the phone book. When you enter data
in the phone book you can specify a distribution list, create a new
list, or leave it blank. For example, I created two lists: Personal
and Contacts. Now all my friends and acquaintances go in personal,
and business related go in contacts. You can create as many as you
like. You can enter multiple phone numbers: Business, Fax, Home,
Car, etc. Again you can add your own names in this field. OA allows
you the flexibility to name things, or do things, in most cases, the
way YOU want them.
Create/Edit is where you customize a letter, envelope, fax, etc., as
you want it to be. I selected the letter option. I used Create New
(you cannot edit a default file), but must create a new one based on
the design. I was placed in Word, and started to edit. First I like
the company name centered on top, bold, and larger than the default.
No problem. I then wanted to place my logo there. No problem. I also
wanted a default font for the letter that is different from the one
OA selects. Again, no problem. When you are done, you select Save
from the File Menu and your design is there. OA always defaults to
the last used format, so when you write your letter, it should have
selected the one you created. I did my envelope the same way, and
placed my logo there.
All the options: Letter, Envelope, Fax, etc., has the word Quick in
front of them. You just select the one you want, say letter, and the
phone book pops up. Search for, or select a name if the book has
already been accessed, say continue, and the whole letter will be
formatted using the template you created or one you selected. It
places date, salutation, recipient name/address, closing, your name
and title. It even has options for: typist's initials, enclosure,
cc:, etc. All placed in the proper place. Labels, Forms, Fax and
Envelope all work in the same basic format. You can create or use
existing templates for all of them.
Multiple allows you to print more than one copy of a letter, label,
etc. It inserts your fields in the letter, and then reads the
information from the Phone Book, or you can specify a group that you
wish printed.
Report allows you to print hard copy phone lists for all or any part
of your Phone Book. OA comes with several reporting formats
including formats for Day-Timer, Day-Runner, LeFax, Franklin, and
standard Rolodex cards. You have complete flexibility to modify and
create your own reporting formats.
Using Quick Address, you can place a name/address from OA Phone Book
into all Windows applications. I liked this, because if I did not
want to use the template, I could use the default blank page of
Word, and paste a name/address into it. It is all done in one step
from OA. You do not have to select copy and then paste. There is
also auto dial with re-dial, postal barcode support, and more.
When you first install OA you must set up your printer. You can set
up different bins for various documents. I used lower for letters,
and upper for envelopes. Accelerator Print is the ONLY print option
you should select after you install OA. This allows you to print a
letter and envelope with one click. It formats both, and then, in my
case, took the envelope from the top and printed it, then it took
the letterhead from the lower tray and printed that. I find this to
be a big time saver.
I guess you can tell that I like this program. I have only one
regret. That is that I did not get this program sooner. If you use
any of the above features, and use any of the mentioned word
processors, and you do NOT own Office Accelerator, you are missing
out on a wonderful piece of software. I cannot see anyone being
displeased with this product. The product comes in single and
network versions.
Product Information
Office Accelerator 2.1
List Price -- $129.95
Baseline Data Systems, Inc.
3625 Del Amo Blvd.
Suite 245
Torrance, CA 90503
310-214-8528
310-214-8529 (FAX)