Magnum One/Magnum One (Mid-American Digital) (Disc Manufacturing).iso/d16/packrat3.arc/PACKRAT3.ASC

Text File | 1990-07-16 | 13KB | 241 lines

PackRat 3.0 All New for Windows 3.0
Graphic Views, User Customization and Exciting New Features

Escondido (San Diego area), California  -- May 22, 1990 --
Polaris Software  today announced major upgrades to Polaris
PackRat, the popular Information  Manager and Polaris PackRat
for Networks, the Group Information Manager for networks.
Both products have been completely rewritten to take advantage
of Windows 3.0. These programs combine all the strengths of
previous versions of PackRat with the addition of a graphical
presentation of information in the form of graphic calendars,
gantt charts and color icons.

A new beginning user interface is included that helps new users
to Windows and PackRat get started quickly.  New functions have
been added to manage financial accounts like checkbooks and
credit cards, do quick accurate time accounting and billing in a
new Time Management facility, and manage projects with the new
executive Project Management function, resulting in a blend of
features and ease of use that improves the productivity of any
information worker.

PackRat contains all the standard features that users of infor-
mation managers have come to expect and introduces several new
capabilities which extend the meaning of "Information Manager."
The new design of PackRat's main screen allows users to select
which facilities of the 15 available they want displayed. Users
can select the calendar view they want (if any) from a graphical
calendar displayed by day, week or month or a list of appoint-
ments. Users can choose how the information of each facility is
displayed.  For example, they can display information as lists,
journals, gantt charts or a special time management view.  Each
user can further customize the information by selecting the
fields that are displayed and their sort sequence.

Every facility in PackRat has been enhanced.  Most fields can
accommodate 100 characters and a 32,000 character note area has
been added to Phone Book entries. These entries now can have two
addresses and an unlimited number of phone numbers. A user can
have up to five PackRat data files open at the same time. Boolean
searches are available. Costs can be automatically computed for
any timed activity.  In addition to these and many more enhance-
ments, the following major functions have been added:

PackRat for Networks 3.0 includes all the enhancements of the
stand-alone version with additional enhancements in the group
coordination and calendaring. A new feature that allows documents
from any application to be routed to a group of users on a network
for their review, has been added.  The routing can be dependent on
the response of each reviewer.  For example, if Jack approves,
route it next to Julie, but if Jack does not approve, route it to
Scott.  Users are notified when a document is in their In Box for
review or if they are late with the review.  A complete record of
the review process is available to the person initiating the review.

Macros for Word for Windows, Microsoft Excel

Polaris includes with PackRat 3.0 macros for Word for Windows and
Excel.  The original macros have been enhanced and new macros added
to allow information to be automatically exchanged between these
applications using Windows Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE).

With the introduction of these two products, Polaris Software demon-
strates its dedication to providing technically leading products that
enhance the productivity of information workers.  Polaris is a lead-
ing advocate of the integrated graphical workstation, which the
PackRat 3.0 products support so well.  PackRat 3.0 joins Microsoft
Word for Windows and Microsoft Excel's use of the consistent IBM
SAA/CUA specification and the extensive use of DDE.

New Features

Just Beginning Main Screen: This screen is intended for new users.
It displays fewer icons.  The information entered using the Just
Beginning screen is preserved when the user changes to the normal
PackRat screen.

Main Screen: The Main screen has been redesigned to provide a better
look with the color icons positioned at the top of the screen below
the menu bar.

Commitment Gantt Chart: A gantt chart of the weeks commitments is
displayed with the calendar which shows a full weeks commitments of
Appointments, To-Dos and Project Tasks. Conflicts are identified in
Red.

The Day Schedule Calendar: The Day Schedule is a very special view
that is only available in the Agenda facility.  There are a number
of different features that make it special.  First, the calendar
display maintains a spatial relationship.  This means each half hour
of the day has a space relative to the rest of the day, reserved for
it.  This allows you to quickly look at the display and view how many
activities you have scheduled.  Even though PackRat blocks each half
hour increment, you can enter as many items as you wish for the same
time or times within the half hour segments.  All your entries dis-
play in their proper place. Second, the Activity Icons are displayed.
And third, Agenda, To-Do and Project Management items are displayed
on the screen. You can only view one day's activities with this view.

Calendar View: The calendar view can now be customized for each list.
You can have no calendar, normal calendar, graphic day or graphic
monthly calendar.  The Monthly graphical calendar includes activity
icons for Appointments, To-Dos, Travel and Vacation.  These icons
automatically display if an activity exceeds 24 hours or are speci-
fically selected to display. The daily Time Line, which has been
expanded to included a full week no longer is drawn for a 24 hour
commitment, the icon is displayed instead.

List Views: The lists can have different views depending on the data
displayed. Gantt charts for any time related information, journals
for financial data, lists, Time Management list for special Time
Management accounts.

Time Management Facility: This new facility is intended to allow you
to quickly record how you used your time each day.  Your time is
accumulated in accounts that you create.  The total time spent on
the activities of each account are kept.  The account number and
client number and billing amounts can also be automatically assoc-
iated with the account.  Once the Time Management Account is created,
you just click on the account name to start the accumulation of time.

Financial Accounts Facility: The Expense facility in PackRat 2 has
been changed to the Financial facility in PackRat 3.  We added check
book management, credit card, savings account, payables and
receivables and expense accounts. Each of these facilities can be
viewed with either a list or journal view.  You can reconcile check
books, savings  and credit card accounts.

To-Do Facility: The To-Do facility is just for To-Dos. You can search
To-dos by status, priority, keywords.  The status of a to-do task is
automatic.  You can mark it complete and you can search on the end
dates. An elapsed time timer has been added.

Project Management: The Project Management facility is where you plan
and track projects.  PackRat maintains plan vs.actual dates, resources
assigned, project and task costs, the status of every task and the up
to the minute status of the project.  You can view your project by
task list, gantt chart of tasks and resources.

Resources: The resource facility is used to track resources you use
every day.  These can include conference rooms, demonstration equip-
ment, dump trucks, special medical treatment equipment, etc.  Because
resource types can vary, i.e. conference rooms, overhead projectors,
personal computers, etc., the information you need about each varies.

Alerts Messages: Alert messages are reminders to act. These messages
are presented to you while in PackRat or any other application as
long as PackRat is loaded at least as an icon. When an Alert message
is presented you have a number of options.   You can delete it, re-
scheduling it to a different date and time or delay it for a pre-
defined Snooze time. Alert messages that are not associated with any
items are called Ticklers.

New Browse Function: Once a list of items is displayed, you can browse
from one detailed item to another without returning to the Displayed
List.

Document Routing : PackRat for Network's Disk File facility has an
option to route documents from any application to any PackRat user
on the network. You can create as many Routing Slips as you wish.
Think of a PackRat Routing Slip as a printed office routing slip used
everyday in offices. PackRat allows you to specify where the document
is routed based on the action taken by the reviewing user.  An Alert
message is presented to each user when the item is first placed in
their InBox for review.  An Alert message is also presented to the
reviewing user if the review has not been completed a half an hour
before the due time.  If the review is late, the initiating user is
presented an Alert message.  This attempts to prevent the review pro-
cess stopping because one user did not complete their review.

What's New in Other Facilities

Date search in any facility is accomplished by clicking on a day on
the calendar when the facility is the displayed list. Attaching is now
done in groups.  You can click on a group of items, from one or more
facilities and attach them to another item.

Financial charges are automatically computed based on the client and
resource rate fields in the Phone Book and Resource file.  When an
item that includes an elapse timer is attached to an item in these
facilities, the appropriate amounts are automatically computed.

Phone Book: The Phone Book is where you store all the information
about people, companies, phone numbers, notes of up to 32,000 char-
acters or biography's on a person or company.

*Title Field has been added.
*There are now four User defined keywords.
*New fields - Drop box with Mr., Ms. etc. , Nickname, 4 - user
keywords
*Secondary Address has been added. Now PackRat has two separate
addresses for each entry.
*Unlimited number of Phone Numbers (50+) in each item.
*Cost fields for both Client and Resources have been added. This
allows PackRat to automatically compute what you charge a client
and how much it cost you.
Quick Dial: A Quick Dial list has been added to the Phone menu.
You can enter 10 names.  When you click on the quick dial name, the
associated number is dialed immediately.
Follow up Alert button: This automatically alerts you to follow-up.
There is a Call button in the Follow Up Alert message which when
selected, automatically dials the person without you having to find
the person in your phone book.

Phone Call Notes: Phone Number and Area Code is now a key.

Agenda: Activity Icons have been added for Appointments, Travel and
Vacation.  They can be selected for each item.  These icons display
on the Day Schedule and Monthly Graphic Calendar. The Day Schedule
View has been added.  This shows your meetings and appointments,
to-dos and project tasks for one day on a graphic calendar. The Month
at a Glance View has been added.  This shows a full months activity.
Priority is now a key in the Agenda facility.

Scratch Pad: The Scratch Pad is a special facility where you can put
items from any other facility.  This allows you to build a special
list from which to work or print.

InBox: The InBox is a facility where other users, on a network version
of PackRat, can send any of PackRat's items that they own to bring the
item to the attention of the user to whom it was sent.  The item re-
mains in its facility and can also be found with the normal search
mechanisms.  When an item is deleted from your InBox, it is not deleted
from the facility where it normally resides.

Users and Groups: This facility, available on the network version of
PackRat, allows you to display all the users and groups identified by
the network supervisor to your PackRat system.  You can display each
user and view the groups to which they are members.  You can also
display each group and view the users that are members of that group.
You can attach items to groups and/or users which grants them permission
to view, update and/or delete the items. Attaching with Permissions is a
special type of attaching.

PackRat 2.0 will continue to be offered for OS/2 Presentation Manager
and for Windows 2.+

Polaris PackRat is distributed in Canada by Intelligent Information
Integration. For additional information, call your dealer or:
[phone].