OS/2 Shareware BBS: 16 Announce/16-Announce.zip/smartsos.zip/SMARTS.OS2

Text File | 1993-09-16 | 10KB | 208 lines

LOTUS ANNOUNCES{SmartSuite for OS/2}

AUGUST 31, 1993

ORLANDO, Fla., August 30, 1993 -- Lotus Development Corp. today
announced SmartSuite for OS/2, the first complete desktop suite
for IBM's OS/2 2.1 operating system.  The suite comprises
native, 32-bit versions of Ami Pro, 1-2-3, Freelance Graphics
and cc:Mail, which are integrated with OS/2 2.1's powerful
Workplace Shell.

Lotus also today announced an introductory bundle promotion that
includes a free copy of OS/2 2.1 for users who purchase or
upgrade to SmartSuite for OS/2.  Priced at $795 ($595 for the
upgrade), the limited-time bundle will be available beginning
with initial shipments of SmartSuite for OS/2 from all Lotus
Authorized Resellers.  This offer will be valid only while
supplies last.  SmartSuite will begin shipping within 30 days and
be generally available by mid-October.

SmartSuite for OS/2 lets users exploit the full power of
OS/2 2.1 through a complete desktop suite of OS/2 versions of
Lotus' premier software applications.  Each application is
designed to take advantage of OS/2's versatile 32-bit memory
management, the graphical environment of the Workplace Shell,
the timesaving benefits of multithreading, and the security of
a true multitasking operating system.  The applications in the
suite provide cross-platform compatibility with other Lotus
applications and share many interface similarities, including
SmartIcons, with their Windows counterparts.

"With SmartSuite for OS/2, we're delivering a full desktop
suite of industry-leading business tools to make users more
productive," said Dave Laverty, director of SmartSuite
Marketing for Lotus.  "OS/2 users will now be able to leverage
the advanced technology of the OS/2 2.1 operating system with a
set of applications that demonstrate the usability and
functionality standards that Lotus has established."

"Lotus' SmartSuite for OS/2 reinforces the momentum for OS/2
applications in the marketplace," said John Patrick, vice
president of Sales and Marketing, IBM Personal Software Products
division.  "We're delighted with Lotus' response to customer
demand for desktop applications that take advantage of the robust
32-bit OS/2 operating environment.  Leveraging OS/2's proven
reliability, SmartSuite should offer users significant
productivity gains and provide an excellent solution for today's
business computing needs."

SmartSuite for OS/2 goes beyond exploiting the 32-bit personal
computing power of OS/2 by taking advantage of several of
OS/2 2.1's powerful features, including:


Workplace Shell:  Integration of SmartSuite for OS/2
applications with the Workplace Shell enables users to simply
drag and drop Lotus file objects, such as an Ami Pro document or
1-2-3 spreadsheet, to the printer or shredder.  Users can also
simply double click on any SmartSuite for OS/2 application file
icon in order to simultaneously load an associated program and
file.  Work-Area Folders also allow users to collect in one
place related objects, such as Ami Pro reports and cc:Mail
messages related to a single project.  Users may simply open the
folder each day to pick up exactly where they left off  the day
before.

Multithreading:  For each application in SmartSuite, internal,
process-intensive tasks like printing and 1-2-3's unique
Solver capability are carried out on separate OS/2 2.1 threads.
This enables the user to continue working while other
operations are completed in the background.  For example, a user
can easily work on a Freelance presentation while cc:Mail
downloads information from a bulletin board, Ami Pro prints
monthly reports, and 1-2-3 processes a multi-variable problem
with Solver.

Multitasking:  Multitasking allows users to run more than one
Lotus application at a time in a robust, secure environment.
For example, there is no need to close 1-2-3 in order to work
on an Ami Pro proposal or check cc:Mail for new messages.
With multiple SmartSuite applications open at the same time,
users simply flip back and forth among them to conduct
day-to-day business.

Ami Pro for OS/2

OS/2 users now have a native, 32-bit version of the
award-winning Ami Pro 3.0 for Windows.  Written from the ground
up for OS/2, the new version of Ami Pro provides the highest
level of word processing, networking and development power among
OS/2 word processors.

The best word processor for OS/2 application integration,
Ami Pro 3.0 for OS/2 provides complete support for REXX, IBM's
native OS/2 programming language.  Ami Pro is the only word
processor that provides in-line REXX commands in its macro
language, enabling OS/2 corporations to have true integration
between system and application macros.  Users can perform any
Ami Pro function from within their custom REXX applications
and vice versa.

Ami Pro for OS/2 takes advantage of OS/2's multithreading power
and delivers seamless integration with the Workplace Shell,
providing drag-and-drop opening, printing, and shredding of
documents, and offering template creation of new documents based
on 55 professionally designed style sheets.

In addition, Ami Pro possesses an outstanding feature set
similar to that of the Windows product, consistently renowned
for its superior usability, including SmartIcons, Fast Format,
SmartMerge, and Clean Screen.  It is also fully file, Style
Sheet and macro-compatible with Ami Pro for Windows Release 3.0
and similarly can import and export files from WordPerfect for
DOS, Windows or OS/2, Microsoft Word, DisplayWrite native and
DCA, as well as many other text formats.

1-2-3 for OS/2

1-2-3 for OS/2 is the OS/2 version of the world's most popular
spreadsheet.  Only 1-2-3 offers the ease-of-use that a 1-2-3
spreadsheet is known for, while exploiting the 32-bit technology
and graphical environment of OS/2 2.1.  For enhanced usability,
1-2-3 for OS/2 offers customizable, context-sensitive
SmartIcons, which add point-and-click ease to data manipulation,
adjust-to-page printing for automatically resizing worksheets to
fit within a page, and the option to select "collections" of
discontiguous cell ranges. 1-2-3 for OS/2 offers fully
customizable menu and dialog boxes for building spreadsheet
applications that incorporate scroll bars, radio buttons and
check boxes, a C programming language interface and support for
REXX, for enhanced programmability.

Freelance Graphics for OS/2

The award-winning Freelance Graphics for OS/2 is the
only presentation graphics product optimized to take advantage
of the power of OS/2.  Freelance's integration with the
Workplace Shell allows you to drag presentations to the shredder
or printer, or onto cc:Mail to attach to a cc:Mail message.
Freelance is multithreaded so users can print multi-page
graphical jobs without tying up the computer.  Freelance's
SmartStart tutorial and fill-in-the-blanks approach to creating
presentations make Freelance easy to learn and use.  Freelance
includes over 40 professionally designed SmartMaster
presentation templates and nine ready-made page layouts with
on-screen prompts that guide users through the process of
building a presentation.  1-2-3 for OS/2 and Freelance Graphics
for OS/2 provide significant usability benefits, as well as
saving disk and memory space through the use of shared code
modules such as charting.

cc:Mail for OS/2 Workplace Shell (WPS)

cc:Mail for OS/2 is an advanced version of the world's most
widely used electronic mail application.  An object-oriented
E-Mail environment, cc:Mail makes sending, receiving and
organizing messages faster and more intuitive.  Traditional
mail functions such as Inboxes, Message Folders, Bulletin
Boards, and Directories are presented as individual objects
within an enhanced OS/2 Workplace Shell folder. Users can place
each object at desired locations on the desktop, quickly move
between objects, attach documents, and copy, delete or
organize messages simply by dragging and dropping them.
Additionally, cc:Mail for OS/2 WPS adds new mail features, such
as the Message Template Object (MTO), allowing users to create
new mail messages directly from the desktop, and drag-and-drop
file attachments onto the MTO for automatic routing to
pre-defined recipients.

Pricing and Availability

SmartSuite for OS/2 will be available within 4-6 weeks through
Lotus Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $795.
Upgrades will be available for a suggested retail price of $595
to users of any Lotus or competing DOS, Windows or OS/2
spreadsheet, word processor, presentation graphics or electronic
mail package.  For a limited time, commencing with the
availability of SmartSuite for OS/2, users who purchase or
upgrade to SmartSuite for OS/2 2.1 will receive a free copy of
OS/2 2.1.  This offer is good only while supplies last.

System Requirements

SmartSuite for OS/2 requires an Intel 386 SX-compatible or
higher with a minimum 8MB of RAM and 23-35 MB of hard disk space
1-2-3, Freelance and Ami Pro require OS/2 2.0 with Service
Pack or OS/2 2.1, and cc:Mail requires OS/2 2.1.  Other
requirements include a high density drive and OS/2 compatible
mouse.  Use of cc:Mail requires a cc:Mail Platform Pack for OS/2
WPS; users who buy 10 SmartSuite licenses are eligible to
receive a free cc:Mail Platform Pack.

Lotus Development Corp. (NASDAQ:LOTS), founded in 1982, provides
software products and support services that meet the business
needs of individuals, workgroups and enterprises.  Lotus'
extensive range of products form the foundation for the company's
Working Together strategy, which focuses on integrating
applications, platforms and people.  The company's first product,
1-2-3, is the most popular personal computer software application
in the world, with more than 20 million users.  Lotus markets its
products in more than 80 countries worldwide and provides numerous
support services, both from its consulting division and its
award-winning 24-hour support center.

All prices and terms for the U.S. only.

All trademarks are owned by their respective companies.