| Page 2 Diablo Blue August, 2002 |
| A look back at a column that deals with the transition to Windows in 1992. If you’re like many computer users, you’re gradually making the switch to Windows. You’ve abandoned some of your DOS applications and forced others to work in Windows and maybe even found some neat replacements that are designed for Windows. If you play around with a few Windows applications, the advantages are easy to see. To begin with, Windows applications all adhere to the same basic interface. That means once you’ve grown accustomed to clicking the mouse on the File portion of the menu in one application — for example, to Save, Open, or Print a file — you’ll discover it’s in the same place on all Windows applications. That reduces the learning curve on new applications and, well, just makes each product easier to use. From Here to There You’ll also find out how easy it is to transfer data from one Windows application to another. That’s because all Windows products — as opposed to DOS programs — are generally made to work in the same way thereby allowing them to share data. And because Windows is a graphical environment, it means you can easily see things on the screen just as they’ll look when you print them out. Some adjustments, however, are harder to make. Because I come from a DOS environment, I rarely used the mouse. Unfortunately, Windows word processing programs are notorious in their attempt to make me use the rodent. When I write — as opposed to working in a spreadsheet — I like to keep my fingers on the keyboard. So along with learning to use the mouse, I’ve searched out keyboard alternatives to mouse clicks. It’s not that difficult, but, as you may have discovered, not always a slick solution. Especially if you’re used to a series of DOS keystrokes. To get around the problem, I’ve taken advantage of the macro function of most Windows programs. A macro gives me the ability to assign numerous keystrokes to one or two key combinations, easily duplicating keystrokes from my old DOS programs. Now I know you’re going to laugh but the first Word for Windows macro I created was CTRL–T. 1-2-3...Quattro Borland’s Quattro Pro for Windows, the star of Windows spreadsheet programs, took a bold — but obvious step — in making the mouse more useful. If you’ve highlighted a spreadsheet cell and click on the right mouse button, for example, you’ll get a dialogue box allowing you to modify the properties within that cell. Pretty bright. Not only that, as you scroll across QP/WIN’s Speedbar, a brief description telling you what each icon does appears on the bottom of the screen. Boy, does that help in learning. Overall, I think the most daunting part of switching to Windows is first facing — and then choosing from — the staggering number of Windows applications on the market. The problem is they’re all solid contenders. (We should always have such problems.) In the last month, for example, I’ve tried to decide on a word processor. Because of my work with PC World (I have to test every user group tip so I’ve tried lots of software), I’ve played with Lotus’ Ami Pro and Microsoft’s Word for Windows. Both products are winners and each has half a dozen features I like. For example, Ami Pro’s Smart Icons — shortcut buttons that help me get to many other features — are a great help with navigating through the program. I can move the icons to just about any location, handy if I’m fiddling with some design at the bottom of the page. Ami Pro’s Icons are colorful, something I didn’t think was important until I compared it to Word for Windows’ monochrome Toolbar. |