Microsoft launches a new application called PowerPoint 2.0 specially designed for Windows 3.0
Microsoft has PowerPoint version 2.0 for its Windows graphical environment. PowerPoint is a new presentation graphics program for business presenters using IBM personal computers and compatibles. It is the first application from Microsoft designed specifically for the Windows 3.0, and takes full advantage of its performance, memory and colour capabilities. PowerPoint is used for creating slides, overheads and electronic slide shows, generating speaker notes and audience handouts, and providing tools for creating and organising presentations. PowerPoint features a graphical user interface which integrates all tools and commands, making them readily available to the user via pull-down menus or icons, unlike previous character-based graphics products with complex menu structures. It also saves an entire presentation in a single file making it easy to develop a consistent look for a presentation, sort visuals to create a logical flow and automatically number pages. The product comes with over 5,000 predesigned colour schemes which help users choose colour combinations that work together effectively. In addition, users can create shaded backgrounds for a professional look, as well as recolour pictures brought in from another presentation or a commercial clip art package. PowerPoint users can create pie, bar, line, column, area and scatter charts using a chart by example capability. Data for charting can be entered into a spreadsheet-like matrix, or imported from popular spreadsheet programs. PowerPoint includes a set of over 400 clip-art images developed by Genigraphics artists over the years. Genigraphics also provides production services for producing 35mm slides and colour overheads from PowerPoint files. The product imports outlines developed in Microsoft Word for Windows (or any other outline saved in RTF or ASCII format) and automatically generates visuals from them, as well as importing graphics from popular drawing and painting programs.
Mac-to-MS-DOS conversion utility
It provides a conversion utility to move documents between Macintoshes and MS-DOS personal computers. PowerPoint includes several drawing tools, a snap-to-grid function and alignment guides for refined drawing control; and a linked text capability that automatically aligns text in a box, circle or other graphic. The package also has Bitstream Fontware, software that reads fonts stored as outline and generates them in bitmapped form. All of the fonts included have metrics that match the Adobe PostScript fonts, so the output will have the same spacing no matter what output device is used. PowerPoint supports a wide variety of output devices, including laser printers and film recorders, in addition to the Genigraphics output system. Presentations can be shown on a computer monitor or output to a video projector as an electronic slide show. The PowerPoint for Windows, version 2.0 requires an MS-DOS machine with 80386 or 80286 processor (80386 recommended), Microsoft Windows graphical environment version 3.0 or higher, IBM VGA, EGA, 8514/A or any video adaptor supported by Microsoft Windows, a Microsoft Mouse or compatible, a hard disk and a 5.25 or 3.5 1.44Mb or 720Kb disk drive. A 256-colour video adapter and compatible MS Windows environment version 3.0 driver is optional. The suggested retail price of version 2.0 of Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows is $500, and it will be available next month in the US.
Vendors flock to Windows 3.0 to give it graphic user interface standard status
As with all major announcements by market leaders, a plethora of vendors sought to associate themselves with Microsoft’s Windows 3.0 product. A Microsoft spokeswoman said that 1,200 software vendors worldwide have developed applications to run with the new Windows environment. A total of 30 hardware companies will provide buyers of their products with a free copy of the Windows 3.0 package. Among the major software names were Ashton-Tate, Lotus Development, WordPerfect, Oracl
e and Software Publishing Corp. Hardware vendors bundling Windows 3.0 with their personal computers include Acer, Apricot, AST Research, Atari, AT&T, Commodore Business Machines, Epson, Fujitsu, Gateway 2000, Grid, Mitac, NCR, NEC, Nokia Data, Northgate, Olivetti, Research Machines, Samsung, Tandem, Tandon, Tandy, Toshiba, Tulip, Unisys, Wang, Wyse and Zeos International. Several will be factory-installing Windows on their hard disk drives; to date, those companies include Austin Computer Systems, CompuAdd and Zenith Data Systems – Zenith says it has invested $1m in the capability. Significant companies that have also rushed out with me-too announcements include IBM which has announced Current version 1.1, an upgrade to its personal information management software pack that runs with Windows 3.0; and Teradata Corp which has enhanced its Windows Call Level Interface to support Asymetrix’s ToolBook applications so that application running under Windows 3.0 can access Teradata’s DBC/1012 relational database machine. Hewlett-Packard has announced NewWave 3.0 which runs with Windows 3.0 and costs $200. With such vendor momentum behind him, Gates expects the Windows/Presentation Manager graphical-user interface to become the standard for personal computer software. Microsoft said that each of its own Windows applications is fully compatible with the Windows version 3.0. Three of these, Microsoft Word, Excel and Project are available now.
Bloc Corp enters Windows market
Bloc Development Corp of Coral Gables, Florida, says that its Bloc Publishing Corp subsidiary has acquired exclusive publishing rights to its first Microsoft Windows-based software product, marking Bloc’s entry into this expanding market. Tentatively named WindowShop, it is a fully integrated set of basic business applications, whose modules include word processing, spreadsheet, database, communications and other capabilities. Bundled with Windows 3.0, the package will sell for $200.
