Message-ID: <12430@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 12-Aug-84 18:03:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12430
Posted: Sun Aug 12 18:03:00 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 16-Aug-84 02:25:58 EDT
Lines: 65

I've had about five hours or so to try out a copy of "Intuit" by
Noumenon Corp.  I recall that someone asked about this software recently
and they were very anxious to hear about the package as there is a
special introductory price offer.

Intuit is an integrated software package designed for IBM-PC machines.
(I'm not sure if it is runnable on clones or is MS-DOS compatible).  It
uses the function keys F1 to F10, and shift-Function keys; as well as
the keypad to implement cursor control and function requests.  Color
display is not supported.  There appears to be a very flexible
capability to support various printers.  The documentation is fairly
good.  As is characteristic of the integrated packages, there is a high
degree of commonality between the key functions in the various
application packages.

The package does not run under DOS.  The disks appear to be able to be
backed-up.  There are instructions for its installation on a hard disk
system, although I used it in a floppy only system.  Loading the
software is a two disk/step process.

Intuit runs under its own system which provides a tree structured
directory system.  Directories can be nested somewhere around 12 or so
deep before some copy functions begin to fail (according to the manual).
Directories can contain files corresponding to text, form letters (and
templates for reports), data base files, tables, and other directories.

Intuit provides a reasonably good, although basic, screen editor.  It
supports the typical entry, cursor control, editing, search and replace
functions; but no macros or other frills.  Associated with the package
is a text formatter which utilizes "dot" commands to drive the
formatting.  Formatting functions are similar (though less powerful) to
DEC RUNOFF with chapter, section, paragraph, and list type commands.
The formatting operations are shared with an output processor which
provides such actions as justification, pagination, and printer
configuration and control.

A data base or data retrieval system is supported.  This provides forms
data entry and report generation, and supports searching, sorting, and
data record collecting in accordance with search criterion applied to
the data fields.  Two keys are supported for sorting.  The data file
function can be utilized to provide records of insert data for a
mailmerge-type mailing list application.  I dont know the size
limitations nor have a feel for its speed yet.

There is a "table" function which looks on first glance like a
spreadsheet.  It sure isn't!  The capacity is 200 x 65 elements.  It
seems to be an extension of the data base system with a matrix-like
window to look at the record fields.  Computations are provided by
writing procedures which specify arithmetic functions applied to the
data elements.  The procedure is envoked by commanding Intuit to "do"
the procedure.  Procedure nesting is allowed.  No computations are done
automatically as data is entered ala standard spreadsheets.  An example
of a computation is "ADD field THRU field = sumfield".  I think this
part of the package is pretty clumsy and hard to use.

While my experience with this package is very limited, I feel that this
is very useful as a "starter" package which will support most of the
general purpose applications that a new microcomputer user might want.
Before long, however, they would soon want the greater power of the
stand-alone packages or more powerful and expensive integrated packages
becoming available.  On the other hand, you can't beat the value for the
introductory price, or even the anticipated next few increments of price
increase.

Kennedy%RADC-MULTICS