Here are summaries of some recent Computing magazine product reviews. Each product is rated on a scale of one to four, with one computer indicating poor and four indicating excellent:
Thinx 2.0, for PC-compatibles running Windows 3.0 or later. $495. From Bell Atlantic Network Services Inc., 13100 Columbia Pike, D37, Silver Spring, Md. 20904. (800) 688-4469.
SmarText 2.0, for PC-compatibles running Windows 3.0 or later. $495. From Lotus Word Processing Division, 1000 Abernathy Road, Building 400, Suite 1700, Atlanta, Ga. 30328. (800) 831-9679.
Summary: Windows has lately seen the appearance of some new versions of old favorite programs, such as 1-2-3 and WordPerfect. But it is also home to some innovative newcomers. Thinx is a combination data base-drawing program that lets you assign attributes to objects in a drawing and then analyze those facts, such as pricing furniture for an office floor plan or comparing sales on a sales territory map.
SmarText automates part of the work in converting a standard word-processor document into a cross-referenced, indexed and tightly linked hypertext document. Both make good use of the Windows mouse-and-menus interface, and both also point to the real benefit of the Windows DDE program-to-program links feature.
Thinx
Performance: 3 computers
Ease of use: 3 computers
Value: 3 computers
Smartext
Performance: 3 computers
Ease of use: 3 computers
Value: 3 computers
These shareware programs for IBM and compatible computers can be downloaded from bulletin boards for a small cost.
Whether you're about to graduate from college or you're between jobs, your computer and the right software can be an enormous help in getting a job.
Resume Professional. A lot of thought has gone into this slick, menu-driven shareware program for preparing a resume.
You're asked the usual questions about education, job experience and objectives. You're even given the chance to organize your resume in a way that makes the most sense for your situation. After entering everything you want a prospective employer to know, you're ready to print the resume, along with a cover letter. Look for version 1.6 on bulletin boards. After trying it, registration costs $22 from Richard Leinecker, P.O. Box 2567, Reidsville, N.C. 27323.