RevMedia

Introduction

EasyGraph is a package designed to permit AREV users to generate business graphics from their data using either a comprehensive menu driven utility (like EasyWriter but better) or an RLIST- like TCL statement.

Conclusions

Pros - Delivers what it promises. Wonderful on-line help, well thought out and clearly structured. Very easy to use, with mouse support and PCX file capture for export to external packages. Up to five images can be shown on one screen. The statistical functions are reasonable and the inclusion of linear regression with confidence limits is superb. Cons - The technician I contacted claimed that a maximum of 500 points could be plotted on a scatter graph. I was unable to verify this as I could not alter the default plot point from a cross to a dot. If it is true then it makes this function almost useless for serious datasets. The install procedure relies a little too heavily on standard system routines for my tastes and the use of <Esc> to call up the menu after the graph has been plotted is inconsistent with the F10 approach of AREV. I also dislike a few of the graph user interface features. A few minor bugs still exist in the version I was shipped, but none that caused fatal errors. ? - Only four fifteen minute support calls allowed before support becomes chargeable. As a support technician I agree with this, as a user I'm unsure. Hopefully this will never be necessary, but in this case why not make it "unlimited"? Purchasers are asked to nominate diskette size when ordering (this always annoys me, diskettes are so cheap, why not ship both sizes?)

Presentation

The DFM manual is yet another example of what companies can do with a little money spent on materials and Ventura. Styled after RevTech house style (infinite clouds and a pleasant shade of blue).

Documentation

Well presented, clearly laid out and unnecessary - the on-line help tells you everything you need to know.

Hardware Requirements

Monitors - Hercules Graphics (TM), VGA, 640x480 in 16 colours, MCGA and EGA,
           640x350 in 16 colours.
Printers - HP compatible, dot matrix and user defined
Plotters - HP-HGL standard.

Software Requirements

No special drivers as the product was written in Microsoft C using the dGE (TM) graphics function library and EasyGraph suspends AREV to run. I tested the product on AREV 2.01 and experienced no problems.

Supplier

DFM Systems, Inc. 1776-22nd Street, West Des Moines, Iowa 50265. Telephone 515 225 6744, or from the 'States (but outside Iowa) 800 223 4791. Alternatively contact your distributor/dealer, they should be able to provide local currency prices. The Stateside pricing (both single and multiuser) is very reasonable for a package of this power.