ClarisWorks 5

must have



By: David H. Sholkoff
Technical Support

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Intro

ClarisWorks 5 is an integrated cross-platform application which combines word processing, numerical analysis, database management, and graphic capabilities into a lean, mean, cross-platform machine which allows creation of complex documents containing spread sheets, text, and multimedia elements into advanced page layouts without the need for a Ph.D. in computer science.

The Evolution

ClarisWorks 5 was first announced as an OpenDoc container application which would have made it the most customizable application on any platform at a terrific price, but when OpenDoc went the way of QuickDraw GX, PowerTalk, and the Clones, the application had to return to its roots while reinventing itself. This may seem oxy moronic but is not: ClarisWorks was to remain an integrated application rather than an OpenDoc part but it also had to improve on its already-outstanding features in such a way as to encourage current users to upgrade as well as spur new purchases.

:)

While I wax poetic about what might have been had OpenDoc survived, it is no longer relevant. Regardless ClarisWorks 5 is not only a solid upgrade for ClarisWorks 4 and earlier users, but it deserves solid consideration as an addition to everyone's hard drive.

Button Fly

Users of previous versions will note changes to its user interface immediately upon startup. The new button bar replaces the shortcuts floater which was introduced in ClarisWorks version 4; now it can be converted between a docked-embedded bar and a floater on-the-fly, i.e. without having to dig into the preferences. Claris also increased its potential power by beefing up the application's macro capabilities which can be access from the button bar as well. These seemingly small changes have streamlined the user interface and have improved what had been a near-perfect user experience.

G3 Speed

ClarisWorks 5 loads quickly letting the user get to the work at hand -- which is why many of us have a Macintosh.

Apple's new G3 machines load Microsoft Word and Excel in less than 10 seconds. Just about every Macintosh should be able to load ClarisWorks 5 in less than that, especially if it has no more than a reasonable number of fonts.

On my Power Macintosh 7600/120, I was able to open an existing ClarisWorks 5 document in less than four seconds and was able to start work in a new application in under five, and I am a font-a-holic with over 100 different font faces installed.

:)

ClarisWorks also seamlessly imports and converts (when necessary) documents created in earlier versions of the application. For those who desire, however, there are an optional warning dialogs and automated file-renaming (adding a v.5 suffix) when desired. The default for these is on, but I recommend you turn off this "feature" unless you have a particular reason for wanting it on, such as sharing documents with those who have earlier versions of the software.

How many languages do you Speak?

Claris has also improved the speed of opening and translating foreign documents from within ClarisWorks using its native XTND technology.

These translators are stored within the "Claris Translators" folder inside the "Claris" folder of the active System Folder. The application ships with XTND filters for nearly every potential file anyone is bound to encounter, including files from AppleWorks, Dyno NotePad & Acta 3.0, and WriteNow for NeXT.

In previous versions, an end user could decrease the startup time of the application by deleting those translators which were unneeded or by moving them to a "disabled" folder. That has become irrelevant in version 5 since there no longer appears to be any speed penalty for having more filters installed than needed.

For the first time ClarisWorks 5 also ships with a subset of DataViz's MacLinkPlus translators which further increases the application's ability to read from and write to a nearly endless choice of file formats.

:)

It is unfortunate (but not terribly significant) that ClarisWorks 5 installs the 68K versions of all the MacLink®Plus for ClarisWorks files and filters on both PowerPC as well as 68K computers. Claris explains that there is a known low-level memory-related problem with PowerPC versions of some of the MacLink®Plus translators that could cause problems for ClarisWorks 5. Since this only affects translating documents directly into ClarisWorks 5, Claris and DataViz supply a transparent two-step workaround which few will even notice. (For those who want to know, the fix is that the offending document is first translated into ClarisWorks 4 file format and then imported into ClarisWorks 5.)

HTMLing

There is another minor, but related, problem when using DataViz's translators that has caused DataViz to suggest a minor warning. In order to translate and open non-ClarisWorks documents from the application's file dialog, the user should designate the file's format from the pop-up menu rather than let ClarisWorks attempt to decipher the document type on its own.

I can confirm that there is a problem: each HTML document I opened in ClarisWorks 5 without specifically identifying the file type first was converted at opening to a spreadsheet rather than a word-processing document. The translations went smoothly and quickly when I made the appropriate designation.

Special attention was paid to importing web pages because Claris touts this version's improved internet integration and claims that it can act as a "control center" for all Internet work. Using its internal HTML translator produces a nicely-formatted document which shows no evidence of being translated from a different file format. (Compare this to the feature in version 4 which I claimed produced nearly illegible documents, as if a nefarious soul from Redmond had done the programming.)

The user can also choose to use DataViz's HTML translator with nearly identical results except that hypertext links from the original document will appear in a user-definable-colored text.

Claris and DataViz report that they are working on an enhancement so that those colored text blocks will be active hypertext links as well. At that point the user will be able to jump nearly seamlessly to the referenced web page via a web browser. This function is especially important due to Claris's claims.

:)

I, personally, wouldn't endorse their "control center" approach yet, but Claris has made vast strides in its quest to do so, and when the proposed translators are readily available I will consider changing this opinion.

Simply playing with text

Even though both the application's text-editing tools and its graphic capabilities have been greatly expanded, ClarisWorks 5 is not the most powerful or feature-laden word processor; however, its database, spreadsheet, and multimedia capabilities easily exceed the other plain word processors on the market. It does not claim, nor was it developed, to be a master of any trade, but it certainly exceeds at being a Jack of all. Its features are more readily available and easier to use. Its interface is straight forward and uncluttered; and it is not only completely customizable, but it is easily customizable.

Another improvement over ClarisWorks 4 is the way version 5 handles paragraph styles. Previously the user would have to remove an existing style before applying the new one in order to avoid a "compound" style. Version 5 changes this and allows the user to decide whether styles should replace one another or add characteristics to existing ones.

If this talk about styles sounds like computer jargon, then you are missing one of the prime benefits of computer-based word processing. My advice to you folks is: RTFM.**

:)

One feature missing in ClarisWorks 4 that has not made it into version 5 is the ability to create a table out of preexisting text, letting the user decide at the point of creation how the columns should be delineated. This feature does exist in Corel WordPerfect, but it may be that I am one of the few who regularly use it. The lack of this feature should not be construed as an endictment of the application as whole.

Its text capabilities are all that many users will ever need. For one week I used ClarisWorks 5 for all those tasks for which it was designed, and I never once had to scamper for the user's guide mid-stroke. Everything was right where I expected it and worked as I thought it would. There is little else to say in regards to its function as a word processor, and that's as it should be. I didn't have to think different to get it to work; I didn't have to think at all in order to get it to work -- it just did. In terms of its text editing, it is a prototypical Mac application, and that is perhaps the highest complement I can bestow.

The Artist inside

After testing its word processing skills for the week, I began to venture into the realm of artistry, a realm with which I am only vaguely acquainted, and it is here that ClarisWorks truly shined.

I decided to create a two-sided three-fold brochure from one of its examples. The work, itself, was straight-forward enough, in theory, but for those with only limited artistic ability, ClarisWorks provides enough power to create without getting bogged down in terms like "Bezier Curve" and the differences between "painting" and "drawing." Don't misunderstand that those terms and concepts go undefined and glossed over, they don't; ClarisWorks provides an environment where much can be accomplished without having to know what they are.

When I did encounter curves along the way, I was pleased to find that Claris has chosen to continue to improve its already excellent online help system. It walked me through creating an oddly-shaped image, importing into my document, and then applying an irregularly-shaped text-wrap, so that the text curved along with the image as is commonly seen elsewhere. Perhaps this is a skill which everyone but me already had, but I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was with Apple Guide's assistance, as I had never been able to accomplish this bit of trickery before.

Help!

After completing that task, I finally sat down to read the rest of the user's guide. It is here that Claris continued one of my least favorite qualities of ClarisWorks 4 -- nearly every topic eventually points the user to online help.

The online help was outstanding, some of the best I have seen as I demonstrated above. Sometimes, however, I do prefer to be able to sit in a chair and read somewhere other than at my desk. My guess is that if the entire content of the online help were converted to printed form, however, that the price of the software would sky rocket as would the amount of clear cut forests in the Pacific Northwest. I wish there were another option.

Lost in Disk Space

With its limited hard drive needs, a student with ClarisWorks 5 and a Zip drive need not worry if the computer lab has the right application -- it can be brought along, and there will still be plenty of room on the cartridge for games, I mean school work, and with its limited RAM requirements, CW5 is ideal for refurbishing an older computer being handed down or squeaking a bit of extra performance out of a newer one.

The installer installs several files which may not be necessary for all users, including an older version of Internet Config, so my recommendation is to do a custom.

Do consider installing the stationery and assistants even though they consume 20 MB of hard drive space; they provide tremendously useful and instructional examples and can be removed later if hard drive space is at a premium.

The Verdict

ClarisWorks 5 is definitely not perfect; a non-printing underline bug has been well-publicized as have the translation problems, and I would guess that others will probably have been uncovered since this review was written, but, even with whatever flaws there might be, ClarisWorks 5 definitely has fewer immediately visible flaws than most software released, is priced well within reason for what it offers, and delivers on its promises almost without exception. The known issues don't even need to be resolved for this product to earn my high praise, and I expect other reviewers will proclaim similar results.

Additional Resources

• http://www.claris.com
• http://www.clarisworks.com
• ClarisWorks Macintosh User Group

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