ClarisWorks Office, incorporating ClarisWorks 5.0, Claris Home Page Lite software, and JIAN Business Basics templates, allows users of ClarisWorks productivity software to create and combine a wide variety of documents: word processing, spreadsheet, database, drawing, painting, and HTML pages. There are many new and exciting features as well, including the ability extend the scope of documents and presentations by adding hypertextual links to other areas of a single document, other ClarisWorks documents, or even links to pages on the World Wide Web. As with all Claris products, ClarisWorks Office is designed to allow everyone from the novice to the home business professional to be productive and creative. ClarisWorks Office is available for Windows 95/NT 4.0 and Mac OS.
ClarisWorks 5.0
Although those familiar with previous versions of ClarisWorks software will still feel at home, ClarisWorks 5.0 has a new look and feel that should make it easier to accomplish tasks and make changes within your documents. From the prominent Button Bar to the integration of many Internet-savvy new features, ClarisWorks 5.0 is designed to help you get your job done.
Button Bars
The most obvious change is the expansion of the 'Shortcut Buttons palette' into a comprehensive system of predefined and user-customizable Button Bars to meet your specific needs. Providing shortcuts to almost every aspect of ClarisWorks 5.0, this button bar serves as the command center for managing your documents. You can change the size and font of text, open your Web browser to "surf" the Internet, open your email program, email a friend, or launch a different application all from within the same ClarisWorks 5.0 document.
ClarisWorks 5.0 comes with several ready-made button bars, each geared to help you perform different tasks: a Default bar (for standard document management tasks like opening a new file or italicizing text); an Internet bar for Web connectivity; an assistants bar for accessing ClarisWorks assistants (predefined macros designed to make certain normally complicated tasks, like printing an envelope, easier); and a Document bar to hold any document-specific Shortcuts you create.
Links and the Internet
Perhaps the most exciting feature added to Clarisworks 5.0 is the ability to make your documents interactive. Clarisworks 5.0 software allows you to easily create hypertext links with other areas of a particular document, other ClarisWorks 5.0 documents, or even pages on the World Wide Web. Any word processing, draw or spreadsheet document can now contain links that will launch your Web browser (e.g., Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, etc.) and connect to a specified Web page. Or, say, allow you to create an interactive Table of Contents or glossary, where a single click will bring the reader to a specific location within your document, or readily move from a spreadsheet cell to an explanatory paragraph, and then back again.
Spreadsheets, too, sprout new features
The look and feel of the program were not the only areas that received attention. The ClarisWorks Spreadsheet environment often praised for its simplicity and ease of use, also received a few tasteful upgrades. One highly requested addition is the ability to name cells and cell ranges, greatly expanding the power of calculation formulae while also making it easier to create and maintain complex spreadsheet solutions.
How is this easier? Well, instead of being forced to refer to a range of cells by their addresses (A1..A20, B7, etc.), you can now apply a name to these addresses and reference this name in your various formulas. A range of cells where you've recorded bank deposits, for example, may be identified and referred to as simply "Deposits." By extension, this also means that the limit of 255 characters per formula may be effectively side-stepped, as address ranges may be condensed to a very short reference tag.
When the name or cell range is selected, this name will appear at the top left corner of the spreadsheet where the cell reference normally appears. Once the cell or cell range has been named, it will show at the bottom of the Define Name pop-up menu. From this same pop-up menu, you can edit or replace the name(s) you have created. Their is also an Auto Name feature which looks at titles you have included on your spreadsheet and assumes you want to use them as the name of your cell or cell range.
Another new feature in the Spreadsheet environment is the addition of a new Paste Function button, allowing easier access to the many functions built into ClarisWorks. Also new is the ability to view functions in the Paste Function window by category as well as by name, making it easier to find the correct Date function, for example, when you are not sure exactly what it is called.) With these and other smaller changes, ClarisWorks spreadsheets have never been easier to use.
Doing it in Style(sheets)
Improvements have also been made to the Stylesheet feature to make it both more powerful and easier to use. For those who have not used the Stylesheet window in ClarisWorks, stylesheets are a means of grouping a variety of formatting parameters into a single instruction, and then giving that instruction a name. For example, if you want to make sure that all headings in a report are in 14pt Helvetica, are bolded, and are underlined, you might create a Stylesheet that contains these characteristics, and give it a name like Report Headings. Choosing Report Headings from the Stylesheets menu (or from the list in the Default button bar) will cause selected text to take on these predefined characteristics.
In previous versions of ClarisWorks, you could only apply one style to a particular text, object or frame. In ClarisWorks 5.0, you now have the option to apply compound styles, a combination of characteristics from two or more styles. For example, using the Report Headings example above, you could also make selected headings formatted as checkboxes, while still preserving the other Report Headings characteristics.
A database for all seasons
The database environment, too, is the recipient of some key improvements. Chief among these is the addition of a multimedia field type, allowing you to display photos, store (and play) sounds, or incorporate QuickTime movies into your ClarisWorks database documents. Supported image types include ClarisWorks Library Picture format, PICT, JPEG, GIF, QuickTime Movie and Sound files and OLE Objects for Windows. Teachers can now include scanned pictures of their students inside each of their students' records, for example. To alleviate the storage burden that QuickTime movies would place on a database, they are stored by reference, while copies of the other image types are actually stored within the file.
An office full of templates
In order to truly make ClarisWorks Office the all-in-one resource for home and business solutions, Claris is including the JIAN Business Basics templates in Claris Office. The JIAN Business Basics, created by JIAN Software, offer tools which you can use to grow your business. JIAN Business Basics are ready-to-use business contracts, letters, checklists, spreadsheets, forms and other frequently used documents which can be used and printed "as-is" or customized for your business needs. There are over 60 tools available which relate to the topics of Sales & Marketing, Finance & Accounting and Management & Operations such as Press Release Documents, Financial Ratio Analysis or Invoice Template. Each tool was created to work in the ClarisWorks environment.
Other new features
There are many other additions and improvements :
* ClarisWorks 5.0 can now specify a default font in the preferences window. Each time you open a new word processing document, the font you chose will be selected. No need to create a stationery document expressly for this purpose.
* The draw and paint environments of ClarisWorks 5.0 sport a new Fill Texture Palette, from which you can fill drawn objects, such as squares or circles, with rich textures and pictures from the palette instead just basic colors or gradients.
* Equation Editor, included with ClarisWorks 5.0, can create complex mathematical and scientific equations, which can be inserted into your document.. Although it is not a calculator, the Equation Editor makes it possible to represent higher mathematical functions, algebraic expressions, even molecular compositions. Equation Editor is a separate software application by Design Science that is installed on your hard drive when you install ClarisWorks 5.0.
Meet the rest of the Office
Internet Connection Software
If you are not already signed up with a particular Internet service provider (ISP), or if you are interested in changing ISPs, ClarisWorks Office provides several choices to get connected. These services include browser software. NOTE: Although ClarisWorks Office includes Internet connection software, you must still sign up with one of these providers to take advantage of their services. Startup fees, account fees and other fees are not included in the purchase of ClarisWorks Office but are, in fact, the responsibility of the user.
Claris Home Page Lite
With Claris Home Page Lite you can quickly create instant Web pages. This easy WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) application allows you to create Web pages without having to type any HTML code!
JIAN Business Basics (Claris Edition)
JIAN, makers of BizPlan Builder, have created over 60 different business solution templates for use with ClarisWorks 5.0. Everything from worksheets and checklists covering sales and marketing to management and operation contracts are included to help your small business grow.
System Requirements
You must meet the following minimum system requirements to use ClarisWorks Office*:
Windows 95/NT 4.0**:
* Intel 386 PC or higher (486 Processor for NT 4.0)
* 8MB of RAM (16MB for NT 4.0)
* ClarisWorks 5.0 requires 21MB (minimal install) to 48MB (full install) of hard disk space.
* Internet Browser requires 3-5MB of hard disk space, 5-10 MB of RAM, a modem and an account with an Internet Service Provider or a direct connection to the Internet.
* Claris Home Page Lite requires 10MB of hard disk space and 8MB of RAM.
Mac OS*:
* Mac OS compatible computer with a 68020 processor or higher
* 8MB of RAM (8MB PowerPC version requires virtual memory on)
* System 7.0.1 or later
* ClarisWorks 5.0 requires 21MB (minimal install) to 58MB (full install) of hard disk space.
* Internet Browser requires 3-5MB of hard disk space, 5-10 MB of RAM, a modem and an account with an Internet Service Provider or a direct connection to the Internet.
* Claris Home Page Lite requires 10MB of hard disk space, 8MB of RAM and a PowerPC processor
* Additional items required for Internet access include a modem (14400 baud or higher recommended) and account with an Internet service provider (may require payment of a separate fee) OR direct connection to the Internet.
** Both Windows 95/NT 4.0 and Mac OS versions require a CD-ROM drive. Also, additional RAM may be needed to operate applications simultaneously.