Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!know!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!rutgers!att!cbnewsh!nrf
From: nrf@cbnewsh.att.com (neal.r.fildes)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Project Planning and Mgmt Software Wanted
Message-ID: <1990Sep25.155959.7708@cbnewsh.att.com>
Date: 25 Sep 90 15:59:59 GMT
References: <284@vtserf.cc.vt.edu>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 29

From article <284@vtserf.cc.vt.edu>, by cohill@vtserf.cc.vt.edu (Andrew M. Cohill):
> If you are looking at project mangagement software for the Mac,
> sophisticated resource allocation and leveling.  However, it falls down
> in what I feel is an absolutely critical area--reporting.  

I have looked at a number of packages over the years. MacProject II stands
pretty well in the Mac marketplace.

I am REALLY impressed with KeyPlan. It zips along nicely on a macPlus, allows 
you to define custom reports (and inserts them into the menu!) it handles subprojects
nicely, and lets you look at several subproject windows at once.

I have two complaints, the second of which keeps me from using it: 

1) you can only view one type of data at once (e.g. network or table), you can't
look at both a table and a network window at the same time.

2) there is no way to see both current progress and the recent past on the gantt views -
if you ask for 'progress',  it lopps off the 'completed' work and only shows you what remains to be done.

The Bottom Line: 

I Use MicroPlanner X-Pert, which is a little more difficult to use than the above packages,
but allows me to FULLY customize reports, specify dependencies between 
activities in different sub-projects (via "interfaces") and even link whole projects (via "transmitters" and "receivers").

I guess for the small user, the $2000 list price might be prohibitive.

NRF