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From: jgay@digi.lonestar.org (john gay)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: alpha four & managing your money
Message-ID: <1991Jun11.162923.951@digi.lonestar.org>
Date: 11 Jun 91 16:29:23 GMT
References: <1991Jun6.101832.51396@gmuvax.gmu.edu>
Distribution: usa
Organization: none
Lines: 65

From article <1991Jun6.101832.51396@gmuvax.gmu.edu>, by juraschek@gmuvax.gmu.edu:
> In article <3105@cod.NOSC.MIL>, medin@cod.nosc.mil (Ted Medin) writes:
>> 
>>  Got this add in the mail for these programs. Anyone got any feed back
>> on alpha four the data base program or managing your money 
>> the personal finance program?
> 
> 
> Also MYM is an outstanding home finance (can be used moderately for
> business too) system.  The version 7 just released lacks a lot in 
> user friendliness, but has expanded features dramatically.  (For example,
> you can now have several years worth of data active at once - you don't need
> to "close your books" at the end of a new year anymore.)  Versions up to
> version 7 were pretty user friendly, and intuitive.   There has been much


IMHO,
MYM != user friendly interface

some of my complaints -

* ESC is used for online help (instead of standard F1)
* F10 is used to back up a level (instead of standard ESC)
* when you back up a level it gives you another menu asking if you
  want to save the changes or not.  if you tell it to forget the
  changes you still have to confirm what you meant.
  i.e. you: go up a level
       computer: what
       you: go up a level and forget what I just did
       computer: are you really sure you want to do that
       you: yes
       computer: well ok
* just playing around with it I found a bug.  In the loan program
  try converting a monthly loan payment to a bi-weekly loan payment
  program.  The only thing that the program does is divide payment
  in half.  Either the interest,# of payments, or the loan amount
  should change (preferably the # of payments).

this is just a short list.  I am sure that I could have come up with more
if I wouldn't have gotten so pissed at the stupid program wanting my to
confirm every move that I deleted it from my hard disk.

I guess if you like your hand held while crossing the street then the
interface might be descent (assuming you like learning a new/different/
non-standard interface).  For the most part I guess the program works
(I didn't keep it around long enough to find out).

Based on the number of copies that MECA has sold I guess I am in the
minority on this, but the only person I know who uses MYM started out
with it 4-5 years ago when it was the "only game in town" and admits
that he is stuck with it.  He doesn't really like the interface that
much and has been waiting on v7's "new, improved, with more cleaning
power than ever" interface/features.

I would definitely find someone who will let you borrow an "evaluation"
copy of the software.  Play around with it for a couple weeks.  If it is
what you need and can deal with the interface buy it.

john gay.
  
-- 
john gay.                      jgay@digi.lonestar.org
Like Thoreau, I rejoice that there are owls.  Part of the reason is that
owls eat mice, and thus make a certain number of cats unnecessary, which
is always a plus.  Jeff Duntemann, Dr. Dobb's June '91