Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!phri!lonetto
From: lonetto@phri.UUCP (Michael Lonetto)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Software for the Mac -- recommendations wanted.
Summary: Spreadsheets
Keywords: MacCalc
Message-ID: <3152@phri.UUCP>
Date: 21 Feb 88 17:47:22 GMT
References: <953@pbhyc.UUCP> <42125@sun.uucp> <42220@sun.uucp>
Reply-To: lonetto@phri.UUCP (Michael Lonetto)
Organization: Public Health Research Inst. (NY, NY)
Lines: 32

Someone mentioned MacCalc.  I've been using MacCalc at home since it
came out, and it really is a nice simple spreadsheet (which can generate
nicer output than Excel)

At work we have Excel, which is more difficult to use for simple
spreadsheets, but has formula and command macros (very nice to have if
you use them).  It also has it's own graphing, but I find it easier (and
nicer) to transfer data from either of these programs into Cricket Graph
(MacCalc doesn't do graphs).  

This last method of working points out a difficulty with BOTH of these
programs.  Whenever possible I LIVE in multifinder, especially at home
(Mac+, 2.5MB).  MacCalc "has quit unexpectedly" whenever I start it
under multifinder.  Excel works fine at work (1MB Mac+), and 272K (the
default partition size) is plenty of memory for small spreadsheets (even
4 or 5 of them).  HOWEVER, when I tried it at home, it grabbed 750K !!
Excel only seemed to know about the 272K it was set for.  500K went into
Limbo!!  Does anybody know of:  1) any update plans for either of these
programs that will fix these problems OR 2) any other spreadsheet with
FORMULA macros which works with multifinder OR 3) a good statistical
analysis program that will work with either of these.

I'd really like to buy Excel for home (Even if I wanted to pirate it,
it's useless without the manuals) but it seems that something must be
very wrong with the way it works under multifinder.  This is not
confidence inspiring.

My two cents...
-- 
Michael Lonetto    UUCP:(allegra!phri!lonetto) 
Dept of Applied Genetics
Public Health Research Institute, 455 1st Ave, NY, NY 10016