Title/Name: Harvard Graphics for Windows 2.0 Requirements: Microsoft Windows 3.1; 386 or better; 4MB RAM ;8-20MB hard drive space. Recommended: 486 DX or better; Windows 3.1 or compatible OS; 8MB RAM. Reviewed On: 486 DX-33; 16MB RAM; Windows for Workgroups 3.11 and OS/2 2.11 =========================================================== The latest Windows version of this presentation package. Feature Summary: * 5-Minute Coaches (Tutorial) * Advisor (dynamic real-time help for design tips and more) * Easy development of bullet lists, graphs, tables and organizational charts * Spell checker * Over 30 colorful background templates for your presentation * Give your presentations in a real-time conference with up to 64 network users. * Create DOS and Windows stand-alone runtimes of your presentations. * Multimedia support for sound and video * Outliner mode for creating and editing presentations * Slide sorter mode for managing presentations * 25 transition effects for slide shows * Create handouts, speaker notes and audience notes. * Autobuild feature for bullet lists. * Use Hypershow links to define an action to a specific key or button during your presentation. * Easy bitmap and gradient fills. * A library filled with hundreds of professional clipart images * New TrueType fonts for more impressive presentations * Harvard F/X OLE Server offers advanced graphics functions. * Send your presentations via modem with the included utility to the AUTOGRAPHIX service to have slides, prints, and transparencies developed and shipped to you via overnight courier. * Can be used as OLE client and server INTRODUCTION Harvard Graphics was one of the original presentation software packages for the PC and has evolved to its current Windows incarnation. Harvard Graphics offers a strong set of features, while retaining ease of use to make it one of the top presentation software packages for the PC. OVERVIEW The basic interface in Harvard Graphics is very similar to the "Click here" interface in Lotus Freelance Graphics and Microsoft Powerpoint except that you begin by entering the information on a blank form instead of on the slide itself. When you are done with the form, you can edit all the attributes and contents of the slide on the slide itself. For me personally, I found this to be an extra step since I'm used to working exclusively on the slide itself, but perhaps others will find it easier to do the original entry as a word processor and then do the editing on the slide. On the right quarter of the screen is the Advisor -- a context sensitive help guide. The Advisor is always present by default but if it ever gets in the way, just click on the "Hide" button. The Advisor has two modes: Quick Tips and Design Tips. You can switch between the two using radio buttons on the advisor. Quick Tips helps you navigate the interface and Design Tips gives you some ideas on enhancing your presentation. Both are context sensitive, so the help provided by the Advisor will reflect the type of functions you are currently working with. A context-sensitive Iconbar sits just below the menu bar and gives you access to commonly used functions (cut, paste, etc.) and many more functions depending on what you are currently working with. On the left is a toolbar which contains tools for text, lines, shapes, fills and more. In addition to the slide view, Harvard Graphics also has a slide sorter view and an outliner. And much like Freelance Graphics (previously reviewed) Harvard Graphics has a Master Template function and a facility for creating speaker notes. Harvard Graphics has an extensive arsenal of hundreds of professional clipart images for enhancing your presentations -- over 100 world flags and maps alone. Selecting images from the symbol library are easy -- simply select the category (i.e. nature) and then you can pick from a set of symbols in thumbnail view. Harvard Graphics has excellent graphing capabilities with a gallery of over 60 to choose from. I tried creating a 3-D bar chart and filled the walls of the chart with a bitmap of Andre Derain's Big Ben -- I was pleasantly surprised with how professional and intriguing it looked. GIF and TIFF files can also be used for bitmap fills, and Excel, 1-2-3, and delimited ASCII data can be imported into your graph or table. Special effects can be easily added to text such as sweeps. You can create a shadow trail and change the length and angle for a variety of effects. For example, you can have the shadow starting in purple in the center of the screen, ending in blue on the top of the screen in full size and in blue. This gives the illusion of the text exploding out of the center of the slide. You can also change the angle for circular sweeps and other effects. HARVARD F/X Not impressed yet? Harvard Graphics includes an OLE server -- Harvard F/X -- which can best be described as a mini-Corel Draw. This gives Harvard Graphics advanced features not found in other presentation packages. Harvard F/X lets you create a new graphic image or begin by importing one from wide range of supported formats. Some of its advanced features include the ability to extrude objects (you can even specify the location of the light source), warp objects and change their perspectives. Also there is a "blend" option which lets you join two separate objects by drawing a path between them. For example, if the two objects were a circle and a square, you could create a path between them that would evolve from a circle to a square. Special bitmap and text effects are available as well. Here's a breakdown of the special effects available: * 9 shading effects (reflection, emboss, backlight, etc.) * 5 text effects * 4 shadows * 7 fills (clouds, wood, stone, etc.) * 3 sweeps * 7 options for bitmap imports (frosted glass, rain on glass, etc.) All this performance has its price however. I started a new picture by drawing a box that filled half the screen and filling it with the cloud bitmap fill -- this took about 15 seconds. Then I added some text on top of the clouds and applied the "backlight" shading effect to the text -- this took exactly two and a half minutes using an ATI Ultra Pro in 1024x768x256 on my 486 DX-33. If you do anything that requires a screen redraw (i.e. switching applications, selecting an object in the image, etc.), you have to sit through the whole process all over again. Harvard F/X is very nice, but it you use some of the more complicated functions on a regular basis, you'll find yourself screaming for a Pentium in no time. ================================================================= PROS: * Excellent on-line help and advisor for new users * Easy to use interface * Excellent graphics and charting tools * Harvard F/X provides advanced graphics operations not normally available in presentation packages. * Hundreds of quality clipart symbols provided * New TrueType fonts * Multimedia support * DOS and Windows runtime players CONS: * Slightly slower in overall performance than other presentation packages. * Number and quality of ready-to-use templates lags behind other packages. * Many Harvard F/X functions can take a very long time to process. SHOULD I BUY IT? It depends largely on your presentation needs. Harvard Graphics is certainly a powerful package and contains many advanced features. It excels in graphics effects with the inclusion of Harvard F/X and the Advisor facilitates presentation development for novices. It may not be the perfect presentation package, but it is certainly one of the best currently available.