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Wqt.ruNc; THRoucH THn cloors of tr nrodcm conlpLlter slrperst()re can bc a daunting experience if vou run ir smlll business or are scttinq up a home otlice. Where , amid that dazzling arrav of neu' equipruent and softu'are, u'ill I'ou tlncl the machines ar-rdapplications that are tailolecl to \rour necclsf Can vou aflbrd therni What cln thev d,, lbr vou rhat vour Prescnt ofticc eqr"riputctrt (ilu't rlo) Horr long can you figurc on using them bcfbrc thcy too becomc obsole tei FIon' easy u-ill it be to upgrade the ncu'ecluipment ancl sofnvarcf It's:r big clccisionfbr most of us. To u'hor-n c'lovou tunt lbr souncl adr-iccf The Yankee Gror-rp of Bostol'l has not fbrgotten what it f'ecls likc to bc that loncli, buver. Tl-rrrt's Brilu Ac.lirniik'sjob as ir Ylnkee GrorLp senior vice prcsident. His responsibilin': researchinq thc cl-rirngingneecis of ti-rc c()nsllmer :rnc1 mcdium-size and small busit-resscs, iurcl nrrrtchinq then'r tcl thc best bets in the market. lVhen l'e askcd Adamik if the \hnliec Ciron;-rsoLrlcl be rvilling to hclp put toqether a Buvers Guicle tbr or-rrsn-rirll-busittcss ..urcl homc-ottice re;rclers.he assemblecla SWAT tearl th:rt included Susan Breiclenbacl.r.trlichael Lrr.rricellrr.|in.r Pc'nhrme, Bor-c.lPcterson, lncl srrrrll- :rnclnrerliuur-sizebusiness Joseph Villarosa. As ciirector of tl.re\ar.rkeeGroug'r's communici'ttions researchancl consulting prircticc. \'illarc>str covcrs businesses ri'ith up to 500 emplotces. Pcterson. rrn elcctric:rlcr-rcincelbv tl.rirring.lrtrl .ur erpert on the telecom industr\r, is the clircctor:oithe Iankec Cinrup's consLlnrercorrn'mniciltions researchprogralr. Penhune's spcci:rln is n-r.trkcring Jlltl ;rrirqlu;1clcleloPmcnt issuesre lated to PCs, Internct applirrnces. D\-L) rccfutolosr'. entl ilrllrncec.ltelephonc equipment. Breidenbirch, a Yankee Cilotrp .rssoct,rtc. r r ercrrr.rjor.trlrllistn'ho's i: covcrecl tcchnologr. issucs for 13 r'clrs. Lirtrricella. tn .1nilhst in the snrrrll- irnd medium-size br-rsiucss prrrctice,speci:rlizes teleconrnunicrrtior-rs in issues. With their expcrtisc at \.olrr elbon, joir-rr-rs no\\'es u'c s'alli the rrislcsof the CompUSA superstore in Colunrbia, N,lcl., stopping occasionalh' to ch:1ru,ith othcr small-business ancl l.romc-oflice buvers ancl Courp USA store u)ar)ilqcr's.

NEW YoRK. N!w YoRK 10168 Iet: (2I2) 499-3500 Fax,1272) 499-3573

TH E Y A N K E EGR O UP
Hol'arcl Aldcrson MA N A GIN G IR E C TOR D Briirn Aclan.rik S E N IOR VIC EPR E S ID E N T Bot'd Pcterson ioseph Villarosa R E S E A R C H IR E C TOR S D Ji ur Pcnhunc P R OGR A IV I\4A N A GE R Michacl l,ar-rricellir R ES E A R C H N A LY S T A SusirnBrciclenbech A S S OC TI 1 A

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Consumers littleto lose have fromthe ongoing browser wars.

the software application that allowed you to surf the Web-visiting various sites and remembering where your favorite sites could be found. Browsers had other functions-e-mail, group conferencing, and the like-but their main mission was ro ger you where you r,vantedto go. That's all changed. Now, browsers often come as part of a "browser ssi1s"-x collection of software applications that can do far more for your business than simply surf the Web. In addition to the browser itself, these suites contain a host of powerful features designed to make using the Internet easy,fast and fun. The most important: E-r'nail. According to the Yankee Group, 67 percent of small businesses that have Web access feel that e-maii is important to achieving their company's

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ANToNE our rHERE unf-amiliar r.vith the U.S. Justice Department's battle with Microsoft over the integration of its Internet brou'ser, Internet Explorer, into its Windon s operating s"ystem) Probably not. Yet u.hile that struggle drags on, the other war between Microsoft and Netscape Communications over control of the market for Internet brorvsers appears to have reached a temporary truce. Each company controls about 50 percent of the market, and those numbers appear to be holding steady. What's the big dealf To hear the alarmists tell it, the brou'ser r,varis realll' about control of the Internet itself. Becausethe brorvseris the Internet's lorvest

ike Netscape, Microsoft offers a variety of T browser options. Unlike Netscape, Microsoft I /doesn't t differentiate between versions and their various features. Instead, MS offers three levels of installation when downloading IE 4.0x: Browser Only, Standard Install, and Full Install. The difference lies in the various options and features you need. Otherwise, Explorer and Communicator are pretq/ much the same. Microsoft's big advantage is the degree to which Ex-

plorer is integrated into both Windows 98 and Of{ice 98. YankeeGroup researchshows that 76 percent ofall small businesses with PCs use Windows, so you probably haveaccess Explorer evenifyou don't useit. Ifyou've to already gotten used to either Windows 98 or Office 98, learning the browser should be a cinch. Like Netscape, MS offers a retail version of its browser (IE 4.0x Plus) for around 940 should you want it on CD with the documentation, and upcoming add-ons and free offers. (800) 426-9400 www.microsoft.com

common denominator, the leading bror,vsermakers can influence s'hich software the consumer has acccss to, which Web sites are most heavily trafficked, and who receir.es associated the revenuesfrom the on-line advertising. As unhappy as the combatants in this rvar may be, the rivalry has been a boon for home offices and small businesses. Like any war, this one has created a brorvser arms race. Bror.vsers now come with features and flinctions unimaginable just two vearsago, while the cost has plummeted-in most cases nothing. to Bror'vsers were once thought of as no more than 64 Buyers GuiderFall 1998

goals. And this isn't your father's e-mail any longer. Now you can open multiple e-mail accounts, screen your e-mail, and manage your messages much more easily and flexibly. Senrch engines. These programs allow you to search Web sites more intelligently, so your time spent on the Internet is made even more productive. Web pwblishers. These applications allow you to create Web sites with ease . Chet prlgra.ws. A kind of instant e-mail that allows businesses collaborate in real time with their busito nessDartners.

Newsgrowps. This softrvare makes subscribing to small-business industry-related bulletin boards much or easierthan in the past. Browsers hal'e even become a helpful off-line tool for sr.vingimportant Web pagesfor ftitdre referenceand for composing e-mail messagesbefbre you go on line to send them. Useful as these featuresare, there's more. Microsoft, for instance, has cornpletely integrated its Erplorer browser, and the technology that underpins it, into the Windou's 98 opcrating system. (Thus, of course) the battle with the |ustice Department.) That gives the computer desktop and the brou'ser the samc look and feel, allowing users to switch benveen Webbasedtasks and desktop applications r.vith the click of a button. So there's no real difference benveen brorvsing the Web and brorvsing your desktop. The result: enhancedproductivitl', since you only have to learn one interface. This isn't an option u,ith NetscapeCommunicator, since Netscape doesn't make an operating system. On the other hand, both Explorer and Communicator are availableas elements of office suites. Microsoft's Office 98 includes Explorer, rvhile Lotus givesyou both Explorer and Communicator in its popular SmartSuite Iine of office suites. Corel has taken a similar approach, but has decided to bundle only Netscape Communicator into its WordPerfect Suite 8 product.

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etscapemakes severalversions of Communicator 4.0x. Each version use the same browser. called Navigator, but comes with different add-ons and plug-ins-the features that let you use e-mail, design Web pages,createon-line conferences and the like. Communicator Standard 4.0x is available free on the Web or purchasedon CD directly from Netscapefor a nominal $10 (it can't be purchased in stores). It's the Netscapeproduct the Yankee Group recommends for small businesses, thanks to its easeof use and powerful features.And it's free. Communicator Deluxe goes for $74.95 and offers an ISP selection tool that will help you get up and running on the Web with minimal effort. This is a retail product and cannot be downloaded from the Web. Communicator Internet AccessEdition ($49.95) is similar to the Deluxe version except that it lacks some advanced

plug-ins and utilities. Also availableonly in stores. NetscapeCommunicator Professional ($29 to download from the Web) is designedfor large corporate networks. It's not the best choice for small businesses. And tlrere's always Netscape Navigator, which is also free to download. The ttbrowser-onlyt' component of Communicator, Navigator lacks e-mail and other useful features. So choose it only if you already have an e-mail program you like and you simply want to surf the Web. Netscape is currently testing a new product, Comrnunicator 4.5, though it won't be releaseduntil sometime this fall. Communicator 4.5 will include a host of enhancements such as "Smart Browsing," a new way of looking up Web sites using keyrvords, '(What's Relatedf" which automatically provides links to related Web sites, and "NetWatch," a filtering tool that will screenout undesirable Web sites. (800) 638-7483 www.netssrpe.com

Another source for browsers is the Internet service provider vou use for Internet access. \44ren you sign up rvith one, vou'll be asked to download their dialer softrvare, r.vhichinvariably comes bundled u'ith one or another of the brorvsers.Manl' ISPs offer both brou'sers, but remember to ask for the bror'vserof vour choice when ordering Internet sen'ice. Either brou,ser rvill work rvith anv ISP, but 1'or.r may not receive the same levcl of technical support if tl-rebrowser vou selectis not tire one vour ISP bundles with its dialer.

And thc best part about browsersf They're free if 1'eu dou'nloard them from the Web, though )rou u'on't get the ftill packageli'ithout paying fbr it.

Your Choice Take

Which to choose) A year or t\\'o back, Netscape \vas clearly the better product, but since then, Explorer has evolved to the point u'here they're about equal. Ard since they're fi'ee, there's really no reason not to download both and seeu'hich one vou like best. r Buvers Guider Fall 1998 65

':.:

Windowof Oppornrnity
Choos ing e r i g h tf l a v o r f W i nd o ws5 b e co m in g o r ea n d m o r ecr itical . th o t m
br,loscph Villarosa
r,ritor-rs Winclou-s OS. Hon'ever, if r.or-r'rerunning a srnall busincss, thcre are nrportant opcrating s\.stclrlschoiccs to bc tnrde, even if ;rll of then-r llrnost ir.revitablr.involve Microsoft. A recent Yankee Gror-r;-rslrr\.ev of 750 sm;rll ancl n'recliurl-size businesses firlinci th:rt the too flr.e sm:'rll( \\ [ t r r s i r t c s r ) l ) c r '. 1 1 j ] ) q'\ t . : n r \ . t l c : \ \ 'i r t d o r r , i l 5 , 5 4 l . a t c e n t ) , D O S ( 2 5 ) , Wi n c l o u 's 3 . x ( 2 2 ; , Wi n c l o u . s N T (12), ancl MacC)S (4). Whilc some small conpanrcs Stlt-c:rIxc; THF-RlclHl ol.erating s\-sten1fbr r,our conlplrtcr siroulci be e cinch. Alter all, the gor.emment, the meciia, and a vocal group of tech companies have sLrent lerrs convincir.r5lrhc public that there re;rliv aren't ;urv choiccs in o;leratir-rg systems at all, since the business is l monopolr. controllecl b1. Microsoft's ubiq 6fl lluvcrs GuiclerF:rll 1998

with specializedneeds may use other operating systems such as Unix, their complexiry higher cost, and the lack of software have limited their use outside of large corporations. So we will limit our discussion the differto ent flavorsof Microsoft's operati.g systems-the onl1, real choicesfor most small businesses and home users.But which one rvill make the most sensefor your businesstoday and in the near futuref

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In order to makea choice,you must first understand the significant influence of Microsoft on the small-businessmarket. According to the Yankee Group, about 75 percent of all smallbusinessPCs run some form of Windows. Add to that the 25 percent still using DOS, and it becomesclear that Microsoft has a virtual stranglehold on this market. Unfortunately, not all owners of small businesses use the current versions of Microsoft's products, and many continue to think of the Windows familv as a single operating system. Thus they not only misunderstand Microsoft's product line, which includes severalkey-and quite different-operating systems,they alsooverlook the nuancesand critical featuresofeach one. Flere's a rundown of the various Microsoft offerings, in order ofage: DOS. Believeit or not,25 percent of all small business have PCs that still run DOS (without Windows) as their operating system.This is especiallysurprising given the fact that the first truiy workable version of Windows was released 1992, although it speaks in well for the simplicity and speedDOS offers for certain basic applications,such as spreadsheets and word processing. Why hasn't that quarter of the small businesses changedl Either because thev're gun-shy'il'hen it comes to anything new, or becausethe programsthey run on DOS do for them exactly n'hat the1,need done. So what's wrong u'ith DOS? Lots. Considerwhat DOS can't do: e-mail, the Web, and any graphically intensive programs such as presentation software.And the longer vou rvait to upgrade, the more difficult it will be to convert \rour old data files. Furthermore, Microsoft is in the processof phasingout DOS (as r'vellas all the Windows operating systemsthat

are basedon DOS), and is migrating tou.ard a completell, nerv version of Windo*'s NT w'hich u'ill, in time, become its dominant operating system platform. This transition rvill take a fbu' more years, but when it occurs, all Microsoft applicationswill need to run on NT. That naturally will force your business upgrade to a newer Microsoft to OS. So beware:Hanging onto this Model T of operating systemsmay seriouslyimpede \/our company's gro.lvth in the 2lst century. If your organizationis running DOS-basedapplications, you should consider taking the plunge to Win 98 or Win NT before the year 2000 or you will be plagued u,ith an inoperable operating system that will have severeeffbcts on your bottom-line. Which onef Of the choicesthat remain, we suggestyou considerupgrading ar leasrto Windows 98. Or wait for the final release Windows NT 5. of Whatever you do, don't considerWindows 3.x, a legacybasedapplicationu'hosetime hascome and gone. Windows 3.x. What if you are presentlyrunning Windows 3.xf Even though Win 3.x has seenits hevda,v, fullv a quarter of small businesses still use some version of this operating system. Win 3.x may still be fine for some applications,but considerthe dou'nside. Win 3.x is not Year2O0O-compliant) vou run the risk so of encountering myriad software problems on Dec. 31, 1999 or earlier.And if )'our computerstalk to other companies' computers) you rvill no doubt soon find that many of them will no longer do business with you. Indeed, IBM now insiststhat all its vendors be Y2l(-compliant already. Otherwise, forget it. Nor is Win 3.x able to run many of the newer, more porverful programs, such as Lotus Notes and Microsoft Office 98. !\hat should you dof You could consideran upgradeto Windor.l's 95 or Windolr..s98. Win 95 is pretry well tried and true, but unlike Win 98 it's not Year2000-compiiant. Your best bet may be to wait for the bugs to get worked out of Win 98 (try the secondrelease) and then upgrade. Windows 95. You've danced the Microsoft Shuffle a few times over the past several vearsand you've paid fbr a few rounds of upgrades.Now your shop is all Win 95. Greatl So now whatl Do you sit pat with Win 95, u'hich is not Y2K-compliant, or upgradeto Win 98f l{ere's where yesl choicesget more complicated. The YankeeGroup found that 54 percent of all small-business PCs useWin 95. It's a well-tested, well-documente relad, tively secure and modestly robust svstemthat has sen'ed , Buvers GuiderFall 1998 69

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millions of small businesses sinceits 1995 release. Right now, the most compelling reason to migrate to a fancier systemis that Win 95 is not year 2000-compliant. If that doesn't matter to you, then vou,re better off r,vaiting until an operaring sysremcomes along that offers something radically different in the way of communications functions or businesspro..rr.r. If that does matter, then consider waiting for a siightly Iater version of Win 98 or a proven version of Win NT 5. Win 98. This is really nothing more than a slightly tuned-up, Y2K-compliant version of Win 95 that should have been releasedas an upgrade. Still, Microsoft has added some modest functional improvements-including faster connections with peripheral equipment, multi-monitor support, better speed, and higher reliability.For most small-business users,there's no pressingreasonto upgrade to Win 98 immediately. Many of the "enhancements"it offers can alreadv be added to Win 95 with software"patches" that can easily be downloadedfrom Microsolt'sWeb site.

As the JusticeDepartment has duly noted, the major _ difference berween Win 95 and Win 98 is that Microsoft has fully integrated its Web browser into the system'sdesktop user interface, making the look and feel of Win 98 similar ro that of Internet Explorer, its popular Web browser. As such, Win 98 should be thought of as a "Web-enabied" transitionai product basedon a dying DOS-basedplatform that willivenrually be entirely replacedby the Windows NT (5 or 6) operating system.Small-business and home userswho are thinking of upgrading to Win 98 should take a wait-and-seeposture while continuing to monitor the progressof Windows NT 5. But if you are purchasinga new computer, you may have no choice but to accept its pre-installed copy of Win 98-for betrer or worse. Windows NT. NT is already a srrong operating system that allows for multi-platform and multi-processor capabilitiesin a robust and stable environment. Though originally designedfor corporate customersin larger organizations, Microsoft 's strategic maneuveringssuggesr

I{ow StritcIt Is
byJosephWarosa

one-stop shopping software save for youbothtime andmoney. can

tion software-th"y supplant the need to purchase separ_ate products. By doing so, suirescan saveyou plenty of money over single applications.You could run out No mqrrtn How powerful your PC and peripherand buy Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Excel and Access als, your company is only as good as the softwareyou for a total of $1,200. Or you could pick up the Miuse. The fastestmodem, the brightest display,the most crosoft Office Professional Edition for a mere $599. RAM, are of no use at all if your software doesn,t have All the suites on the market provide certain core apthe juice to help you achieve goals. plications: word processing and a spreadsheer,r.td )rour business As the owner of a small business, you're no doubt often a database and presentationpackage.After rhat, already accustomed ro using such straightforward softsuitesoffer a host of diflbrent appiicationsranging from ware applications as u'ord processors,spreadsheets, the useful (perhapsan Internet connector) to the ardatabases and the like. Perhapsyou've even used precane (streetmapping) to the entirely new (Web site desentation soffii.aresuch as Microsoft's Powerooint to sign software).Some of theseprogramsmay be of little p re se nt pr opos al n e w b u s i n e s s . m a y b ey o u ' ve a lor Or use to your company,while others may turn out to be heard about some new and useful featuresthat come your company's saving grace. It all depends on your with the Iatest r,vord-processing spreadsheetsoftor business needs.Don't go for the suite containing lots r'vare. Rather than running out and buying each appliof graphics applicationsif you're running a small accation,consider office suite an . counting firm. {Jnless,of course,the next step in your An office suite is a collection of software applications businessplan is to begin producing fancy annual rethat are tightly inregrated into a single shrink:wrapped ports full of chartsand photos for your clients. product providing an efficient and cost-effectivemeans Becausethe individual applications in a suire are of addressingmany of your businessneeds. Because tightly integrated, they possessthe same ..look and suites bundie applications-typically a spreadsheet, feel." That makes them easierto use, improving proword processor,database, and perhapssome presentaductivity and cutting down on the time it takes to learn 70 Buyers GuiderFall 1998

that some r.ersionof NT u'ill eventuallv become the replacementoperating svstcnrfbr all busiiress and personal desktopcomputers. Windou's NT 4 is the most currcltt versionof the oocr_ ating system,and rhe long-arvaitcdupgrade to NT 5 has now been delal'eduntil mid-sllmmer 1999. Thus, small businesses have severalchoices:Upgrade ftom Windorvs to NT 4, wait to upgradeto NT 5, or rvait er.enlonser for NT 6, u'hich, in all likelihood, u,ill replaceall othir Mi_ crosoftoperatings\'srcms \{'indorvi CE. but Because the delaf in shipping NT 5, coupled with of . the problems associated rvith Win 98, small businesscs should r.rotupgradeto NT 5 or Win 98 until a secondver_ sion or later is released(gir,ir-rg Microsoft time ro debug both operating svstems). Still, there's realh,not much reason for small businesses considcr NT unlessthev use ro high-end imaging and graphicssoftrvare such as architec_ , tural or engineering flrms l'ho can aflord the extra RAM ware requirements. One final note of
and the associate costs of more pou,erful hardd

caution: Win NT 4 docs rlor support ltorebooks bv itsell, as there is no "advancedpou'er management" utili6,. So it can onh' be used l.ith desktop units. And lVin NT 5 docsn't supporr notebooks u'ith oldcr vcrsionsof oou.er managemcnt.So it $.ill onlY $'ork u'ith uen, notcbooks. Windows CE. Windon's CE, thc orher operaungsvstem that lvill sun'ir,eMicrosoft's consolidationprocess, is-often misunderstood. Essentially watered-don,n a r,crsionof Win pCs, auto pCs. 95, CE runs olt a host of devices: hanclheld ,,embcdded', palm-bascd pCs. It's safeto PCs,and r,arious sa\,11-ro, ['ants to control not onl,vrrour desktop but MS \rolrrcar,\,our toaster,and vour handhcldpC asu,ell.Small businesscs shouid nore rhar Win CE u,ill probablvbc one of onh' nvo operatillgsvsrems survivcMicr<rsoti.s [o strategt,. "There u'ill be a coil'elgence of all Microsoft opcrating si.stefirs o\.er dre next three to fbur vears," predicts yankee Gror-rp anah.sr Colin Mahonr'."Ultimatel", ih... u.ill probablv be onlv rn'o Microsofr operaringsvsrems: and CE. NT Windou's 95 and Windotvs 9t3,asn,e knou.them, n.ill be completelv replaced." r

them. If 1,qu'rei1 a rush to finish a presentarion that requires text from a word-processedreport r.ou
wrote last month) "importing,' tnat text lnto Vour Dresct.Itatiol-I '*.% software is a breeze. Si,riteshavc even sotten better at sharing dara u,ith ;rpplicrrions and suites

same colllpan\r.

You'll corne to appre ciate another adr.antage

u'hen voLr dccicle that it's timc to upgrade vour sofrq,are to the ne$., improved model. Suites

made by different vcndors. Compatibilit,vis becoming less and lessof a problem. Suitesare also specificallv d.ri*t-t..t to make collaboration among users easv. So if, for instance, vou'r,e put together a smail team to formulate vollr company,smar_ kcting plan, rhey can exchangedata and files iasilr,.While some packages seemto do this better than others. bv and large, all suites promote collaborativeu.ork amonq'\,our co-u,orkers or stafl All high-end suirescome bundlecl rvith lots of docu_ ment templatesand built-in macrostl.ratalloll. \iou ro Drep are pro fl e s s ional- look i d o c u m e n tsrri rh o rri rp .,.,j i ,., g ng time designing rhem r,oursclf. That can be a sisnifican; producrivin boost. In addition ro their pou,erful applications,suitesoftcr
solne other, more subtle, adYantages over dis_

allon'r.ou to r-rpgrade cvervthing in one fell s\\'oop,so there's no ntore rushing around r_rpgrading fit.e diflbrent soft\\.areprograms. Arcl that $.ill save\-ou ,-riorr.,. ass'ell. On the orher hand, suitesdo havc thcir lirnitations.Do vou have an extra 400 megabt'tesolt vour harcj diskf If \'{ru dorr't, Jrou lna). not bc able to loaci or run some of thesemonstcr suite packages. And if vou,r,egot onlr, g to l6MB of RAM, )'ou'll probabh'havc to .,pgrid. ro a min_ imr-rn-r 32MB befbre running roda\"s 3j-bit suites.Oth_ of envise, )rou ma\r find that vour brand-nen,programsu,ill n'ork at vcn, old specds. Ard suites aren't cheap. Sr.rggcsted retail prrces run bcfir,ccn$400 and $600, so vou rra\r want to thilk nvice bcfbrc ioading one on everr, clesktop.you cor_rld buy a multiuscr license, load the softr.varc vour ser\rer, to and pat, fcrruser "seats,"but for that vou'll be chargecl seat. per
One fi-ral linrittrtion: Once vou bu\. a suite ancl convert r,onr PCs, )'ou're pretnr much locked vendor. Conve rting voLrr machines fi'om one sofiu'are suitc to anorher is not a pleasant prospect

parate collections of sof-n'r'are . There n,as a compatibilir\. problems rvith vor.rrsoft\vare, vou u.ere often "ping-ponged,'
benr.ccn the nr.o companies' techni- , cal support people, u'ith neithcr I company u.illing to take responsibilitr'. With suircs, lrorvever, thosc days are over, since thelr x1g .1asigned and manuflctured bv the time , for instance , r,r'hen if voll had an\r

into doing businessu'ith that parricular

Should von rush out ancl pick Lrpthe first sr,rite that cor.nes r-our s arI N ot so fhst.Thc srri rc rrr.rr.k cr is a nvo-tierecl inclustrr-.On the otte h.rnd,the l on -cntl ,rri tc. cort

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While they include man\rof the ap$100 or less. plications availablein the high-end r.ersions,the applicationsare so much less ponerful that 1'qu will probablv find ther.u'on't alu'al.sdo the job. So concentra.te the high end. Lluless,of course, on vou're reallv strappedfbr cash,in u'hich caseYou might consider Microsoft Works,at $55, or ClarisWorks Off.ice 5.0, at $79 fbr the Windou's version and $99 for the Mac version.

The market fbr suitesis a three-horserace benveenMicrosoft'sMS Office, Corel'slYordPerfbctSuite,and Lotus's SmartSuite Millennium Edition. BecauseMicrosoft holds the lion's shareof the market-surprise, surprise-the race is reall_v the siivermedal. fbr MICROSOFT OFFICE STANDARD EDITION, OFFICE PROFESSIONAL EDITION, AND OFFICE SMALL BUSINESS EDITION Microsoft makesseveraldifferent suites that are suitable lbr small businesses, though only one is specificallvdesigned for them: the $499 MS Small Business Edition. But don't let the name fool 1,e11. While this edition conrains useful items such as Excel. Word. Small Business Financial Manager, Direct Mail Manager, and Internet Explorer, it lacks both a databaseand a presentation package,which must be purchasedfbr an additional $I09 each.So if your business needsa database and a presentationpackage-and whose doesn't, these days)-consider the Office 97 Standard Edition or the OfEce 97 Professional Edition, both of r.vhichcontain all the standard stuff but lack many of the frills included in the Small Business Edition. The difference betn'een Offtce9T Standard($499) and Office 97 Professional(S599) is that for $100 more, the Professional version includes a database. added benefit: Microsoft r.vill An give you an additional $40 rebate off the suggestedretail price if 1'ou already own anv individual application included in Olfice. Among the benefits of Microsoft Office products: their tight integration and a uniform look and feel among the various applications. (800) 426-9400 uqrv.microsoft.com COREL WORDPERFECT SUITE8 AND WORDPERFECT SUITE8 PROFESSIONAL Corel's WordPerfbctSuite products ($395 to $479) present a strong offering and are cheaper than Microsoft's. Corel's f-eatures similar to Microsoft's, but remember are that, like Microsoft's product line, eachversioncomeslvith different collectionsof softlvare The Standardedition, for . instance,does not come rvith a database. vou rvant one, ff I'ou'Il have to fork over an additional $85 lbr the Profbssionalrcrsion. But if vou do, 1'ou'll alsoget an encvclopedia and a project managementmodule, fbaturesnot included in any Microsoft suite. If the cost and the added features appealto vou, considerone ofthe Corel products. ( 6\3\ 728 -8200 u.'q,w.corel.com LOTUS SMARTSUITE MILLENNIUM EDITION No package perfbct, but the $399 SmartSuiteprovides is everv core applicationyour business needs,asrvell as some added plussessuch as voice recognition and various Website publishing tools. But it lacksother handy noncore fbatures such as photo editing, an encvclopedia,and desktop publishing.Lotus developed Lotus Notes, of course,so it should come as no surprisethat SmartSuite does a great job of allorving collaboration among office staff. (800) 343-5414 unr.srlotus.com

Before vou purchasea suite, make surevou Lln derstand exactlv hou. ,vor-rr businessu'ill benefit. an .o Buying a suite mav seem like a no-brainer, but it IJJ = may be the only softrvare vou have, and vou ah should plan to live with it lbr cluite some time. 3 I(eep in mind future needs.If ),our salesforce o j will soon be doing monthlv sales summaries, ther. will no doubt need that spreadsheet program that E was once the sole proYinceof the bean counters. at So it may make senseto give it to them in that In nell, suite you're planning to buv nor'r'. general, it's a good idea to err on the side of too much horsepowernoll., and then grorv into vour suite. Some other tips: o Talk to friends and businessacquaintances r'vho understand your businessand ask for recornmendations. r Check out the Web sitesof the suitesyou're interested in. Read the marketing literature on s'ith anv eachvendor's site and familiarize -l,ourself recent releases product enhancements. or (streetmapa Revier,r.the noncore applications ping, photo editing and the like). Do I'ou realh' need any ofthese features) o Do the math reqllired to determine the break-evenpoint benveen ir.rdividualapplication purchases and the purchaseofa suite. o Consider anv add t'onal hardrvarecosts the various suites might require-more RAM, larger hard disk-and fhctor those costsinto vour analysis ofthe total cost ofpurchase. One final item to keep in mind u.'henpurchasing a suite: You do not need to pa\r tire fuil suggested retail price if \,ou presentlv o\\'n a suite from any vendor. All r,endors ollbr cornpetitive upgradespriced betu'een$89 and $250 that allou' you to purchasethe upgrade at a discount even if you Presentlv o\\'n a comptitor's suite. While there ma)r not be a perlbct olhce suite, three top-notch vendors currerlth. ofTersevenexcellentchoices. Stayn.ith one of them. Don't trv to savea feu' hundred dollars bv buf ing a lcssn'ell known product. Stick rvith vendors,voucan trust: You certainlv don't rvant to go through the data coil'ersion that slvitching suites again rvould entail. Be happv er,enif r.our choice seemslessthan perfect-no one package r,r.ill accon-rn-roclate all vour needs.r
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Bur.ers GuiderFali 1998