Harvard Graphics for Windows 2.0

I have to be honest; I sometimes make snap decisions. When I first saw the Harvard Graphics for Windows 2.0 (HGW2) box, I decided I liked the look of the product. The box is the right size, easy to get into, cleanly designed and informative without being flashy or having the latest graphic designer nightmare drips spattered all over the outside. Bit like the program itself, really.
Opening the box reveals a disk packet with 10 35in floppies inside, a Using Harvard Graphics Guide and a small booklet detaining the use of Harvard F/X. This is a bundled standalone graphics and effects package that links into HGW2 to give added zing to text and images. Also thrown in for free are an HGW2 runtime player, and Autographix, a modem-based
automatic slide production service.
Loading all those disks does take some time, and the end result is 1I.5M of your hard disk disappearing under HGW2 code and symbols (The authors, SPC, obviously don’t like calling it clip art). This can go up to 21M if all art, tutorials and extras are loaded. The specified minimum configuration is a 386 with at least 4M of RAM, and preferably MPC support too.
When you open HGW2, you arc given the option to either open a presentation, or start a new one. First-time users are invited to check out the five-minute coach which gives a quick tour through the capabilities of the package. The problem is, the one drawback with HGW2 is that it is not quick.
Although for presentations, speed of loading is not a big issue — the graphics speed of the presenting PC is more important — this program uses so much disk access that the light barely goes off. It took over 45 seconds to load the program itself on a well-cached 486/25, over a minute to load a 30-slide presentation, and over 20 seconds to uncouple itself from Windows. That is definitely not quick.
Okay, so a fast hard disk is absolutely essential for this software. What else? Apart from the normal Outliner, Slides and Sorter options. HGW2 docs have some useful add-ons. As you put together your presentation, you can call on the help of the built-in Advisor to give you tips and previews on various styles and methods of screen enhancement. This works a bit like Symantec’s DAVE and Microsoft’s Wizards to help out with the overall look of the end result.
The mouse can be used to edit any section of your screen on the fly. Clicking the right mouse button puts you in QuickChange mode, and a double click gives QuickEdit.
This saves going all through the menu structure to make subtle alterations using the toolbar or menu. You can work on any of the 30-or-so predesigned master sets of slides and simply click and fill in the details as you want, or you can build your own sequence from scratch using a Master slide format to ensure a reasonably coherent production.
Linking a presentation show to other activities is well supported. OLE capability means video and sound can be ported in, or you can use the integrated Video Player to put the movie screen where and what size you want it on screen. If you want to you can run a single presentation acToss a network using the Conferencing option.
In comparison to my favourite package, Freelance Graphics, HGW2 is probably slightly ahead of the game in features and online help, but takes one step back thanks to all the disk business. Snap decisions aren’t always to be trusted. I still like the box, though.