Lotus eSuite Workplace

As on office suite written in Java and designed to run on a server, Lotus’ eSuite Workplace (developed under the codename ‘Kona’) is both a huge leap forward and a step back in time.
Since It is written in a platform-independent programming language, it can theoretically run on any Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and be modified to suit an organisation’s needs. However, as it runs from a server to meet the needs of thin clients, mainframe-style, it is a cut-down package without the power of today’s leading productivity apps. But it’s a refreshing new style of software, and definitely worth a close look if you have faith in thin clients and an intranet/Intemet future.
The Workplace interface feels like a cross between a modem Web browser and a lightweight Lotus Notes. It looks very attractive, with bright, friendly icons and slick menu design — a great advance for Java apps, which have often looked dull. It didn’t run fast, even on our test-bed Pentium Pro 200, but worked at a reasonable speed for all but the most complex operations. The long load times we experienced will probably only really be solved with the advent of dedicated Java chips which natively interpret Java bytecode.
On startup, the user logs in and sees the main eSuite screen of icons, similar to the Notes workspace. The icons shown depend on the capabilities assigned to the user by the server administrator, drawn from the basic set of eSuite applets (email, word processor, spreadsheet, presentation graphics, calendar/address book and Web browser) and third party add-ons. Returning to recent documents is easy with the ‘Work Files’ icon, while a vertical taskbar runs down the left-hand side for easy switching between open applets. The taskbar can be minimised, assigning screen space to work in progress.
Each applet has a similar interface, with menus at the bottom of the screen. These include standard file and formatting menus, with a few functions specific to the applet’s purpose.
The basic email applet supports POP and LDAP mail servers, with all the regular mail-client features such as reply-to-all and forward, but lacks the convenience of complex features such as filtering.
Similarly, the eSuite word processor does not come with advanced features such as mail merge, but it does have strong formatting and layout features. A selection of clip art is included for use across all apps. Word processor documents are saved as either HTML or text.
This is truly open and cross-platform, but perhaps a little too revolutionary if you need to share formatted documents with users of other word processors.
The spreadsheet applet has the feel of a lightweight 1-2-3 and is powerful enough to cope with company accounting and everyday business work, but is not for rocket scientists. The same goes for the presentation software, calendar and address book — all are attractive little apps, but power users will feel restricted. Then again, these applets are not designed for the power user; they are aimed at a world where 80% of users only ever touch 20% of a program’s capabilities.
For the moment, Lotus has incorporated Sun’s Hotjava as its Web browser — a good example of how administrators should be able to plug in third-party Java apps. And as the other half of the eSuite project is the upcoming eSuite DevPack, inhouse customisation will also be possible.
Hotjava as a browser is fine and can cope with most HTML, though it baulks at some of the most modem layout techniques available to Netscape and IE4. Of course, a Java-based browser is quite at home running java applets downloaded from the Web, but it would not download other files —a blessing for system administrators who
do not want their users polluting thin-dient machines with alien software.
The administrator is provided with a customisation tool set (Workplace Administrator), which is a little baffling at first (elements to modify have names like ‘mes-sageSourceMgr’), but it allows simplification or extension of each user’s
eSuite environment. For example, it is possible to set up access to legacy applications using an eSuite terminal applet.
The ‘pilot demonstration release’ reviewed was quite solid, but did not yet have an installation program, so icons with environment settings had to be created manually. A few minor capabilities were also missing (or acknowledged as unstable). A Pentium 133 was recommended for adequate operation, and only a limited range of graphics cards was supported. Occasional
crashes occurred when intensive operations were done one after the other, requiring the |VM and application to be restarted (the demonstration release came with its own JVM and ran under Windows 95, with server activity shown in DOS boxes). And while it is platform-independent, eSuite is still OS-reliant for external tasks such as printing.
Despite the demonstration release glitches, using the Workplace environment was productive and the lack of frills was refreshing. Though it follows the familiar suite concept and lacks speed on traditional PCs, eSuite is something new. It takes several leaps towards fulfilling Java’s promises — network administrators should look closely.