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.

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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.