From the creators of ClarisWorks and AppleWorks comes gobeProductive 3.0, which is a combination office tool - a word processor, spreadsheet, graphics manipulator, .pdf writer, and .html viewer/editor - all in one program. And, it can create presentations, as well. The suggested retail price for gobeProductive is $124.95, and it is a bargain at that price. It is currently available at an introductory price of $74.95 from the GoBe website, or by calling 1-866-808-GOBE(4623). And, if you buy the Windows version, the Linux version is free. [Note: As I re-wrote this review to post on my website, I of course checked all the addresses and price. GoBEProductive v3.04 is now only $49.95! Wow!]Installation:
I had a bit of a problem installing gobeProductive. Apparently, it drops to DOS during part of the installation routine - but in the background (normally, you don’t actually see the DOS part of the installation routine). In any case, I use a batch file to set up my DOS environment each time I 'shell out' from Windows, so all I got each time I tried to install gobeProductive was a plain old black and white C: prompt. A little thought (all I could muster), and I deleted the Command.Pif file in my Windows directory so that the batch file wouldn’t get called - gobeProductive loaded without any further hassle. (Some might say that I 'shot myself in the foot' here, but I prefer to think of it as expertly handling an admittedly self-generated problem, or an Excellent Educational Experience.)
Each time the program starts, it asks what type of document to create, but then it allows you to insert as many other supported document types as you wish (e.g., spreadsheets, pictures,... whatever). Each time I started gobeProductive, I selected Word Processing from the opening menu. Like any good word processor, all you do is type. The program tells you if you’ve typed a word that isn't in its dictionary, and offers to replace it with one if its known words or add the typed word to the dictionary.
I wrote this review using gobeProductive. I liked the fact that it didn't try to correct my grammar, or give me any grief over sentences that run ‘way too long. (ALL of my sentences run ‘way too long - that’s how I write, and I don’t want to be hassled by the computer suggesting I change my writing style, such as it is.) Copy, Cut, and Paste also work as you’d expect, but the default color scheme used for highlighting selected text is a pastel blue, which I didn't expect. But, it’s easy on the eyes and makes highlighted text easy to read, while still making it very clear what text is and is not selected.
After the review was pretty much done, I opened the program in Spreadsheet and Graphics modes to see how easy they were to use. I’m pleased to say, those modes are just as easy to use as the word processor module. Pictured below is an invoice created in GOBE.
This product has one of the best Help systems I’ve seen, written in simple terms, and building from performing the basics to completing complex tasks. In fact, the easiest way to learn this software is to start the program in Word Processor mode, and immediately press F1 or click on the Help menu. Help opens with the Getting Started topic already open. Reading the five or six sub-topics under Getting Started makes you a semi-expert within just a few minutes. And of course, Help is written in HTML, like a Web page, so clicking on a keyword takes you to the word’s definition, its description, and a how-to instruction. Navigation is accomplished using the Back and Forward arrows on the menu bar, just like browsing the Internet. To exit Help, you simply click on the Close Window X box in the upper right-hand corner of the window, select Close from the File menu (the menu changed when switching to Help), or press Alt+F4 using the keyboard. The only surprise was that pressing the Esc key on the keyboard neither navigated backwards in the hypertext maze nor exited Help, as I would have expected it to.
I admit I didn’t even try gobeProductive's Presentation capability. I know nothing of presentations, I’ve never needed to create one, and while it would have been excellent proof of how easy the program is to learn for the rank beginner, I couldn’t think of anything I’d like to do a presentation on.
It is very easy to insert a picture in a gobeProductive word processor document, like the one shown below. On the menu, I just clicked on Insert, then Image File, and selected the .JPG picture that I had previously saved from the Web - a rare Fender Stratocaster 12-string guitar (actually, MY Fender Stratocaster 12-string guitar).
Any file that the program can open or edit can be inserted in the document, fully editable from within the main document - without the need for a third party program or endless pasting of revisions. The process is the same as for inserting a graphic, using the same menu choices. As far as the program is concerned, any external file to be inserted is an image of that file. I mentioned above that the menu changed when I opened Help. Fact is, it changes whenever you change the working context - word processing, spreadsheet, etc. If you insert a spreadsheet file in the middle of a word processing document, then click within the spreadsheet, the menu changes to the Spreadsheet menu - the Word Processing menu magically reappears as soon as you click anywhere outside the spreadsheet part of the document. This feature cuts down on the confusion factor a lot - only tools that are of use at the precise point in the document where you’ve placed the cursor (by mouse action or keyboard) are available.
Even though gobeProductive has its own native .pve file format, it can open and save most file formats used by other well-known office suites, so you can share files with friends who paid much more for their office software than you paid for yours.
In addition to the installation problem mentioned earlier, I had only two other problems with gobeProductive 3.0. Both had to do with working with imported files from another office suite, then saved back to the original format. When I inserted the guitar picture in the .pve file and saved it in Word’s .doc format, then opened the .doc file in gobeProductive as if I were importing a file from MS Office, the picture was okay the first time the file was imported. But, it disappeared the next time I imported it. This also occurred with .tif and .bmp files. I believe this is a function of having translated the file back and forth too many times (gobeProductive converts other formats into .pve while it is being edited, then back into the original format when it saves the file). And occasionally, when importing files from another format, no matter how many times I saved the file in its original format (.doc, in this case), when I tried to exit the program, it would stop and ask if I wanted to save the changes. I finally had to say No to exit the program. I believe this is because I did not save a copy in .pve, but I can’t be sure. Since the program's authors get a copy of this review, I take for granted that these three problems will be fixed soon.
On a final note, I have to say that gobeProductive’s license makes the most sense of any license that I’ve seen for paid software (e.g., not freeware or Open Source). A license is granted to install gobeProductive on every computer at your home, as well as on ONE computer where you work. Compare that to other, more restrictive licenses you may have seen.
Recommendation:
I really like this software, and I like the style and the apparent mindset of the folks who wrote it. I would recommend it to any of our members, and to any of my clients. It allows you to share files with friends and family, but for a lot less money than for other office software. It is very easy to use, no matter what mode is selected. And as I said before, this product has one of the best Help systems I’ve ever seen.
As stated at the beginning of this review, you can get your copy by going to the GoBe website, or by calling 1-866-808-GOBE(4623).
