Acorn Announces Integrated Software Suite Embargo Release Date 20th January 1993 Acorn Computers is using the BETT '93 venue to unveil an integrated software package containing the essential tools for a computer in the office, school or home. Featuring a word processor, spreadsheet, database and graphing package, Acorn Advance is expected to be available in March. It runs on any Archimedes computer with a minimum of 1MB RAM and running under RISC OS 3 version 3.10 or later. On machines with a minimum of 2MB RAM, two or more of the Advance tools can be run concurrently, whereas with just 1MB, information can still be easily transferred from one application of the suite to another. The integration of the applications tools within Advance offers many benefits including a consistent interface which allows actions such as text editing and effects to be identical in each tool, making them easier to learn. All the Advance documents are displayed and printed making full use of the wide choice of RISC OS 3 outline fonts available. The movement of text and data between applications is also made quick and easy - either via a "cut and paste" method, or by CSV data transfer. Acorn Advance has been developed by Acorn Computers as a collaborative project with third party software houses including Computer Concepts, Iota, Clares and CRM. The Word Processor combines many of the features of a colour desktop publishing package including multi-column text, the display of Sprite or Draw files, a 60,000 word dictionary, a mail-merge facility and a powerful search and replace function. The Spreadsheet has 55 pre-defined functions and can sort rows or columns using a series of user defined keys. A single key press enables selected data to be graphed automatically as bar charts, pie charts, line graphs or scatter graphs in 2D or 3D styles. Multiple graphs can be displayed at the same time with more than one set of data. The Database can handle large amounts of data including text, numeric, boolean or graphic, and this can then be searched and sorted on fields in order of significance. Records can be displayed on the page in a number of user defined ways and a report facility is included allowing a summary of fields in tabular formats. Acorn Advance is supplied with a number of tutorial weather projects which have been designed for use by teachers and pupils at differing curriculum ability levels and which are based on real weather data supplied by the Met Office. Acorn Advance uses the Acorn software protection scheme whereby a code in the operating system ROMs which is unique to each individual machine is checked by the software allowing it to be licensed for designated machines. Site licenses are also available. ENDS Further information from Rachel Pullen, Acorn Computers, Tel 0223 254254 _______________________________________________________________________________ aglo...@acorn.co.uk, moderator of comp.sys.acorn.announce. Submissions to announce-requ...@acorn.co.uk, other related mail to announ...@acorn.co.uk.