http://www.microsoft.com/TechNet/desk/project/prodfact/projpr.htm (PC Press Internet CD, 03/1996)
Posted Date: January 30, 1995
REDMOND, Wash. - Jan. 4, 1995 - Microsoft Corp. today announced Microsoft® Project version 4.0 for the Apple® Macintosh® operating system, a major upgrade to the best-selling project management program for the Macintosh. The primary design goal for Microsoft Project 4.0 was to make project management software accessible to a broad range of business planners - from first-time users to experienced project managers.
"More and more businesses are turning to project management software to meet the challenges of re-engineering, but this software traditionally has been too difficult to use," said Pete Higgins, senior vice president of the desktop applications division at Microsoft. "Microsoft Project 4.0 for the Macintosh is accessible to general business users because it shares many of the ease-of-use innovations found in Microsoft Office."
For version 4.0, Microsoft invested in extensive customer research and usability testing to redesign Microsoft Project to meet the needs of the novice project planner while continuing to provide the powerful functionality required by more advanced project managers. Like the applications in Microsoft Office, Microsoft Project includes IntelliSense* technology. By sensing what users want to do and intelligently producing the desired result, IntelliSense technology in Microsoft Project can make the product simpler and more intuitive for planners at any level of expertise.
· PlanningWizards monitor users' actions and appear automatically to provide tips or to clarify and execute users' intentions.
Most projects involve presenting plans to managers and co-workers. Microsoft Project 4.0 makes it easy to set up a plan and then create great-looking, polished charts and reports.
· The GanttChartWizard makes it easy to create a professional-looking Gantt Chart. The software asks how you want your Gantt Chart to look, then applies the proper formatting automatically.
· An Interactive Calendar View enables project managers to work with their plans in a format that anyone can understand - a standard wall calendar.
· Cue Cards provide step-by-step instructions that stay on-screen to guide users as they work.
"Being a small company, we never looked at project management software, but now as we are growing we need some help tracking our events," said Linda Kerner, an executive assistant at Williams Marketing and Management, a consulting firm in Lincoln, Neb. "Microsoft Project 4.0 for the Macintosh was very easy to understand. The IntelliSense features and enhanced online assistance help us get up to speed quickly."
According to Microsoft customer research, 90 percent of Microsoft Project users also use at least one Microsoft Office application. Consistent menus and toolbar buttons mean users of Microsoft Office applications will find it easy to get started with Microsoft Project 4.0. Like Microsoft Office, Microsoft Project features tool tips, tabbed dialog boxes, shortcut menus, QuickTime™ support, Balloon Help™, customizable toolbars and OLE support.
"We spent a lot of time in Microsoft's usability labs and out in the field talking to customers who use the Macintosh about their project-planning needs," said Jon Reingold, general manager of the Microsoft Project business unit. "We found that many business planners used their word processors or spreadsheets to plan project schedules when project management software could address their needs better. We developed Microsoft Project to work in conjunction with Microsoft Office so users can work with an interface similar to that of
Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word, enabling them to learn and use the product quickly."
According to Microsoft customer data, 82 percent of users of Microsoft Project for the Macintosh work in a cross-platform environment in which both Microsoft Windows™ and Apple Macintosh operating systems are in use. Because it is a core code application, Microsoft Project 4.0 for the Macintosh lets users share and transfer identical files with users of Microsoft Project 4.0 for Windows. Core code functionality also helps reduce training time and minimize implementation costs for customers working in a cross-platform environment.
In addition to sharing the same core code functionality with the version for Windows, Microsoft Project 4.0 for the Macintosh also incorporates functionality developed specifically for the Macintosh environment. Microsoft Project 4.0 will be one of the first project managers for the Power Macintosh™ platform, sharing identical functionality with the Macintosh version. Microsoft Project also takes full advantage of Publish and Subscribe, enabling users to communicate project schedules to colleagues who may not have Microsoft Project running on their desktops. Microsoft Project 4.0 for the Macintosh also provides extensive use of
Balloon Help, a feature for which Microsoft Project 3.0 won the Award of Achievement in the Art, Online and Publications Competition from the Society for Technical Communication.
Microsoft Project 4.0 for the Macintosh is the first project management software to offer a robust programming language. Like Microsoft Excel 5.0, Microsoft Project includes the
Visual Basic® for Applications programming system. With Visual Basic for Applications, customers can build custom solutions and integrate Microsoft Project 4.0 with applications such as Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word.
Microsoft Project 4.0 for the Macintosh is scheduled to be available in the first quarter of 1995 for approximately $469 (U.S.) and $659 (Canadian). Licensed users of Microsoft Project 3.0 and previous versions can upgrade to Microsoft Project 4.0 for approximately $149 (U.S.) and $199 (Canadian). All licensed users of Microsoft desktop applications, including Microsoft Project, have access to unlimited, no-charge support (toll charges may apply) from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST Monday through Friday.
Microsoft Project 4.0 is designed to run on any Macintosh computer with a 68030 or higher processor (68040 recommended) or Power Macintosh computer. System requirements include the following:
· System 7 operating system or later
· 8 MB RAM recommended; 8 MB of memory (with virtual memory turned on) required for Power Macintosh
· 12 MB (typical) hard disk space (14 MB for full/custom installation)
· 1.4MB disk drive
· Any Macintosh-compatible printer and monitor, except Classic II or SE-30
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft and Visual Basic are registered trademarks and IntelliSense
and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks and QuickTime, Balloon
Help and Power Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer Inc.
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