Lotus Announces Full Line of Desktop Software on CD-ROM; SmartSuite 3.0 CD-ROM Edition Ships with Added Content, Simpler Installation and In-Depth On-line Documentation

Business Wire, Nov 8, 1994

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 8, 1994--Lotus Development Corp. today announced that it will begin shipping next week SmartSuite 3.0 CD-ROM Edition representing the company's response to market demand for desktop software on this increasingly popular medium. Lotus recently began shipping a multimedia version of 1-2-3 Release 5 for Windows on CD-ROM and plans to ship this quarter stand-alone CD-ROM Editions of standard versions of Ami Pro 3.1, Approach 3.0 and Freelance Graphics 2.1.

The company also announced that it is shipping Lotus Gallery, a free CD-ROM that features full 45-day trial versions of many of the Lotus desktop applications. Additionally, the company announced three separate Knowledge Base CD-ROM databases for Notes, SmartSuite and cc:Mail.

Like its disk-based counterpart, SmartSuite 3.0 CD-ROM Edition includes the 1-2-3 Release 5 spreadsheet, the Approach 3.0 database, the Ami Pro 3.1 word processor, the Freelance Graphics 2.1 presentation graphics application, the Organizer 1.1 personal information manager, the ScreenCam 1.1 multimedia screen and sound-capture utility, and SmartCenter, the application switching tool that provides cross-application user assistance.

Lotus' SmartPics Sampler for Windows and SmarText DocOnline are new to SmartSuite 3.0 CD-ROM Edition. The SmartPics Sampler, an extensive clip-art library, includes more than 100 pieces of clip art that are ready to use in SmartSuite applications. Lotus' SmarText DocOnline reader, available in all of Lotus' CD-ROM Editions, provides users with full product documentation that is completely indexed and easy to search.

1-2-3 Release 5 for Windows: Multimedia Edition

1-2-3 Release 5 for Windows: Multimedia Edition exploits the technology's high storage capacity to offer a practical implementation of multimedia in a major business application.

1-2-3 Release 5 for Windows: Multimedia Edition combines 1-2-3 Release 5 for Windows with Multimedia SmartHelp, a series of multimedia learning tools including an animated and narrated Guided Tour; innovative "QuickMovie animations" that interactively educate users about 1-2-3 concepts and procedures; complete on-line documentation with Help links; and an audible proofreader. 1-2-3 Release 5 for Windows: Multimedia Edition also features ScreenCam, as well as other multimedia-enabling tools including Lotus Sound, used to create, edit, play and save sound as .WAV files; Lotus Media Manager, used to preview multimedia files on the system; and Lotus Annotator, used to create and embed multimedia notes in Windows applications.

Lotus Gallery and Knowledge Base CD-ROMs Detail Lotus Products and Services

Included on the Lotus Gallery CD-ROM are full working versions of the Lotus desktop products, which users can evaluate for 45 days, as well as guided product tours and demos. Users also receive a sampling of Lotus' free support fax-back index listing, information on indexed answers to questions about Lotus products and support services, listings of Lotus sales offices and training centers, product awards and reviews, top-10 feature lists of each product, white papers, specification sheets and brochures.

Also available from Lotus Development Corp.'s Customer Service and Support (CS&S) organization are three new support product offerings: Lotus Knowledge Base for Notes, SmartSuite and cc:Mail. Each Knowledge Base CD-ROM is a product-specific Notes database containing technical notes, answers to the most frequently asked questions, troubleshooting scripts, toolboxes, product release notes, executable programs, Lotus ScreenCam multimedia screen movies, embedded graphical images, and information about all Lotus training, education and professional consulting programs.

Pricing and Availability

The estimated retail price (ERP) for SmartSuite 3.0 CD-ROM Edition is $499. SmartSuite 3.0 CD-ROM Edition is available to users of current Lotus standalone desktop applications and to users of qualifying competitive suites, spreadsheets, word processors, databases and presentation graphics packages at a special $299 "trade-up" promotional price for a limited time. For existing SmartSuite users, a special $40 rebate available directly from Lotus will lower the cost to $259. Users can order directly from Lotus at 1-800-343-5414.

As part of Lotus' Product Globalization program, SmartSuite 3.0 will be available in the following languages on CD-ROM within 90 days of the U.S. version: International English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Danish and Norwegian. Each of the Knowledge Base CD-ROMs is updated monthly and will be available in the fourth quarter of 1994 via subscription for $295 directly from Lotus and through Authorized Resellers. Users can call 1-800-553-4270 to order the Knowledge Base CDs.

Lotus Gallery is distributed via seminars and trade shows. Users can order the Gallery by calling 1-800-TRADEUP, ext. A325.

System Requirements

All CD-ROM applications require a CD-ROM drive with a minimum transfer rate of 150K per second, an IBM PC compatible (386 or higher) with a minimum clock speed of 25MHz running Microsoft Windows 3.1 in standard or enhanced mode, a standard VGA 16-color graphics adapter and monitor, and a Microsoft Windows compatible video adapter (VGA or higher resolution). A mouse is recommended but not required. Some features require an 8-bit, Windows compatible sound device, speakers or headphones. The proofreading feature requires a sound device that includes First Byte Monologue for Windows release 1.0 or 2.08. A minimum of 4MB of RAM with a 4MB swap file is required to run any single desktop application. When performing integrated tasks involving two applications, 6MB of RAM with a 6MB permanent swap file is the recommended minimum. Installation of SmartSuite 3.0 CD-ROM Edition requires a minimum of 35MB of hard-disk space. Minimum installation of 1-2-3 Release 5 for Windows: Multimedia Edition requires 17MB of hard-disk space.