★ APPLICATIONS ★ BUREAUTIQUE ★ GENERAL LEDGER 6128 ★ |
| General Ledger 6128 (Amstrad Action) | Newgeneral Ledger 6128 (Amstrad Computer User) |
SD Microsystems is no stranger to the 6128, and its accounting program has been around for some time. But being a firm that moves with the times, SD has listened to its customers'needs and streamlined the program into the current General Ledger 6128. What's up doc? The documentation is the most important part of any application. A hastily-typed sheet with joystick instructions may be enough for a game, but a good manual is as essential to an application as good software. The SD manual is output from a dot-matrix printer and contained in a loose binder that can, thankfully, be wiped clean of excess midnight oil. The twelve pages are clearly laid out but unfortunately are on a rather 'sudden' shade of mid-blue paper. This doesn't detract from the contents but can hinder the readability. The first page is a resume of the update information from the last version and upgraders will applaud the idea of having this information readily to hand. After the update information comes the introduction proper. Various options are outlined and the installation is explained on a step at a time basis. Once installed and into the system proper, you can play with an included file called 'sample' until you feel confident enough to work with your own data. The manual then takes you through the main steps of ledger work and shows you how to initiate the routines that perform the various tasks. VAT Man The dreaded Value Added Tax is integrated into the package and the manual outlines three VAT formats that should cover all the needs of a business. A section on reports outlines what is available, giving nine sorts of report that can be generated and finally a print option. The system defaults to a standard generic Epson printer. No hint of other printer drivers is given but a reasonable programmer should be able to make the necessary tweaks. In the driving seat After a good read, it's time to Generally Ledge. Following the instructions takes you into a well-planned and well-thought out modular program that does everything it sets out to. All the features and functions were there but you will find yourself constantly referring back to the documentation for things which after using it for several hours should have become second or at least third-nature. One nice feature is free support for a couple of months after purchase and then continued support for a mere twelve quid a year. The long and short of it? General Ledger does the job in a sometimes pedantic way. A person who hangs on to the documentation religiously will find it a well-featured, comprehensive program. But to someone who drives on inspiration and intuition, General Ledger is [...] [INCOMPLET]
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