Is it over between you and your Software?

Has the time come to upgrade - or even switch - to another software partner? 
Score yourself and find out.  By: Marty Jerome

Sooner or later, we all face a software upgrade decision that requires some 
soul searching.  Most of us have irrational attachments to our programs, so 
we're reluctant to switch, even when a newer version offers clear productivity 
advantages.

We wondered how Cosmopolitan editor Helen Gurley Brown would approach the 
delicate question of whether to stand by your old program - probably a trusted 
companion by now - or to take a deardevil plunge into the newest version.  So 
we devised our own variation on the Cosmo quiz.

Circle the answer the best describes how you feel about the program in 
question:

1... How many upgrades have you passed up since you first became involved with 
        your current application?

        a. One
        b. Two
        c. Three
        d. Four or more

Don't include upgrades shipped only to correct bugs in previous versions, such 
as dBase IV Version 1.1 or DOS 4.01.  Count only those that added substantial 
features or brought a new dimension of power to the program.  Lotus 1-2-3 
Release 3, for example, added 3-D worksheets and a new add-in language.  
Microsoft Word for Windows gave its standard editor a graphical interface and 
graceful malleability.

2... How often does your software make you feel limited in what you can do?

        a. Almost never
        b. Infrequently; only when the task is unusual
        c. Frequently
        d. Every time I boot

The word processor that can't import graphics and the spreadsheet that can't 
link columns limit you only if you need to perform those taskes.  Measure your 
software's limits by the specific jobs you want to accomplish but can't.  Put 
your wish list of features aside for the moment.  They're the icing - we're 
talking about the cake.

3... You discover that your potential upgrade requires the company of other 
        software.  How much fooling around are you willing to put up with?

        a. None
        b. One utility
        c. A couple of simple programs
        d. An entirely new operating environment

The cost of an upgrade can be deceptive if you also have to invest in memory 
managers, soft fonts, TSR traffickers, or a new operating environment, such as 
Windows or OS/2.  These add cost, learning curves, and complexity of software 
you'll need so your upgrade can live up to its promises.

4... How often do you turn to external programs or stray from your computer
        altogether to make up for your current software's "inadequacies"?

        a. Never
        b. I indulge in the occasional utility - so what?
        c. I oblige many programs, few of them meaningful
        d. I keep a stable of tools that I use regularly

If you have to export a database file to a word processor in order to get a 
professional looking report, or if your desktop publishing program requires a 
half a dozen add-on fonts, a file conversion utility, and a shareware printer 
driver, chances are that a simple upgrade will better fulfill your needs.  
When evaluating an upgrade's features, give primacy to thosw which simplify 
the way you currently do your work.

5... How often does your current software conflict with the files of friends, 
        family, and colleagues?

        a. Never
        b. Occasionally, but that seldom interferes with my work
        c. Frequently
        d. My friends and family hate me for it

Many upgrades accept a broader range of file formats than earlier versions do.
If your program limits the files you can exchange with coworkers, user groups, 
and friends, see if the upgrade offers greater compatibility.  Its 
import/export feature should be fast and effective for a variety of formats. 
The productivity payoff can offset the cost of the upgrade very quickly.

6... Cound the upgrade's most appealing features.  How many of them are truly 
        important to your relationship?

        a. None
        b. One
        c. Several
        d. All of them; I can't live without this program

Count only those features that you will actually use.  These days, software 
manufacturers routinely tack on backup utilities, desktop managers, pop-up 
calculators, and other what's-its to bolster corporate sales.  Micro managers 
like a program loaded with features; that program, at least superficially, 
serves a larger range of users.  Let honesty prevail in answering here: How 
many features will really help you work smarter?

7... How much work and time are you willing to devote to your new 
        relationship?

        a. First I have to learn Windows, then the program's macro language,
           then....
        b. A few hours with the manual and tech support
        c. An hour with the manual
        d. None

The honeymoon ends when learning the upgrade begins.  Getting familiar with 
your new program means more than learning its command structure.  Estimate the 
time it will take you to get up and running in the way you actually plan to 
use the application: from installation to the first printed hard copy.  
Remember to allot plenty of time for converting old files, writing printer 
strings or communications scripts, building macros, and so on.

8... What demands will your software upgrade make on your hardware?

        a. I'll have to buy a new PC
        b. It will cost at least $1,000 in additional hardware
        c. I'll have to buy a memory upgrade
        d. My PC can run it as is

Nothing is more aggravating than buying an application only to discover that 
you don't have the hardware to run it.  Memory is the most oft-overlooked 
hardware consideration.  Others can be subtle: some programs are forlorn 
withoug mice or scanners; others perform miserably without Super VGA graphics 
or a very speedy hard disk.

9... How intimate are you with the application you're currently involved with?

        a. I see it on and off, infrequently
        b. It's one of four applications I see every day
        c. It's my main program
        d. It's my environment, my life

Tell the truth.

10... What are the real tradeoffs in this relationship?

        a. The upgrade costs as much as the original program
        b. The upgrade's price is half that of the original program
        c. The upgrade price is one-third that of the original program
        d. Who cares? The company is paying

When evealuating costs, also keep in mind how frequently the manufacturer 
sails out new versions of the application.  If a maker dispatches upgrades 
every six months but charges full price for each one, you'll want to be very 
choosy about which one you buy.

11... Would a whole new progam - not merely an upgrade - better satisfy your 
        hearts desires?

        a. Yes; another application could solve my current problem and several
           others.
        b. Somewhat; I could do the job faster with another program
        c. A little; a new application would perform about as well as an 
           upgrade, but it costs more and I'd have to learn it
        d. No; the upgrade would let me do the job in the fastest, easiest
           way possible.

Users who love an application often have trouble recognizing when they've 
outgrown it.

Even the most sophisticated word processor can't compete with a desktop 
publishing package, such as Ventura Publisher or PageMaker for churning out 
professiona-looking documents.

If the quick-and -dirty budget projection that you whipped together on a 
spreadsheet has grown into your company's central forcasting engine, you might 
need a financial modeling program such as Javelin or TM/1.

When the job at hand substantially outstrips your applications intrinsic 
abilities, an upgrade probably won't help.  It's time to look elsewhere.

12... Leaving all practical consderations aside, how deep is your love for
        this upgrade?

        a. Love, schmuv; I'll buy it when I have a 486 to run it on
        b. Cute little thing, but I can live without it
        c. Sure would look good on my hard drive
        d. Too awesome to live without


SCORING
=======

For every "a" answer giver yourself 0 points. A "b" answer is worth 1 point; a 
"c" 2; and a "d" 3.

0-6: Keep your wallet in your pocket. This upgrade would offer you nothing 
        even if it were free.  Your current application meets your needs 
        perfectly well.  And you're too sensible to let some hot new upgrade
        steal your heart.

7-15: This upgrade probably isn't for you (unless, of course, someone else is
        paying for the package).  Wait to see what the next upgrade will 
        offer.  Also, consider whether an entirely different application could
        better fulfill your desires.

16-24: Ah, the fickle heart.  As much as you yearn for this upgrade, several
        factors prevent you from snapping it up.  Make a list of these foibles
        and a list of the productivity advantages that the upgrade offers.
        Then take this test again with those considerations in mind.

25-36: What are you waiting for?  You won't know true happiness until you
        become one with your upgrade.  Buy it immediately.  And best wishes.