-
Is the program entirely 32-bit? (If the software
vendor still relies on 16-bit or MS-DOS code, you probably don't
want to continue any further.)
-
Has the program been reviewed by any major trade
or general audience magazines or Web sites?
-
If the software vendor isn't forthcoming with
independent reviews, can you locate any bad press on the Web
through search engines or newsgroups?
-
What kinds of client references are provided?
How does each reference's size, geographic footprint, business
model and computing environment compare to yours?
-
Is hard copy, electronic and online
documentation available? How comprehensive is it? Can you get a
copy of some or all of this documentation before the purchase to
help you make a more informed decision?
-
How often is this documentation updated?
-
What kind of technical support is available for
free and for additional fees?
-
Is there an evaluation period or money back
guarantee? Or does the software vendor expect you to buy the
product on blind faith?
-
Does the installation program behave like a
32-bit program? For example, does the program add itself to the
Add/Remove Programs applet in your Control Panel? Does the
program add entries to your Microsoft Windows Registry?
-
Can you copy and paste data through the
Microsoft Windows Clipboard into other programs such as
Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel?
-
Does the program use your existing printer
driver setup?
-
Does the program cause your computer's CPU
utilization levels to spike to 100%, monopolizing system
resources, in the Microsoft Windows Task Manager or a similar
utility program?
-
Does the program offer an intuitive user
interface with pull-down menus and Toolbars?
-
Can the program's data files be pointed to a
file server, for multi-user access and centralized data backup?
-
How does the program integrate with popular
Microsoft Office applications and tasks? For example, can you
run a Microsoft Word mail merge using the program's database?
Can you export a table from the program to Microsoft Excel?
-
If the program is multi-user, how does it fit in
with your LAN, WAN and remote access environment?
-
Are you able to run the program on multiple PCs,
using different versions of Microsoft Windows, both within and
outside the office?
Read
the Sample Excerpt for Tip #74