Introduction

The diversity of common desktop application software packages (word processors, spreadsheets, presentation packages, and database management systems) at UNT is a major cause of frustrating problems that computer users experience on campus. For example, you receive a word processing document from a colleague who uses a later version of Microsoft Word than you do, and you can’t read the file. Or you can’t find anyone on campus who can tell you how to format footnotes in your word processor because it is so old that nobody is still around who knows the package. The following guidelines for standardizing desktop software packages and file formats should reduce such problems by specifying a common format for sharing of files, by reducing the costs of purchasing, using, and supporting software, and by committing computer support units on campus to support of adopted packages.

Standard File Formats for Transferring Electronic Files across Campus

• Spreadsheet: The recommended file format for transferring spreadsheet files is Microsoft Excel version 5.0, unless your recipient(s) have agreed to a different format.
  
• Presentations: The recommended file format for transferring presentation files is Microsoft Powerpoint 4.0.
  
• Database: No standard file format for transferring database management system files from machine to machine is recommended in this standard.

Recommended Software Packages

If your college, school, or department deems it practicable, WordPerfect 6.1 may be installed and will be supported on your computer for an indefinite time. Your college, etc. will make its own decision about purchasing later versions of WordPerfect, taking into account budget limitations and the departmental computing support center’s ability to add that product to their support workload. If later versions of WordPerfect are supported, it is unlikely that version 6.1 will also be supported because of the difficulties of supporting a version that doesn’t work well on Windows 95 or NT. On Macintosh computers, WordPerfect 3.5 is the older package requiring a college, school, or departmental decision regarding continuing support.

WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS will receive only limited support until September 1, 1998 at which time it will no longer be supported on campus.

• Spreadsheet: The recommended software package for spreadsheet applications on campus is Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows systems and Microsoft Excel 5 for Macintosh systems.
  
• Presentations: The recommended software package for presentation applications on campus is Microsoft PowerPoint 97 on Windows systems and Microsoft PowerPoint 4 on Macintosh systems.
  
• Database: The choice of desktop database management systems on campus is less clear than that for the other applications listed above. Microsoft Access 97 is the recommended desktop package for departmental-level or mission-critical applications but it is generally not considered to be an "end-user" package that can be adopted easily by typical computer users. Claris FileMaker Pro 3.0 is the only other cross-platform (Windows and Macintosh) database management system that might be considered for casual use, but each college, etc. will have to make separate decisions regarding the levels of support given to desktop database management systems.
  
• Web Browser: Two different Web browsers are recommended through mid-1998: Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.x and Netscape Navigator 4.x (and Navigator Gold,) or the latest versions of those two packages. By March 1, 1997, all computers on campus should have at least version 3.x of either one of these installed to use as a Web browser. (NOTE: UNT's new home page design is much more readable with browsers that support later versions of the hypertext markup language, as the recommended browsers do.) Because Web browsers are in a state of rapid flux, the recommended package(s) may change more frequently than the other classes of software listed earlier.

Transition Plan

Many persons on campus now use word processing packages other than Microsoft Word 97 (the generally recommended package,) so the following considerations will ease the transition to that product:

• The guidelines in this document are predicated on the "Computer Workstation and File Server Acquisition and Upgrade Process" that was approved early in 1997. That process insures a minimal level of hardware to run essential applications that define the University's business environment. In order to implement the guidelines here, some machines on campus must be upgraded to the minimal level of machine that is described in the Computer Workstation plan (i.e., Intel 486 or better.)
• It's important to recognize that files saved in earlier versions of word processing packages have to be converted to the recommended format only if the files have to be used again for some purpose. In other words, there is no need to do a mass conversion of WordPerfect files into Word 97 format just for the sake of conversion.
• An increased schedule of training courses in Word 97 will be offered by the Computing Center during the transition period. Departments and/or distributed computing support centers may wish to contact Sandy Burke at ext. 3856 to arrange special training classes for groups of individuals in their areas.
• A Microsoft Select agreement is in place that makes it easy for departments to purchase Word 97 and other Microsoft products. Procedures are already in place within computing support teams to install the software, meter it, and make payment for it without the necessity of individual Interdepartmental Orders for each copy of the software. As of August, 1997, Word 97 costs $22 when purchased separately. When bundled into the Microsoft Office Pro 97 Suite, the bundle costs $45 on Windows systems if purchased new and $36 if it's an upgrade. The Macintosh version of Office 4.21, which contains the recommended packages mentioned above, costs $40.
• Groupwise 4.1 supports the viewing of Word files up to and including Word 6. Groupwise 5.2, currently being installed across campus, also supports the viewing of all major word processing files.
• Persons who do not have Word 6 or higher should save files from their word processing packages in the latest format of Word that their word processor supports. Wordperfect 6.1 for Windows, for example, allows you to save a document in "MS Word for Window 6.0" format and that format should be selected when the saved file will be sent to others.

[Search] [Help] [UNT Home] [IRC Home]

Please send comments or suggestions about this document to Sue Ellen Richey.
Last updated on 25 February 1998