Integrated Software
Dennis Longley, Michael Shain · 1985
This chapter has two purposes; to look at the rising trend in integrated software and act as a purchasing guide to that software. Since Apple launched the Lisa microcomputer with its powerful, integrated applications software, software suppliers, now more commonly referred to as Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) have been producing all kinds of ‘integrated’ applications software. This software varies widely in its characteristics and abilities. In this section we will examine the characteristics of integrated software and show how various ‘integrated’ systems can be classified into four categories. In Sections 6.2 to 6.5 we take each of the groups in turn and describe many of the software packages within each group. And in section 6.6 there is advice on how to build a library of applications software and descriptions and opinions on many of the most commonly available applications.