PlanMaker 2004

The shortcomings of Microsoft's Pocket Office applications are most evident in Pocket Excel. While it does offer basic spreadsheet functionality, Pocket Excel lacks charts and has limited formula capability. And while the program is sufficient for basic users, Pocket Excel is inadequate for individuals who depend on full-featured desktop PC spreadsheet programs in their personal and professional lives. Fortunately, an excellent alternative program is available from the German developer SoftMaker (http://www.softmaker.de/index_en.php).

PlanMaker 2004 stands head-and-shoulders above any other spreadsheet application for the Pocket PC. Offering all of the features of Microsoft Excel for the desktop, PlanMaker turns a Pocket PC into a fully functional extension of the desktop. PlanMaker spreadsheets are easily convertible to Microsoft Excel format, can be protected (cells, sheets or workbooks), charts and pictures can be embedded, and it can easily handle complex formulas. PlanMaker is everything Pocket Excel should have been. And like its word processing counterpart, TextMaker, it's a must have for any power user with a Pocket PC.

Installing PlanMaker

The installation of PlanMaker requires a rather hefty 9MB of storage space. Fortunately, the application and related files can be installed on a storage card as well as to your Pocket PC's main memory. All data files are by default stored in My Documents but this can be changed on a file-by-file basis. Once installed, PlanMaker shortcuts are added to the Pocket PC Programs menu. An additional dictionary can also be installed, but it requires another 7MB of storage space. Like the primary application, this too can be installed on a storage card or in main memory.

A rich set of features

What sets PlanMaker apart from any of its competitors is its rich set of features and customizations that can be done within the application. Every one of its mathematical, formatting, and operational functions is included in the program, the only real add-on being the dictionary. Further, almost every aspect of the application can be customized to fit your needs or preferences. This includes the layout, where "Control Strips" (taskbars) are located, and even the functions on those Control Strips. To go over all of these features would make this review far too lengthy, so I will focus on some of the features that set PlanMaker apart from its competitors. I encourage you to download a demonstration version of PlanMaker from the SoftMaker Web site (http://www.softmaker.de/pm_en.htm) to see all of the functions and features for yourself.

The default display of PlanMaker is very similar to that of Pocket Excel. Rows and columns are identified along the left-hand edge and the top of the display, making each cell easily identifiable. In the bottom left-hand side of the display is the Menu icon, which allows access to the multitude of options and features. From the menu, every feature of PlanMaker is reachable via a submenu (Fig. 1). The menu is easy to navigate and intuitive to use. The built-in help is well written and thorough—the first place to check for answers to your questions.

Fig. 1: The main menu lets you access every feature in PlanMaker.

The default Control Strips offer the most common functions, sufficient for the majority of users. If they're not, you can modify them from the View menu, selecting which strips to display (Fig. 2) and where to display them on the screen (Fig. 3). To change the functions found on a strip, highlight the strip and tap the Customize button. From here you can drag-and-drop icons to the desired control strip to add a feature. To remove a feature, tap it on the control strip and drag it to the menu box.