Apple IIgs - Manual (Page 32)

Page 32 of 84 II gs
Printed: Thursday, July 25, 2002 12:14:50 PM
accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, inventory), but with much greater speed,
accuracy, and control. The increased speed and accuracy allow you to get up-to-date reports
about your financial position as you need them, instead of waiting for monthly or quarterly
reports from your accountant.
A good accounting application can help you improve your cash-flow management, boost your
collection rate of receivables, plan payments to take advantage of vendor discounts, maintain
inventory levels that minimize cash investment, and improve customer service.
Most accounting software packages are designed around a general ledger. The other modules
(accounts receivable, for example) share information with the general ledger to allow automated
posting. This modular approach allows smaller businesses to start with a general-ledger package
and add additional modules as they are needed.
If you have modest accounting needs, you should investigate home finance applications. Some of
them are sophisticated enough for small-business accounting, and they're usually easier to
learn and use than full-blown accounting packages.
Recreation
OK, games. There are several kinds of computer games, including shoot-'em-ups, eat-'em-ups,
adventure games, simulations, board games, sports games, and some that are harder to classify.
You may find that computer games improve your concentration and reflexes, teach you to be a
more persistent problem-solver, help you relax after a hard day at the office, distract you
during a hard day at the office but it's OK if all they do is entertain you.
Shoot-'em-ups are modeled after the video games in arcades. They test your hand-eye
coordination and your reflexes against invading aliens, enemy missiles, and falling meteors.
Eat-'em-ups, also called maze games, are modeled after Pacman. The object of an eat-'em-up is
to eat your adversaries before they can eat you.
Adventure games also called fantasy games, role-playing games, or interactive fiction transport
you to a fantasy land where you try to accumulate the right combination of weapons, tools,
keys, and companions to conquer whatever monsters stand between you and the treasure. You
communicate with the application by using one-word or two-word commands like GO WEST or OPEN
DOOR. Unlike shoot-'em-ups and eat-'em-ups, adventure games don't require fast reflexes. These
games can last for hours or even days. Fortunately, there's usually a way to save your
game-in-progress so you can take a break and pick up where you left off.
Simulations are like adventure games except that you are transported to the simulation of a
real-life situation: a nuclear power plant, the Lewis and Clark expedition, or a 1944 naval
battlewhere you try to solve real-life problems. (These games come dangerously close to being
educational.) Besides games that simulate situations, there are applications that simulate an
activity, like flying a plane or driving a race car.
Board games are electronic versions of chess, checkers, and other popular games. There are also
electronic card games, including gin rummy, bridge, poker, and blackjack.
Sports games for armchair athletes include electronic versions of football, baseball,
basketball, soccer, golf, tennis, the decathlon, billiards, darts, and almost any other sport
you can think of.
Music
Music applications range from elementary educational applications that teach you how to read
music, to applications for serious composers.