PCHEADSK.RVW   990127

                               Comparison Review

Company and product:

Company: HarperCollins Interactive
Address: 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY  10022-5299
Phone:   212-207-7000 212-207-7057 800-242-7737
Fax:     212-207-7433
Email:   information@harpercollins.com interactive@harpercollins.com
Other:   http://www.harpercollins.com
Product: HealthDesk ISBN 0-06-279005-6


Summary: medical patient information database with some medical
content


Cost 

Rating (1-4, 1 = poor, 4 = very good)
      "Friendliness"
            Installation      3
            Ease of use       2
            Help systems      2
      Compatibility           3
      Company
            Stability         3
            Support           ?
      Documentation           1
      Hardware required       3
      Performance             2
      Availability            2
      Local Support           1

General Description:

Personal medical information database with a number of categories. 
There is also a small amount of medical reference material.

                  Comparison of features and specifications


User Friendliness

Installation

Installation is straightforward and posed no problems.  The program is
shipped on four 1.44 meg disks.

One factor is that an enormous amount of data is possibly to be input
before the program will do much for you.  Have your full medical
history, probably more than you have on hand, ready for the program.

Ease of use

The program is relatively easy to use, once you get used to the fact
that it isn't going to get any better, and there simply is not much
information in it.

Help systems

There is online help, but most of the time you will not need it.

Compatibility

The program produced no problems with other software.

Company Stability

Good.

Company Support

HarperCollins Interactive is not very.  Interactive, that is.  I have
had almost no response from them over the years.

Documentation

The minimalist pamphlet included with the program gives you almost no
information about the program and what it will do.

System Requirements

Any computer capable of running Windows 3.1.  A colour monitor would
be an asset for some areas.

Performance

A number of sections are available for inputting data.  However, it
doesn't do much.

The HealthBook online in the program provides somewhat less
information than a generic home medical reference or first aid book.

Local Support

None provided.

Support Requirements

Extensive medical history compiled beforehand.

                                 General Notes

I am inescapably reminded of Dave Barry's take on "home finance"
software that purports to "help" you with your finances.  Barry says
that to him, financial help means money, preferably in cash.  Instead
financial software allows you to type in how much you spent, and how
much you spent it on, and then the computer tells you (are you ready
for this?) how much you spent, and what you spent it on.  In the same
way, HealthDesk allows to type in all kinds of information about your
health, and then ...

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1999   PCHEADSK.RVW   990127