What can it do? Well, quite a lot!

How many times upon showing someone your micro have you been asked: "Well, what can it do that's useful then?" If you are at a loss for an answer then show them Computers, Information, Awareness.

This package - from Pitmansoft - demonstrates a number of excellent business application programs each of which shows something of the micro's versatility as a commercial tool.

Top Ten is a simplified record shop utility which records sales and money transactions as well as keeping a check on stock for re-ordering.

Online is a model of a typical reference library data bank from which one can look up a subject and obtain a list of source material which contain references to that topic.

Swiftair is a model of a typical airline company's seat booking procedure and comes with partially filled aircraft and passenger lists.

Wages is based upon a typical utility which could be used by an accounts office for making out wage slips for employees. Wordsis a rather poor demonstration of a word processor.

Crime on the other hand is a clever program which simulates the type of database which could be used at a high security police headquarters. To obtain information from the database one has to enter a password, but the depth of information retrieval depends upon the security clearance given to the password.

The clever bit is that all entries into the system are recorded along with details of the enquiry and the only people who can access all the information in the micro - and details of access - are those with the top security password 999. Altogether, it is probably worth buying the disc for this program alone.

All the programs are interactive and more complex than my simple descriptions and give some idea of how information collection, analysis, retrieval and display of data can be manip ulated by a micro.

The disc is part of a package which includes a student reader and teacher's handbook. The quality is such that the commercial studies department at my own school is contemplating buying the package. There can be no higher praise.

John Daddy