Spreadsheet Software
In a U.S. market dominated by MS Excel, some other gem spreadsheet programs have raised their pretty heads. There's even a free web-based spreadsheet program listed here. Plus, many programmers have added tremendously to Excel's existing features with their own software.
MS Excel
Not just a financial spreadsheet, Excel can be used as a database or project manager. But it excels with numbers. Data converts to graphs and charts with a click. The program checks your math, has a library of hundreds of mathematical formulas and functions, and even updates your U.S. stock prices via the web.
Quattro Pro
Compatible with MS Excel, Quattro Pro is every bit as attractive as a spreadsheet program. The chart creation is very customizable, and the Cross Tab function enables you to view your data in any permutation. Plus, a notebook is capable of handling one million rows of data. Comes as part of WordPerfect Office.
Lotus SmartSuite
What was once virtually the only spreadsheet program available, Lotus 1-2-3 is now Lotus SmartSuite, striving to reinvent computer spreadsheets again. With IBM ViaVoice, you can enter your data verbally, live data can be imported from the web, updating your spreadsheet analyses, and intuitive programming can fill in further data automatically.
GS-Calc
Create unlimited massive (2 million rows by 500 columns) spreadsheets with this little program, and make fully customizable 2D and 3D charts and graphs from the data. Incorporate pictures, drag and drop data, define number styles, and utilize nearly 200 formulas and functions. Up to 20,000 undo/redo levels.
Bye Design
MS Excel-compatible spreadsheet programs for desktop and PDAs. This "free shareware" program comes in 15 different languages, and the developer invites any requests for other languages. There are over 300 worksheet functions, plud text and number formatting. Convert data to six different chart types.
Robert's Online Spreadsheet
A free web-based spreadsheet program written in Java by Dr. Robert Lum. The spreadsheet is small and the functions are limited compared to other spreadsheet programs, but it's always nice to know of a backup or emergency program.
MS EXCEL ADD-ONS
The most-used spreadsheet program in the U.S. has generated an entire industry of add-on software products from independent developers. Some are listed here. Click here to read more.
The Spreadsheet Assistant
This program adds more than 200 functions to MS Excel. It even incorporates itself into Excel's tool bar for easy access. Included are various select, fill, edit, formula, format, relocation, print, window, file and many more functions.
Analyse-it
Another software package that offers MS Excel add-ons, this time in the form of more than 30 statistical analyses. Analyse-it will take Excel data and convert it into box-whisker plots, descriptive statistics, linear regression, parametric statistics and many more forms.
ActiCalc
A different approach to MS Excel data entry. This is a computer desktop calculator whose calculations are recorded onto a spreadsheet that can be imported directly into Excel. Further calculating can create complex Excel spreadsheets.
MathTools
Here are links to nearly 30 add-on software packages, each specializing in a different approach in the use of Excel. While many uses involve higher mathematic and engineering applications, many are strictly mainstream business applications.
Business Valuation Model
A web-based program that promts you for revenue, variable costs and fixed costs. The result is a 3-year sales forecast in Optimistic, Expected and Pessimistic variations. Such data can help you attribute a value to the business that you are selling.
