SPEED 6.x is Here!

An Obvious Choice

From the beginning, we wanted to build a software package that could be everything to everyone.  From a marketing standpoint, the view has always been that GUI is the latest and greatest, without doubt, it has that modern look people often expect.  For a CFO, GUI also offers a very practical way to browse data for interpretation.   However, a surprising number of  companies still want the text-based software. Why? Text based software has it’s advantages. For example, it’s raw speed and power. And user's needs are often more centered around the keyboard, not the mouse.

In addition, many users are still using text based serial terminals that will continue to work with this solution. As software has progressed on it’s market driven path, TOM Software has realized both applications are in demand. SPEED 6.x is this solution.  If you have never experienced TOM Software Applications you’ll want to go directly to our System 7 Software demo and see it for yourself.

The Upgrade Solution for existing TOM Software users

SPEED System 7 Login

SPEED System 7 Text Login

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System7 General
Business Demo

System7 Demo

Our design team set out with some lofty objectives when they started.  Our first goal was upward and downward compatibility with existing supported TOM text versions. We wanted to allow users and TOM partners the ability to maintain just one set of designs and programs and be able to run them in both text and GUI on the same system.

We also wanted the existing body of work to run in GUI with as little extra work as possible or even no extra work.  Naturally, we chose to use the standard TOM System V applications as our design standard.  Here is the scoop on how they have risen to the occasion. 

The Challenge is met!

TOM Partners custom code

One of the cornerstones of SPEED has always been its ability to be completely customized for the end users needs.  The design team set out to create a SPEED GUI version that would try to preserve custom code. We understood that there might be some custom programs written for a specific purpose that may be key to an organization.  They could have old Wang graphics or any other set of unsuspected things in them.

It’s understood that companies can’t abandon their system during the conversion process so we came up with a solution.  In order to provide for this we've added a switch so that TOM Partners can set the custom code to always run in text mode. This allows end users time to make decisions regarding how to rewrite custom code in GUI.

TOM Applications function consistently in SPEED GUI and Text mode

SPEED Select Application

SPEED Text Version

Another of our original design goals was that programs should run the same way in GUI as they do in text, aside from the Windows standards.  It was most important that TOM Applications react the same way and gives the same results in both modes and they do.

Design Improvements

Our development has led to a few natural design improvements. For example, we discovered inquiries needed a major rewrite. When we did the original conversion from SPEED, we didn’t update inquires and make them like SPEED. Within the new GUI, design inquires were a bit awkward and seemed too antique.

As a result we decided to rewrite them and we are very pleased with the outcome. The GUI inquiry display is much more functional. Now the main record detail can all be viewed with a windows scroll bar. This makes it easy, by clicking a button you can allow for ‘previous’ and ‘next’ record; for example, customers or products.

Partners and programmers will also be pleased to learn that the code has also been revised and is very well structured, using modern long variable and subroutine names.

See it in Action!

SPEED 6.x System V Report

System7 General
Business Demo

System7 Demo