I decided against the Resolver One deal. I don't think it's quite ready for primetime.
First, it's an incredible memory hog using up almost a 250 Mb on my system. And that is before I do anything!
Second, and most importantly, it's SO SLOOOW! It takes ages to load. Simple navigation about a spreadsheet should be snappy and prompt but Resolver One is like watching those slow motion replays on Monday night football. Even the simplest calculations such as copying a basic formula to a handful (fewer than 20!) of cells takes several seconds! I can easily lose my train of thought while waiting for Resolver One to perform.
And, finally, I have to wonder why even basic graphing/charting is not included in the program. To create a plot you have to first download and install a third party dll and then write code to produce a plot. Yes, I realize that the programming part is extraordinarily powerful, but, please, I shouldn't have to write my own code in a spreadsheet program just to get a quick view of my data. And I wouldn't have a clue about how to create a sophisticated plot (pie charts, pictographs, etc.) for publication.
Now, don't get me wrong. I think this program has tremendous potential with power far beyond any conventional spreadsheet program. I can also understand how a publisher might be cash-strapped and anxious to get the income flowing. However, with all the free or cheap conventional spreadsheet programs out there, I expect them to at least nail down basic performance and capability issues before I plunk down cash.
I hope they are able to resolve these issues and come up with an equally attractive offer when they do. I'll be first in line on that day. For now, I'll settle for quick over potentially powerful.
