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Despite the saturation that Microsoft and other office software providers have achieved, spreadsheet software options remain actually quite abundant. A prime example of fledgling spreadsheet tools would be Calc XLS. While it’s different from other open-source spreadsheet applications that’re hitting the scene in recent years, the software is definitely interesting to look at.
Calc XLS is designed for businesses of any size and even private users—the app even provides focus on household budgeting/scheduling as a template and function set. The problem, which we’ll touch on shortly, is the platform demographic.
Features
- Cloud Functionality – Cloud computing and storage are pretty much a prerequisite, and Calc XLS is no exception, offering automatic backup and resume, basic collaboration for real time work, and decent security. This makes it easy to move between devices, not worry about saving, and to make communication/parallelism a reality. Other spreadsheet tools do this a bit better, but Calc XLS is somewhat new, so this can only improve as they refine it.
- Extensive Compatibility – Compatibility with standard applications for both export and import is pretty seamless, so if your colleagues or clients use Excel or Google Sheets, no one will have any problem viewing each other’s documents. This is largely thanks to these formats being very well-documented in modern times, but Calc XLS deserves credit for implementing I/O for these properly—it can go very wrong.
- Sharing – Share files across the cloud network easily, and control access and roles similar to other cooperative/collaborative systems of recent years. This has room to improve, as it’s a bit sluggish and not as elegant. Still, functionality like this speaks wonders for the future of professional software.
- Mobile Compatibility – A big focus of Calc XLS is the mobile compatibility—though the target platforms are a problem, as we will see. Still, given that until recently, nobody took tablets and phones seriously as platforms for office programs, Calc’s focus on them as a primary platform is a big step. The problem is that entry of data on these devices can be complex with touch keyboards.
- Extensive Templates – No spreadsheet application would really be complete without time-saving templates, and Calc XLS is no exception. They offer a wide range of templates, as well as the ability to easily make your own—this can save time and help to standardize your approach to things.
- Functions – Functions and mathematical actions are a staple of spreadsheets. While casual users may see spreadsheets as just an organizational data management system simpler than a database, the real power lies in various calculations based on the columnar data. Calc XLS’s real strength is the wide array of functions it offers for this, and the ease by which new ones can be applied.
- iOS Support – iOS support can be tough for many developers. The fact that Calc XLS runs on iOS is to its favor, as new ideas like this are more likely to support everything but iOS. The problem, which we’ve hinted at, is that they only support Apple.
Pricing
Calc XLS offers a “try it for free” option, but they strongly indicate that it’s not permanently free. Despite this, they offer no hints as to their prices nor available plans. Clients will need to contact the sales team directly for more information.
The Big Picture
There’s a lot to admire about Calc XLS. Their advocacy for mobile platforms is admirable, and may contribute to good methods of input returning to tablet/phone designs in the future.
The no-nonsense simplicity, focus on functionality, and modern accoutrements is also quite positive. However, for the sake of being informative, there’s a caveat with this application.
They are focused entirely on Apple’s platforms. This is a problem, as we’ve been hinting. While Apple is in no danger of fading from the market for now, Mac OS and iOS are not business platforms. Apple is a consumer product, and definitely not a widely-used business one. Precisely when this turning point happened is unknown, but it means this application is missing a huge range of reach by not being Windows 10 and Android compatible. |
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