In the world of the commercially-used computer, where the large mainframe machines produced by such companies as IBM and ICL reign supreme, the price paid for a decent business program could buy a good family micro. Luckily, Sinclair programs come a little cheaper than this. In a seemingly games-dominated market it is good to see that the utility program has not been neglected.

Such a program is Computacalc ZX, produced by the software company Silicon Tricks. The purpose of this program, in general, is to provide a table from which data can be stored and manipulated. To use a simple example: in a commercial setting, sales and costs for a company could be entered into two separate boxes for each month and the computer will calculate the profit which it will display in a third box. The above is a very simple example. The possible uses for this program are really limitless.

Calculations are made using formulae entered by the user, but formulae in the simple form of, say, let the contents of box 3 = the sum of boxes 1 and 2 (which would actually be written as F0203 + 0303, assuming that box 1 is at grid reference 0203 and box 2 is at grid reference 0203).

The table which forms the display is actually much larger than the screen area itself so by a little dexterous wizardry on the part of the user, certain areas of the table are scanned.

Computacalc ZX gets full marks from me as a household, scientific and small business utility program. The only disadvantage I can find in the package lies in the seven pages of instructions. If you are a fairly new computer user then you may be a little overwhelmed at the complicated way in which the instructions are laid out. However, once deciphered - never forgotten!

Computacalc ZX is available in some branches of WH Smiths and computer software shops.