IBM Lotus Freelance Graphics

IBM Lotus Freelance Graphics

Developer(s)	IBM
Stable release	9.8 + Fixpack 6 / 2002
Operating system	Microsoft Windows
Type	Presentation program
License	Proprietary
Website	Freelance Graphics

Lotus Freelance Graphicsis aninformation graphicsandpresentation programdeveloped byLotus Software(formerly Lotus Development Corp.) following its acquisition of Graphic Communications Inc in 1986.It was first released forDOSandOS/2operating systems, then later released as part of theLotus SmartSuiteforMicrosoft Windows.(In a reference to its original developer, Graphic Communications Inc., Freelance's executable file was namedGCIFL.)

Pre-Windows versions of Lotus Freelance Graphics included mouse support (provided a mouse driver for theOShad also been installed). However, many users considered the'points and vector'graphics application easier and faster from the keyboard, as it utilized manykeyboard shortcuts.

The Windows-compatible version allowed users to create and compiletext,digital images,diagrams,basicdrawingsandcharts(such asbar chartsandpie charts) into a digitalslide show.It was originally a drawing tool, but was enhanced to include charting by either manually inputting data or importing data from theLotus 1-2-3spreadsheet program.

Freelance worked withinDOSto produce slides comparable to those ofMicrosoft PowerPoint,a program originally created for theMacintosh.Because Lotus opted to develop Freelance for OS/2, Microsoft got a head start developing and promoting the Windows version of its application. WhenIBMthen acquired Lotus, Microsoft used a licensing issue to delay IBM's access to the Windows 95 code base, allowing Microsoft Office to be released six months ahead of Lotus SmartSuite. As a result, when OS/2 failed to gain widespread adoption, Freelance became a little-used application.

Freelance was eventually grafted into a new version of 1-2-3 for Windows (Smart Suite), but by then PowerPoint and Excel had become dominant. Freelance's files were much smaller (typically 50 KB for a full presentation) compared to the competition's, allowing 20 or more presentations to be stored on a single floppy disc. However, the quality of the Freelance product eventually deteriorated as IBM's support of SmartSuite dwindled.

External links

• Infoworld article 28 Sep 1987
• Freelance Mobile Screen Show Player(to view.prz files, 1.5MB)
• IBM Fix list for SmartSuite for Windows 9.8 and fix packs