Estimate Memory Management

NOTE-- In 2000 we replaced MacNail with Goldenseal construction estimating software. Some people still use MacNail, so we keep the manuals online for them! Goldenseal is an integrated program that also includes accounting, scheduling and contract writing features.

Estimating Spreadsheet Memory Management

Excel version 1.5 can only use the first megabyte of memory. This can cause some problems if you use the MacNail construction estimating software with MultiFinder. For best results:

* Give it a memory partition of 1000K (see page 177).
* Open Excel first, before you open other programs.
* Don't Quit from Excel--instead, use Close All.
* If you get an error message--The File can't be opened--try again. It often works on the second try.
* If you get an error message--Fragmented memory--you will have to Restart the computer before you can open Excel again.

Excel version 1.5 can run short of memory on a standard one megabyte Macintosh, if you have too much else in memory. The following things will consume System memory, and infringe on the space available for MacNail:
* Other Excel worksheets. You may have to close other worksheets to have enough memory to run some of the MacNail menu commands.
* MultiFinder. If you can't do something under Multifinder, go to the Finder (the desktop you see when you first start up), choose Set Up from the SPECIAL menu, click on Finder, then choose Restart from the SPECIAL menu. Running MacNail under the regular Finder frees up more than 100K.
 * RAM Cache. Turn the RAM cache off. Change it in the Control Panel Desk Accessory (under the Apple menu).
* INITS such as screen savers, TOPS, Electronic Mail, Vaccine, Quick Keys, Tempo, AutoMac, etcetera. Do not use unnecessary INITs, since they can take up valuable RAM space.
* Extra fonts. You should use the same font and font size in all of your Excel files. Geneva is probably the easiest screen font to read. New York is a close second.

If you are using Excel version 2.2 or greater, we recommend strongly that you have a minimum of two megabytes of RAM. If you currently have a standard 1-megabyte Macintosh, you should either use Excel version 1.5, or plan to add the extra memory. See also page 167.