If you're looking for simple-to-use unit
price estimating software for either the
Mac or Windows, try Bid Magic from
Turtle Creek. Like its predecessor,
HyperEstimator, Bid Magic blends a liberal
use of icons with task-specific
screens, called cards, that lead users stepby-
step through the building process.
The program performs an estimate
using quantities and costs that are calculated
from information entered on several
general information cards. The first
card, called Basic Costs, stores information
on contingency percentages (called
"fudge factors"), geographic location,
and construction quality (Figure 1). In
the section called Locality Factor, for
example, three different icons indicate
pricing defaults for three different markets.
Relatively inexpensive rural construction
is represented by a log cabin
icon; suburban costs, by a