OpenOffice 3 Beta: First thoughts
OpenOffice is a very impressive office suite, especially when you consider that it's free. It has had one or two rough edges compared to Microsoft Office, but there's rarely been anything I can't do with it*.
So I've been intrigued by the release of the beta of OpenOffice 3. Apart from anything else it can now open Office 2007 files. It also works natively in Mac OSX.
The icons have also been given a makeover. I hesitate to criticise a program on something like this but it can make a difference, and I've noticed that both Ubuntu and Suse have got their own icon sets that look better. Sad to say though it does make a difference for many people.
OpenOffice are still at pains to remind everyone that this is a beta and not suitable for day to day use or important documents. I've not had any problems so far thankfully.
OpenOffice 3 Beta can be downloaded from the OpenOffice website.
*Well there was once, I tried to get a simple Function I created in Excel to work and it refused all my efforts to do so. Having tried it again in OO3 it now works - much excitement.
Posted by Tim Smith on May 9, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
More useful features added to Zoho
The Zoho online office suite has just added some more features. It is now possible to include pivot tables in documents and use Visual Basic macros.
Other new features include named ranges (making formulas much easier to write) and new ways to share documents with other users.
I'm impressed by what Zoho manages to get into online applications. I know everyone talks about Google Docs, but Zoho is far and away the best. Like Google Docs, basic accounts are free so there is no excuse for not giving it a go.
Posted by Tim Smith on April 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Odd Validation experience
Microsoft's validation for Windows and Office seems to be getting quite a bad press at the moment. I don't think this is going to help even though this isn't going to descend into a rant.
I've been writing a review of the Getting Started Tab for Word 2007. I needed to check the download details and that involved visiting the download page. It prompted me to validate, which I duly did and succeeded.
That's great, apart from the fact I don't have Office 2007 on my computer here, only 2003. It just seems odd that no one thought to check version numbers. I wonder what would have happened with a legit copy of 2003 but illegitimate copy of 2007...
Posted by Tim Smith on April 24, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Customise the Outlook Today view
Using a summary view in Outlook (or your PIM of choice) is a good way of finding out what kind of day it's going to be. Like most things to do with productivity, what seemed like a good idea to the Outlook Team might not be how you want to work. I now keep my Task list in a filofax, so there's not need to waste screen space with that information.
Digital Streets has a very useful article on how to create a personalised Today view. It's all done in HTML so it's easy to follow. It also means that you are not editing crucial Outlook files, the new Today view can be a completely new file.
I'm encouraged to experiment by the big and friendly 'Restore Defaults' button. It removed my quick changes without any fuss.
Posted by Tim Smith on April 21, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Alternatives to Notepad
Of all the utilities included with Windows, Notepad is one of the most useful. It can be used for quick todo lists or editing a variety of files from configuration files to all kinds of programs.
The limited editing options do get frustrating, especially when dealing with large files. The lack of line numbers, for example, is a big problem. There are lots of alternatives, my favourite is Notepad++. Not only does it number lines, but it can also colour code text to make reading and writing programming code much easier.
I'm pleased, therefore, to see that Notepad++ is doing rather well in a survey on the Lifehacker website.
Also popular is Notepad2, which has a slightly cleaner interface.
The only snag as far as I'm concerned is the hassle involved in replacing notepad with one of the alternatives. I suppose replacing the browser is a far more common requirement. My solution is to use Launchy for starting apps. It seems to learn that I want Notepad++ not Notepad after a couple of selections. Alternatively Notepad++ adds an option to the right-click context menu.
Posted by Tim Smith on April 18, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Software for Windows Mobile
The rise of SmartPhones means that more and more of us have amazingly capable devices that do nothing more making calls.
Finding software for mobile devices can be a little tricky - it's back to my old problem of trust. I've got all my contacts on my phone, am I really happy installing other software. The Windows Mobile Owners Circle is a very good place to start.
There is plenty of software to be found from Photo Contacts* to a mobile widgets program called Zumobi. I'm also intrigued by Viigo, a mobile RSS reader.
* I have a terrible memory for faces so this would be very useful. I'm just not sure if I'd be willing to take people's photos when we first meet.
Posted by Tim Smith on April 1, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Text effects in GIMP
One frequent criticism of The GIMP (at least in the office) is that it doesn't have the same help for frequent tasks, it can do them but there are fewer wizards or dialogue boxes.
There is some advice on five common text effects to be found at www.tux-planet.fr - don't worry the link is to the Google translation from the French.
The effects include adding shadows and the very Web 2.0 reflection styling.
Posted by Tim Smith on March 31, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
New version of OpenOffice is available
OpenOffice 2.4 is now available for download.
The full list of new features can be found on the OpenOffice Wiki. There are some interesting aspects such as connecting to WebDAV servers for sharing documents online and importing custom icons. Mac OS X users can now use the native Quicktime player.
Posted by Tim Smith on March 27, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Do you benefit from multiple monitors?
I've been using two monitors at my desk for many years now, and it is frustrating to return to a single monitor at home. It can be very helpful to have a document open in one monitor for reference while working on another.
I don't think it's always a good solution. I've known people who spend more time looking for the correct browser window and then rearranging everything around it on the screen. I've done it myself but now tend to have an 'active document' monitor and a 'reference' screen.
I've never used more than two monitors for any length of time, apart from testing the Matrox Parhelia, a graphics card with three outputs. Without access to three identical monitors, the gaming side of things didn't really work out, not to mention some odd display problems in Dark Forces: Jedi Outcast. The only other games I've seen that support multiple monitors are Microsoft Flight Simulator and X3 Reunion
The picture on the right is from Coding Horror, who have plenty of links to studies on how helpful multiple monitors can be.
Don't rush out to buy three 20" LCD panels though, apparently productivity drops off after a certain point. This is probably as people start to lose programs.
Am I alone or do other people find this helpful?
Posted by Tim Smith on March 18, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Do you like the Office ribbon?
Office 2007 was quite a radical move for Microsoft because they made a big change to the interface. The traditional toolbars were discarded in favour of a dynamic ribbon.
Bigger than the old toolbars the ribbon change the icons on show depending on what you happen to be doing at the time. For example, move the cursor into a table to see all of the table options.
Some programs have now followed the example of Office, MindManager being one of them.
I've found myself warming to the ribbon. It needs more screen space to really shine, otherwise it takes up too much room that I would rather use for editing.
Thankfully there is a solution as a quick double-click on the ribbon makes it hide away leaving the tab titles at the top. Click on a title to reveal that part of the ribbon.
But so long as my screen is at least 1024 pixels high, I leave it on as I've found it to be an improvement on the old windows, and certainly one on the personalised menus of Office 2003. Turning those off is one of the first jobs on a new installation.
So what do you think? Is the ribbon an aid to productivity or just a clever gimmick?
Posted by Tim Smith on March 14, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Cheatsheet for the GIMP
One of the biggest challenges for starting out with new software is learning all of the new keyboard shortcuts.
If you've just started with The GIMP, help is at hand with a useful list of hotkeys over at Gimpusers.com.
It covers all of the different tools and dialogues. Sadly it hasn't been there isn't a printable version but it is still very useful.
Depending on how adventurous you are, it is possible to reassign all the keyboard shortcuts. This is particularly helpful when moving from one image editor to another.
Click on the File menu and then Preferences.
Click on the Interface button in the left hand menu and then on Configure keyboard Shortcuts
All of the possible keyboard shortcuts are shown in the next window, organised by the menu or tool.
Click on the small plus next to each section to see the available options
Click on an option and then press the keyboard shortcut to use for it. Pressing escape cancels the change, if you happen to click on the wrong one.
Click on the Close button when you are happy with the changes.
The previous window also offers the opportunity to save the changes immediately, or to reset them back to the defaults.
Posted by Tim Smith on March 10, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
New file formats supported by the Zoho online office suite
Online office suites are excellent for those of us who live a nomadic life between computers. They solve the problem of losing USB memory keys or trying to remember which version of a document is the most recent.
Google Docs is well known now but there are several others, some that offer more features.
Zoho is a good one and it now supports the latest Microsoft Office format, docx.
A basic Zoho account is free, though there are some benefits to paying.
Zoho is also built into the MyGoya online desktop, although some of the more advanced apps are missing.
Posted by Tim Smith on March 4, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Why local software is great
As more and more online services appear such as email, word processors, even complete desktops, you might be forgiven for thinking that the age of the 'thin client' (a pc with just enough power to display the hard work of a big central server) has arrived.
I'd like to stop this trend, or at least suggest that some work is left to the computer on which you happen to be working.
This has been brought on by having to spend the best part of a day running statistical reports with a web based system, and the amount of time it has taken.
Now some of this is inevitable but even under the strain of playing some MP3's I'm sure my computer could have finished most of the reports much faster once the raw data had been downloaded.
The other thing about the delay is that it is the most frustrating length. When I'm waiting for a video to render, there's time to get started on something else. Waiting for Word to launch or save a document is only a couple of seconds.
But web apps always seems to take around 30 seconds. Long enough to think about doing something else, but not to actually do anything. It doesn't sound like much but it quickly snowballs throughout the day
Dynamic websites are great but let's keep what is actually appropriate in mind. If nothing else but for the sake of my sanity.
Posted by Tim Smith on March 3, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Free Microsoft software for students
The Microsoft DreamSpark program lets Higher and Further Education students register to receive Microsoft software for free.
The titles include Visual Studio developer tools (such as Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition and XNA Game Studio 2.0) and the Expression Suite of tools including Expression Web (review here).
To get the software, students must register and be verified.
It's worth pointing out that the Visual Studio Express Edition series can be downloaded by anyone, although they are limited in many ways. Still a good way to have a quick go at programming without having to spend any money.
Posted by Tim Smith on February 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Free Microsoft software for students
The Microsoft DreamSpark program lets Higher and Further Education students register to receive Microsoft software for free.
The titles include Visual Studio developer tools (such as Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition and XNA Game Studio 2.0) and the Expression Suite of tools including Expression Web (review here).
To get the software, students must register and be verified.
It's worth pointing out that the Visual Studio Express Edition series can be downloaded by anyone, although they are limited in many ways. Still a good way to have a quick go at programming without having to spend any money.
Posted by Tim Smith on February 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Get Word and Writer to play nicely together
I've installed OpenOffice on just about all my computers, even those with Microsoft Office already on them. It's a useful backup in case of problems, and can get around 
some of the more basic password protection in Word and Excel (or at least in Office 2003).
OpenOffice can be told to use Microsoft Office formats, and this is probably the first thing you should try. As much as it seems to defeat the object of using an alternative, setting the default to Office does make life easier, especially when sharing files with other people.
More information can be found here.
Another useful tip is to install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Office 2007. Even if someone remembers to save the file in doc rather than docx, they may use the new fonts. This pack installs them onto the computer. It shouldn't require Office to install, but if it does complain the Word Viewer utility (download for free from here) should solve the problem.
Posted by Tim Smith on February 26, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Mindmapping roundup
I like mindmapping; it's a great way of planning and, although it can be a bit hungry on screen space can help organise complicated projects relatively easily.
There's a very useful list of add-ins for MindManager to be found over at the Mind Mapping Software Weblog. MindManager is by no means the only mind mapping program, but for versatility and sharing information with Microsoft Office, it's one of the best. There is a demo version available.
A really big list of add-ins can be found at the Mindjet Partner Solutions page.
An interesting aside on the Mind Mapping Software Weblog is a survey on why people find mind mapping helpful.
Posted by Tim Smith on February 25, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Quickly preview PDFs in Outlook with Foxit Reader
I often wax lyrical about PDF. It's a reliable way to distribute documents without worries of missing fonts or changing page margins. It's not exactly open in the opensource sense of the word, but it works well enough for me.
Sometimes though the Adobe software can be a bit slow. It would appear that this is a problem for previewing PDFs in Outlook. Help is at hand from an alternative preview program based on the Foxit PDF reader. Actual download link is here.
The downside, it's only available for Outlook 2007 on Vista, and as it's not an 'official' Foxit program (though made with their support) it's not supported.
Posted by Tim Smith on February 22, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Quickly preview PDFs in Outlook with Foxit Reader
I often wax lyrical about PDF. It's a reliable way to distribute documents without worries of missing fonts or changing page margins. It's not exactly open in the opensource sense of the word, but it works well enough for me.
Sometimes though the Adobe software can be a bit slow. It would appear that this is a problem for previewing PDFs in Outlook. Help is at hand from an alternative preview program based on the Foxit PDF reader. Actual download link is here.
The downside, it's only available for Outlook 2007 on Vista, and as it's not an 'official' Foxit program (though made with their support) it's not supported.
Posted by Tim Smith on February 22, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Get Word and Writer to play nicely together
I've installed OpenOffice on just about all my computers, even those with Microsoft Office already on them. It's a useful backup in case of problems, and can get around some of the more basic password protection in Word and Excel (or at least in Office 2003). There is some helpful advice on the Workers' Edge for using both of these word processors
OpenOffice can be told to use Microsoft Office formats, which makes sense, after I've been asked to resubmit work because it's in ODF format. To give some sense of balance, the same thing happened with DOCX the other day as well!
Posted by Tim Smith on February 14, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Try a different keyboard layout
There's a small potted history of the Dvorak keyboard layout over at Lifehack.org, along with some tips on making the switch.
One problem has always been the difficulty of getting hold of a keyboard with the Dvorak layout. Windows is quite happy to pretend that a Qwerty keyboard is Dvorak but you can't then look at the keys for reference (even though this is a good way to learn).
I did once get my hands on a gaming keyboard with
Solutions include a useful print out and keep card from DVzine.org or the Dvorak Yahoo Widget (requires the Yahoo Widget Engine). The DVzine also includes a link to a utility (direct link to download) for using the Scroll Lock key to switch between Dvorak and Qwerty, and I found one a few months ago too.
I keep trying the new layout, and each time it gets easier and faster, the problem with having to produce copy quickly is that there isn't much of a margin to learn. It's not just Dvorak, handwriting recognition has also proved to be too slow, even if it is more satisfying.
Posted by Tim Smith on February 14, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
And now for some brushes for Photoshop
Following on the link from Techzilla last week of plenty of brushes for The GIMP, there is another list, but this time for Photoshop.
They all look very attractive, and make me wish I was more arty.
Posted by Tim Smith on February 5, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
And now for some brushes for Photoshop
Following on the link from Techzilla last week of plenty of brushes for The GIMP, there is another list, but this time for Photoshop.
They all look very attractive, and make me wish I was more arty.
Posted by Tim Smith on February 5, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Get helpful tips and tricks for Microsoft Office
The Microsoft Office homepage is worthy bookmarking by anyone who using this software. There are lots of templates and mailing lists to sign up for. There are also some webcasts on topics such as writing long documents
Of course, mailing lists can be a double edged sword as they can waste time, but every so often a really useful tip will make a huge difference. Or a blog post!
Posted by Tim Smith on January 31, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Free brushes for the GIMP
I use image editors because I have to, rather than having any particular skill in that area, so anything to help with my efforts are very welcome.
There is plenty of help to be found courtesy of techZilo, with a collection of brushes for GIMP. A brush is a shape used to paint with. Most image editors come with a variety of circles and squares, which is of no help to my feeble efforts.
The brushes included here are all kinds of shapes and sizes, hopefully good enough for me to include in some webgraphics.
There's even some useful help on adding brushes to GIMP. I'll come clean and admit that I needed to click the link as I've never done this before. It's very easy. Uncompress the files in the zip to the brushes folder (this can be found in the GIMP preferences) and either refresh the brushes or restart GIMP. I had to do the later but it's hardly a problem.
If you've not tried The GIMP, it's very powerful and completely free.
Posted by Tim Smith on January 30, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Fixing Office 2003 - Support for old formats
An interesting post from Darren Strange about a change to Office 2003 that has caused some anger from users.
Service Pack 3 blocks Office from opening some older files as they could pose a security risk. You can read the official blog post on David LeBlanc's Blog.
As I've said before, security never seems to be working unless it is being inconvenient. And this seems a prime example.
A fix is now available but it does involve editing the Registry. That's inconvenient for a home user but that could easily make one very unpopular with the Systems department in the office. I've been there and it's not a happy place.
Although some of the comments strike me as the usual 'Attack Microsoft without mercy' there is a very significant problem here, that of archiving old work.
Of course one solution to open the old files is to use OpenOffice instead. I often use OpenOffice when people send me files without an extension or I'm a little bit wary of what the file might contain.
But that still won't help with my very old Lotus AmiPro and WordPro documents from University. Like many people who left comments I have lots of documents in old formats. As well as the lotus documents above I have files in WordPerfect 5.1 and even Locoscript (anyone remember that?). A quick web search reveals that Kword can read AmiPro documents but do I really want to have to install a new operating system just to read some old documents?
On reflection I think I shall print them out. OCR software is so good these days, especially with printed documents with no fancy columns or box outs, that it'll be easier to import them when I need them. And of course I get to keep the remarks left by whoever was marking the essay. However much I may want to forget them.
Posted by Tim Smith on January 21, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Powertoys for OneNote 2007
A very useful list of powertoys for OneNote this (link courtesy of Darren Strange).
OneNote is a note taking program that is a relatively new addition to the Office stable. From what I've seen it really shines on Tablet PCs, though the closest I can manage is a notebook with a graphics tablet.
The most exciting part for me when I heard about OneNote was the ability to record a presentation and make notes that are timestamped to the audio. So all you need to write is "Do this item" and then it will jump to the right bit of audio. The only snag is having to bring the notebook to the meeting.
I can't believe I haven't used OneNote since I got my hands on Office. It seemed like a really useful program, especially for students. It will be interesting to see how it compares to using MindManager
Posted by Tim Smith on January 18, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Service Pack 1 for Mindjet MindManager
Just in case the automatic update hasn't flagged this up, there is an important update for Mindjet MindManager.
Updates include solving problems with Vista and general improvements.
Installation should be simple as MindManager checks for updates when it starts. If this has not worked, click on Tools and then Updates. The download is 82MB.
In a wonderful display of using their own product, the Release Notes have been released as a mindmap. There is a text version if you want to see what all the fuss is about but don't have MindManager.
Although expensive, MindManager is the best mind mapping tool I have used and is a great way to improve productivity.
Posted by Tim Smith on January 17, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Service Pack 1 for Mindjet MindManager
Just in case the automatic update hasn't flagged this up, there is an important update for Mindjet MindManager.
Updates include solving problems with Vista and general improvements.
Installation should be simple as MindManager checks for updates when it starts. If this has not worked, click on Tools and then Updates. The download is 82MB.
In a wonderful display of using their own product, the Release Notes have been released as a mindmap. There is a text version if you want to see what all the fuss is about but don't have MindManager.
Although expensive, MindManager is the best mind mapping tool I have used and is a great way to improve productivity.
Posted by Tim Smith on January 17, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Get extensions for OpenOffice
OpenOffice can install extra bits of software to add in functions that were not available, just like Firefox. The OpenOffice team has just launched a place to find extensions on the OpenOffice website. According to linux.com these include a bookmarking tool, better integration with Google Docs and a utility for using a mobile phone to control Impress presentations.
Posted by Tim Smith on January 9, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Office 2007 might just save your job
Thanks to Darren Strange over at Office Rocker for bringing this video to my screen. A quick guide to how Outlook 2007 can recall emails if the recipient hasn't read them yet.
The only snag is, as the video points out, this only works if you and the recipient are using email based around a Microsoft Exchange Server, and the latest version at that. Somehow I think a better reason for upgrading is needed to persuade the boss.
VideoJug: What To Do If You Send A Kamikaze Email
Probably more useful is the option to delay sending messages to give you time to realise that the funny joke might just get you fired.
I remember that the Eudora email software used to scan emails and warn if they appeared to be offensive.
Posted by Tim Smith on January 4, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The Windows Update Team blog explains Office 2007 SP1
Updates are always going to be complicated, even though the Automatic Updates utility is pretty good. So this explanation of how and where to get Office 2007 SP1 is quite useful.
Basically, this service pack is not going to be included in Automatic Updates for a little while. Not everyone wants to upgrade immediately, especially companies that need to check if their in house software still works or needs adjustment.
Office 2007 Service Pack 1 will appear in the Vista Windows Update page but will have to be explicitly selected for the time being. At some point it will be included in Automatic Updates but there's no word of exactly when.
It's always worth checking Windows Update though. I found a few updates for Office 2003 that we use here the other day that were quite old.
Posted by Tim Smith on December 14, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Service Pack 1 for Office released
There may not be much being said about Vista Service Pack 1There may only be the first hints of Service Pack 1 for Vista, but Office 2007 has already got its first bumper round of updates (thanks to Darren over at OfficeRocker for the news).
It's not an automatic update just yet; it's always worth holding off a couple of days just to make sure that there are no big problems. It's been a while since that's happened so I will give this a go later on.
And according to the whitepaper, it's not just stability and security, "Service Pack 1 eliminates distractions and performance issues that disrupt workflow, allowing employees to be more productive in the work that they do". Wow.
Posted by Tim Smith on December 12, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Service Pack 1 for Office released
There may not be much being said about Vista Service Pack 1There may only be the first hints of Service Pack 1 for Vista, but Office 2007 has already got its first bumper round of updates (thanks to Darren over at OfficeRocker for the news).
It's not an automatic update just yet; it's always worth holding off a couple of days just to make sure that there are no big problems. It's been a while since that's happened so I will give this a go later on.
And according to the whitepaper, it's not just stability and security, "Service Pack 1 eliminates distractions and performance issues that disrupt workflow, allowing employees to be more productive in the work that they do". Wow.
Posted by Tim Smith on December 12, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Update to GIMP image editor
There's an update to the Gimp 2.4, 2.4.2 to be exact.
There are no great changes but a selection of bug fixes. More details can be found on the News page.
If you've never tried the Gimp, I can strongly recommend it. It's opensource (so free) and very powerful.
Posted by Tim Smith on November 26, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Foiled by the Office box not setup software
I don't want to go on too much about the new Microsoft boxes but there are a little irratating. So without wanting to sound too much like a luddite here's why.
I'm embarrased because it took me a couple of attempts to get the thing open. I thought the instructions meant that I had to pull the tab out of the top before removing the side sticker. Cue much pulling and frustration.
Thankfully that was the hardest part of the process. Once the side sticker was off the box opened quite easily.
The actual setup process was much easier without many complicated options to confuse matters. Unless you want to specify exactly which parts of Office are to be installed.
The final part of installation is activation, no surprise these days. As ever, the internet is the easiest way to do this. The license is for three computers so hopefully there won't be any problems when it appears on my other computers.
Posted by Tim Smith on November 20, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Office has arrived!
I've finally got a copy of Office 2007. Yes, I know it's been a little while since it was released, that's why I'm so excited.
Sadly I've got far too much on this afternoon to start using it, so a proper exploration will have to wait until Monday morning.
When Office 2003 came out many years ago, it was a clear winner. As much as I liked Lotus WordPro, it just couldn't compete any more and WordPerfect offered less for roughly the same cost.
Now Office faces some stiff opposition from OpenOffice. It may lack some corporate features but my criteria is getting copy written as quickly as possible. I'll also be looking at it from the Home and Student point of view as that's the version I've got.
I liked the beta of Office when I used it last year and found the ribbon much more effective than I expected.
I'm also very excited about OneNote as I've only ever seen briefings about this software
But first, I have to get inside the box. From the red tags on the side and top of the box (and the fact it took me a long time to get CD jewel cases open without excessive force), that might be worth a post of its own...
Posted by Tim Smith on November 9, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
OpenOffice Templates download
Sun has decided to make the templates that used to be restricted to StarOffice available to OpenOffice users at no cost.
Templates can be a mixed bag, but if nothing else they are a great way to get started even if they end up being changed completely.
Highly recommended.
Posted by Tim Smith on October 10, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Microsoft admits to calculation problem in Excel
If there is one program in Office you don't want problems with, it Excel used by financial people the world over. Sadly this is just what has happened if the result of the sum is around 65,535.
MIcrosoft has admited the problem but said that it is actually in the way that the result is displayed. It seems that the number in memory is right so a reference to that cell will give the right answer in a subsequent formula.
It's a good lesson that even computers can make mistakes, or rather computers are programmed by people who can make mistakes.
Posted by Tim Smith on September 27, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
What next for Microsoft Office?
Word is starting to appear of the next version of Microsoft Office. No surprises as Office is a real money spinner for Microsoft.
Of course, the real question is what else Office could possibly need. The new ribbon interface is a great idea but it's sometimes hard to see what else can be added to the basic Office family members. Collaboration is a different matter of course but that tends to be of more interest to business users.
As an aside, if the new ribbon bar in Office 2007 is proving to be a bit much, you might like to try the Classic Menu for Office 2007 software.
It has to be said, not everybody likes it, Darren Strange suggested in his blog that it would be better to stick with Office 2003 because of confusion with shortcut keys and problems with other addins. Still this is worth a go if your computer was supplied with 2007 and you don't want to spend the money for a new copy.
Posted by Tim Smith on September 24, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Service Pack 3 for Office 2003
The march of updates never stops. There's 118MB of updates for Office from the Microsoft site in the form of Service Pack 3. The size if partly because this includes all previous updates for Office.
In a reverse of what I would normally expect from an update, Service Pack 3 actually removes some features. Granted these are not exactly critical and are being dropped because they are not secure, but if you need to read old documents created by Lotus 123 and Corel Draw, now is the time to convert them.
The updates are also available through Windows Update and the Office Update page.
Posted by Tim Smith on September 19, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Is email software obsolete?
I rarely use email software out of work, despite the sophisticated software available like Thunderbird, Opera (an undersung feature of this superb browser) and Evolution (for Linux). The reason for this is that I use GoogleMail and the web interface is better than most programs.
Of course, I recognise that this is only really an option for people with broadband, although there is a version designed for mobile devices.
It's important to remember that GoogleMail is not the only webmail avaialable, or the only free one. Yahoo Mail is also pretty good. There's a very good comparison of the two over on Lifehacker.
What's worthy of further investigation are the other services that both Google and Yahoo offer. I've got accounts with both as they each have unique services.
On a slight tangent one of my favourite features of GoogleMail is giving emails labels rather than putting them in folders. It's fantastic for when a message falls into several different categories. A newsletter may be relevant to more than one project I'm working on as well as warranting a subject category. This is something that Opera does rather well if you want off line access.
Posted by Tim Smith on September 19, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Create brilliant logos and buttons
One of the reasons I enjoy books (apart from a love of reading) is that there are often random snippits of information that I've been looking for. It happened to me this morning when reading a book about the upcoming version of the website software Joomla and an explaination of how to create both web buttons and logos using the GIMP image editor.
I've been looking for an easy way to do this for some time, and have come up with software like Free Web Buttons, alright in its way but a little limited. Well GIMP has many scripts for creating both simple buttons like this,
more attractive bevelled buttons like this, 
or complete logos such as this one,
Read on for the instructions
Start Gimp as normal, but without creating a new document, click on the Xtns menu, then Script-Fu and select a design from either Buttons or logos.
I'd nosed around in Script-Fu ages ago and couldn't find anything that struck me as very useful. It just goes to show that it's worth finding out exactly what has been changed in new versions.
Posted by Tim Smith on September 5, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Microsoft Office wins over OpenOffice
It seems that the AA breakdown recovery company has decided that Microsoft Office works better for them than OpenOffice.
For me, it goes to show that free is not always better, or even free at all. Another example of this is a church local to me who wanted advice on software to use with a projector. I recommended OpenSong, an opensource program rather than spending the £300 for the alternative MediaShout. I don't have anything against MediaShout but I think it makes sense to start off with the low cost option.
It turned out that they decided to spend the money on MediaShout. Why? There are three other churches they share content with and they all use MediaShout. It doesn't take long to work out that they would quickly burn through £300 worth of time converting content.
For the AA, the decision to go with Microsoft Office was not just about price. Microsoft produces a plan of what the future holds and this long term view was considered valuable for planning purposes.
And there are other costs involved in using something other than Office, notably training and more work needed when sharing files. Of course, OpenOffice can read Microsoft files but sharing works both ways. It is possible to set OpenOffice to use Microsoft Office as the default file format but it is easy to forget and I've accidently sent out work in odt files that I've had to resend in Word. Not only is this a pain but there is the risk of having different versions of files in different formats.
I think everybody should try the free software versions around because they often work very well. I use GIMP more than PhotoShop now. But there is nothing wrong with spending money because it can sometimes work out cheaper in the long term.
edited as Craig pointed out it was the AA outside of the UK
Posted by Tim Smith on July 23, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
