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How to Test the Compatibility of a Word Document made with Office for a Mac

// February 17th, 2008 // No Comments » // Apple, How To, Technology

Most business run a 100% Windows environment. Becoming more and more popular are consultants or off-site employees that really could use almost any flavor of computer they want. The most common second choice (or first choice depending who you talk to) is a Mac running a version of OSX with MS Office for Mac.

With different operating systems keeping document compatibility is key so everyone can share documents back and forth. Using MS Office on a Mac you have a tool to help ensure your documents are compatible.

When saving your document use this method to ensure your word document is compatible with Office for Windows. Note that this will only work for MS Office 97 and up.

The first time you save your document, this also works with any MS Office application, you will see this dialog box. (different versions of Office for Mac may look different).

Click on the Compatibility Report Button, which will automatically run through your document to see if there is any formatting or element of your document which will not translate to other versions of MS Office.

By default the Compatibility Report is set to Word 97 through 2004 (this acts in a similar way for Excel documents). You can change this if you want but I don’t recommend it. This is the most generic setting and safest setting.

Once you have checked your document you will get a pop-up letting you know you can proceed in saving your file or will show you problem issues.

After you have saved your document once you will not see a dialog box when you save your document. You should still check your document though. You can always open the Compatibility Report by clicking on your Toolbox.

This will open up this window. From here you can recheck your document. As well as fix or ignore any issues that may appear.

Bottom line if you stick to basic formatting, meaning no special fonts or elaborate tables your document will most likely always be compatible.

Please let me know if I left anything out and good luck!

The New Zune

// October 3rd, 2007 // No Comments » // Design, Technology, Web

This post is not about how Microsoft is forever a copycat in most of what they do, or how the Zune fails miserably due to a lack of Software cohesion with your personal music library. No, this is about unbelievably weak UI implementation on their part.

A co-worker shows me todays front page of the Business section of the San Francisco Chronicle, which is talking about how the new Zune is just an “Imitation”. Duh. I go to their Microsoft’s Zune home page and see the shinny new Zune models all glossy and mirrored. Great. What struck me to post on this is there is all this space on the front page and ONE little link underneath their tag line. Why not make the entire image a click through to “learn more”.

Am I totally wrong here. This seems like a waste and a narrowing of the users ability to learn more about their new shinny Zune’s. One little text link to learn more about your great product. In comparison you go to Apple’s home page and guess what the large image on the front page is a click through. Imagine that. If they want to imitate maybe they should start with their website design and overall user experience.

iPhone update 1.1.1

// September 28th, 2007 // No Comments » // Technology, iPhone

I made it out alive!

Today I updated my iPhone to version 1.1.1, which was being talked about a lot around it breaking all hacks that have been out so far. Well it did.

The update is very cleaver. After you download and then install the update the iPhone becomes an iBrick for a moment, claiming it needs to be activated. Cleaver, cleaver Apple. Previous updates did not require this, why so now? Makes perfect sense if I want to make sure that all the un-hacked SIM cards will re-activate while those who used a hack to use other SIM cards from other phone services would not register, now that the phone was wiped clean.

It was fun while it lasted. iFuntastic 3 was a great easy to use hacking tool. I was not impressed with all the hacked software out there. Some of it just wasn’t useful and most crude. Would I hack my phone again, sure.

Now for the new update to 1.1.1. It looks good. The iTunes Mobile store is ridiculous. That is going to be dangerous no doubt. I still don’t see major improvments to the UI or functionality that many have been clamoring for. Like cut and paste, texting multiple people at once.

Come on Apple lets get on that huh…

Fresh Books

// September 5th, 2007 // 2 Comments » // Technology, Web

I have been planing on writing this post for some time now but have not got around to it. I am sure the three readers that look at my blog are dying to know what I am about to say.

I try not to endorse applications unless I feel they are truly great and necessary to working more efficiently. Things like the Creative Suite, the must have swiss army knife for any designer (and he/she should be proficient in all the applications). Other great ones for me are FireBug and the Web Developer add-ons for Firefox, I use the Web Developer more. Recently I was turned on to Quicksilver a application/functions launcher, I now hide my toolbar and it is seeing the light of day less and less. There are many more in my arsenal of tricks I keep building on.

So what is this Fresh Books? What fancy thing will it give you? Well as the name might hint to it keeps track of your books. You know that thing you hope to do a few times a month to get some dough in the bank.

“FreshBooks is an online invoicing and time tracking service that saves you time and makes you look professional”

It does exactly that; it makes me look more professional. In art school they had us design our own custom invoices, what a waste of time in my opinion. Most designers I have meet in the “real world” use Quickbooks to generate invoices and they use a letter head, sometimes. Who has time to make your own invoice and better yet, who gets paper bills anymore?

Fresh Books allows me to log into my account from any Internet connection and track my hours, bill my clients with a simple email of my invoice, receive payments online, and all my precious financial data is stored for me, and Uncle Sam when the time comes. It makes you take yourself more serious. Another great Web 2.0 application that is doing things right.

I mean what other company takes you to dinner. That’s right. I had the CEO of the small company out of Toronto, Canada give me a call while him and another co-worker where in town. How cool is that. Another star in my book, my fresh book…. aaa ha ha….aaaaa

Ok, they did not tell me to write this and I am getting nothing for writing about them. I honestly think if you are self-employed and need an invoiceing and time tracking tool that is easy to use, you never have to worry about upgrades and is relatively cheap, this is for you.

Media Temple iPhone Web Control

// August 7th, 2007 // 2 Comments » // Technology, Web, iPhone

All I can say is WOW…. WOW… even more reason to stay with Media Temple as a host. Can’t wait to give the web control application a spin.