OT: Laptops
01-13-2003, 11:19 AM
#46
"The mac bit comes in where they tend to send it in the file type that they think is best for the data. Which is often completely useless to the person on the other end"
It sounds more like your dealing with inconsiderate and bad computer users. It is easy breezy to exchange typical files between Macs and PCs. Most everything created in an Office product on a Mac (even much older stuff) can be opened in Office for the PC. This is especially true with Office X. Worse case you PDF it.
So if I read you right, it really isn't an issue with Macs, but rather clueless end users, since there is always a Save As option to make life easier across different platforms and programs.
It sounds more like your dealing with inconsiderate and bad computer users. It is easy breezy to exchange typical files between Macs and PCs. Most everything created in an Office product on a Mac (even much older stuff) can be opened in Office for the PC. This is especially true with Office X. Worse case you PDF it.
So if I read you right, it really isn't an issue with Macs, but rather clueless end users, since there is always a Save As option to make life easier across different platforms and programs.
01-13-2003, 02:10 PM
#47
Race Director
"So if I read you right, it really isn't an issue with Macs, but rather clueless end users, since there is always a Save As option to make life easier across different platforms and programs."
I deal with this all the time since most of my clients are lawyers who use Wordperfect (some of them have v5.1 for DOS). Most of the non-lawyer folks they deal with have MS-Word since MS is dumping MS-Office on just about any new computer that's sold. So MS made sure their Office package can read all Wordperfect files, but you're guaranteed that Wordperfect won't be able to read any MS-Office files.
The solution is to SaveAs a second type of file that can be read by both software packages. The Rosetta Stone universal format for word-processing files is RTF-Rich Text Format. Spreadsheet & database files can be exchanged using an ASCII text file with TAB-delimited fields.
I deal with this all the time since most of my clients are lawyers who use Wordperfect (some of them have v5.1 for DOS). Most of the non-lawyer folks they deal with have MS-Word since MS is dumping MS-Office on just about any new computer that's sold. So MS made sure their Office package can read all Wordperfect files, but you're guaranteed that Wordperfect won't be able to read any MS-Office files.
The solution is to SaveAs a second type of file that can be read by both software packages. The Rosetta Stone universal format for word-processing files is RTF-Rich Text Format. Spreadsheet & database files can be exchanged using an ASCII text file with TAB-delimited fields.
01-13-2003, 02:18 PM
#48
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!
Danno wins the prize with the exactly correct answer.
There is always a work around for these things, and it usually doesn't cost much money. PCs aren't evil and neither are Macs.
It's kind of like the statement "guns don't kill people, bullets do. No wait, people do." It's all in how you use the tools you're given.
Danno wins the prize with the exactly correct answer.
There is always a work around for these things, and it usually doesn't cost much money. PCs aren't evil and neither are Macs.
It's kind of like the statement "guns don't kill people, bullets do. No wait, people do." It's all in how you use the tools you're given.
01-13-2003, 11:36 PM
#49
Big thirst, Sore Thumbs
Rennlist Member
Napoleon
Rennlist Member
Napoleon
Except that the problem users tend, more often than not, to be mac users.
I will grant that PC users are usually to stupid to know better than to use the default file type that is easiest to open.
I will grant that PC users are usually to stupid to know better than to use the default file type that is easiest to open.