007 Web Tools

It’s been quite a while since I had to explain compatibility problems between programs running on Macintosh and Windows PCs…here we go again.

If you’ve created a PowerPoint presentation (or Word document) on a Macintosh and transfered your file to a Windows PC in a campus classroom or lecture hall, you may have been greeted with the following caution:

QuickTime(TM) and a Photo - JPEG decompressor are needed to see this picture.

QuickTime(TM) and a TIFF decompressor are needed to see this picture.

The problem is in HOW the image is inserted into Powerpoint or Word. Any image that is inserted using the menu option “Insert:Picture: From File…” will be viewable on both platforms. If you drag and drop from the web, for example, or paste into Powerpoint, the image will appear in Powerpoint on the Mac, but will NOT be viewable on PC’s.

The problem, in a nutshell, is that Windows PowerPoint doesn’t support QuickTime compression and installing QuickTime on the PC won’t help. You’ll need to go back to the Mac to fix the problem by re-inserting the graphic into PowerPoint.

DO NOT drag and drop or copy and paste the graphic into PowerPoint. That’s what probably caused the problem in the first place. Save the image to a folder on your Mac. Then use the Insert:Picture: From File… options to insert the image into PowerPoint.

There are several variations of this problems that require additional consideration. If you have experienced any of these problems, let us know. If you have found other solutions, we would be happy to share them on this blog.

I’ve had a couple of calls in the last few weeks involving making a printed copy of what can easily be read on the screen. Either Adobe PDFs were acting up of or screen colors didn’t print well and what you see is not what you get. One quick and easy solution is to copy the contents of the screen to the clipboard and paste it into Word…then print.

Both Windows and Macintosh have built-in screen capture utilities that are very easy to use. They are wonderful tools for creating tutorials or demonstrating a step-by-step process. Sometimes call screen-shots, images can be created using a simple keystroke combination.

If you a using a Windows PC, press the Print Screen key (often located in the cluster of keys to the right of the standard keyboard, above the arrow keys) to copy the current screen to the clipboard. If you want to capture only the current window, press Alt-Print Screen. Remember that only one image can be stored in memory at a time. Open Word or PowerPoint and paste the contents of the clipboard into the current document — Edit: Paste or use the keyboard shortcut, Ctrl-v).

If on are using a Mac, press Control-Command-Shift-3 to copy the screen to the clipboard. You can also press Command-Shift-3 to copy the contents of the screen to a file on your desktop. Use Control-Command-Shift-4 or Command-Shift-4 to select only a portion of the screen. The cursor changes to a cross-hair that will allow you to select any size rectangle. The Mac also has a built-in utility called Grab that allows more sophisticated features (delayed capture, menu capture, conversion to other formats.) Grab can usually be found in the /Applications/Utilities folder.

Once you have captured the image you can paste it into Word or PowerPoint, resize or crop the image, and Bob’s your uncle.

Several months ago we gave you some tips for reading Office 2007 documents and files using your current version of Office. While we have not released the 2007 version on campus, many of you have purchased machines for home that come with Office 2007 pre-installed. You will notice immediately that the user interface has been changed and the menus and dialog that you have been accustomed to are no longer available — and there is no option for reverting back to the previous interface. Rick and I will continue to offer workshops throughout the semesters updating you on tips and trick for working in this new environment. Keep your eyes open for the Thursday IT Newsletters or subscribe to our blogs for more information.

Interactive Word 2007 Command Reference Guide

Microsoft has released an interactive guide that will help you find the commands and tools you have grown to know and love with previous versions. You can access the guide by clicking the link above or by search help topics for “Interactive Keyboard Guide” into any Office 2007 application.

Once the guide has started, rest the mouse pointer over a Word/Excel/PowerPoint 2003 menu or button to learn its new location in Word/Excel/PowerPoint 2007. To see an animation of the location of the command or button in Word/Excel/PowerPoint 2007, just click it.

Like so many parents of my age raising teenagers, I find myself completely befuddled by the whole concept of blogs, mMySpace, Instant messaging and texting. I have promised myself to get up to speed, to learn how to blog, how to text message and send instant messages. If my son can do it as naturally as I read an email or make a phone call, then I need to be experience the world the way he sees it. Feel free to join me on this journey…send links…reply if you like…it should be a fun ride.

Welcome to Blogs@IWU. This is my first post. As a teenager in the 60s, I was fascinated by James Bond and anything 007. I’ve been a fan all my life. With the advent of the new millennium and the decade of the 00s, I am determined to refer to the current year as 007 (rather than twenty-0-7 or two thousand and seven). So it seemed like a interesting name for by first venture into the world of blogging.