iWork 08 Pages: Pretty Slick
April 23, 2008
OK, it’s not QuarkXPress or InDesign, but if you need a good basic layout program, I give Apple’s Pages a thumbs up. If it was only the MS Word import capability and the seamless export to PDF, it would be worth the $89 cost. But, there’s a lot more under the hood in this slick word processor/page layout hybrid.
Add in Keynote (a presentation program that imo is better than PowerPoint) and Numbers, a slick looking spreadsheet program and you’re good to go. It’s about 1/4th the cost of Microsoft’s Entourage Suite. BTW, the word is that the new 2008 version of Entourage is a dud. In any event, even if you can’t image life without Word on your PC, I’d encourage you to download the free 30 day trial.
For a pro environment, I’d never give up a “real” layout program, but if you are an occasional publisher, and you prefer a more visual approach to layout, (Pages includes some pretty nice templates) I think you’ll be happy with Apple’s latest version of Pages.
InDesign Workshop: Pre Invite
April 14, 2008
We’ve had a number of requests for another in our series of InDesign workshops, so we’re planning another such event soon. The event will be offered FREE to all Copies&Ink customers and for only $49 for all others. Paid attendees will receive a $49 certificate redeemable for any Copies&Ink product or service.
If you’d like to be invited, please complete the following survey, and indicate your principle areas of interest. Thanks!
Service a la the cable company
April 10, 2008
Transcribed from a real conversation. I couldn’t add much that the story doesn’t already say.
(Customer has called the repair service number provided by the local cable tv company)
Customer: My cable has been out all morning!
CSR: What state do you live in?
Customer: California, why do you ask?
CSR: Well let’s see, we have an outage in San Bernardino
Customer: I don’t live in San Bernardino
CSR: It could be what the problem is. I’m not sure.
Customer: How can we find out:
CSR: We can send a service tech out. The first available appointment is Tuesday of next week.
Customer: (dumbfounded) Well maybe the picture will come back on before that?
CSR: OK, by the way, do you know about our telephone service package?
Microsoft vs Apple: Head to Head
April 10, 2008
In this showdown between office suite giant Microsoft Office and the latest edition of the Apple iWork suite, MacWorld Magazine (May 2008) writers put the latest software to the test. The results? I guess it depends. You’ll have have to pick up a copy. There’s also a 39 minute podcast hosted by the (always excellent) Chris Breen that covers the topic.
We have yet to evaluate the latest version of Apple’s Pages software, but we plan to have our informal evaluation online sometime soon. Keep posted!
Postage Rates Defy Logic
April 9, 2008
It’s official: postage rates are going up again. It’s a process that seems to have accelerated in recent years. Perhaps the Postal Service didn’t get the memo about all the advertisers migrating to alternative forms of marketing.
Starting next month first class postage will hit 42 cents, postcards 27 cents, each up one cent. Standard class mailers will see modest increases, in most cases under a penny.
If you’ve got a mailing coming up, and would like to beat the deadline, make sure your project is ready to mail by May 12. Direct mail is still and important marketing tool, despite all efforts to the contrary.
Look that laptop thief in the eye!
April 4, 2008
Well, in the vernacular one would say “this really sucks!” And indeed it does: both my son and his college roommate suffered the theft of their laptop computers when a thief forced a window and broke into their student housing apartment in Los Angeles. The LAPD was great about it, taking a full report, even dusting for fingerprints. But still, the chance of recovery is almost nil.
My son’s computer held no mission critical or sensitive information. For that we are thankful. But still, it was a fairly new MacBook. His roomate’s was only a few weeks old. Arrgh! Here’s the advice I should have given them, though whether they would have followed it is another issue:
1. When you’re gone, lock your laptops to a solid object using a cable.
2. Prep your machine to increase the chance of recovery. You can set up your machine to require a login password. You may even be able to set a password at the firmware level, which would help preventing someone from booting your machine from an external disk, or from a newly intalled hard drive. See this Apple article about setting it up on a Macintosh computer. Make a careful note of your new firmware password; your machine will need major surgery if you forget it.
And here’s a clever idea from Macworld magazine: change the login window wallpaper to have your name & zip code on it. If the machine is taken to a repair center, sold or recovered, the user will be able to see who it belongs to when the login screen come up. Here’s how:
1. Goto Library>Desktop Pictures & make a duplicate of Aqua Blue.jpg
2. Now open the original in Photoshop or an equivalent and insert some text at the top and/or bottom that will say who owns the computer E.G. “This computer belong to Joe Bloggs. 91730″
3. Save it and change the wallpaper in Preferences to Aqua Blue copy.jpg or some other if you don’t want the message displayed once you have logged in.
I just learned that there are several “Lo Jack” style products available for computers. On machines that have built in cameras, the software can actually snap photos of the thief and send them to the authorities once he/she logs into the internet! In addition the software will send ip address information to help track down the physical location of your machine. This software might be a good investment on certain high risk desktop machines too!
Here is one such program for Macs and another for both Windows and Mac.
Finally a wikipedia article that outlines the enormity of computer theft. We should all take it seriously.
