Updated: 10/19/04; 11:40:50 PM

 Tuesday, March 9, 2004

Bill R.: Always seems like we learn the most from mistakes / problems. This thread has some very interesting Mac alternatives to Microsoft Word. I didn't even know there were any, beyond AppleWorks (and that hardly counts).

Microsoft Word's Mac Showstoppers.

My book editor and I are going crazy trying to track changes in our drafts using Microsoft Word on Mac OS X. The program has some absurd bugs, or perhaps conflicts with other software, that cause a variety of problems including:

  • Tracking-text color changes for no apparent reason, creating the impression that yet another person is working on the copy;
  • Overwritten text where strike-outs and insertions should appear;
  • Corrupted files that caused Entourage to misbehave when I tried to send a file.

    The first two are mainly annoying, though they consume time I don't really have. Microsoft tech support offered a workaround (use RTF only) for the last one, and charged me $35 for the tip.

    If I had any realistic alternative I'd grab it, though we're too far into this book to start fresh now. For future reference, any suggestions? Post a comment or send me e-mail at dgillmor@mercurynews.com. The only crucial requirement is the ability to track our changes and save as a Word-readable file.

    [Dan Gillmor's eJournal]

    - Posted by William A. Riski - 6:01:45 PM - comment []

    • Bill R.: Interesting comments at this MacSlash site about software & hardware to enable playing of DRM'd iTunes.

    Where Are The Third Party Devices To Play iTunes AAC Files? [MacSlash]

    - Posted by William A. Riski - 5:34:19 PM - comment []