Cole Camplese

Word in the Cloud

With the release of Office 2008 for the Mac and (I think) 2007 on the PC Microsoft introduced the .docx file type. I have no problem with it, but I no longer use Office only Google Docs. The problem is that from what I can tell Google Docs will not import .docx files ... when I get one via email I am out of luck. But a couple of links emerged today ... the first is the utility that Microsoft itself provides to change the file types. Simple application that is downloadable from the Microsoft site. The second, and I haven't tried this one yet, is a site called Zamzar. It looks promising, allowing you to convert files into dozens of formats via the web. So the next time you get a .docx and need to work with it, there are option.

Quick Note on Usability

We've all heard the jokes and snickers about Microsoft's infamous usability (ahem) in their tools. Today I have been working on my presentation for the NMC Symposium on Mashups that I am to give next week via Adobe Connect. I know Connect fairly weel as I use it here at PSU with some regularity and we have perhaps one of the best ACP for teaching and learning experts (I am a little biased) in the country sitting down the hall from me in Yvonne Clark. So when I need to know something I can feel certain I am getting a solid answer.

Anyway, I am working up my slides using PowerPoint instead of Keynote for the first time in four years or so just so I can load it into ACP and let it run the right way -- I am even using the shiny new and very good looking PPT 2008 for my Mac. The software looks OK, but I have to admit it is slow and just doesn't seem to work the way I want it to ... not that solid usability starts and stops with my needs, it should at least not make me feel totally out on my own. At one point I was trying to use the new and improved transition feature and thanks to the perfect placement of the tooltip popup I couldn't see what transitions were hiding beneath. Not a big deal, but an obvious opportunity for a screencap ...

All I am going to say is that Alan, you owe me one ... only b/c of the PPT lock in!