Microsoft

Apr 2 2002

On the Cheap– Office Alternatives

Part 1: Entourage

Countless Mac users have been held bondage by the assumption that there is no viable alternative to the Microsoft Office suite.
We here at MacMerc are on a crusade to challenge that notion.

Today we will pit Entourage, Office’s newest addition, against an opponent you have probably not considered as a contender…. Palm Desktop 4.0

The first myth we must dispel is that you have to have a Palm OS devise to use Palm Desktop. In fact, you don’t. None of the features we will highlight today require a Palm. As you’ll see, Palm Desktop, a free download, can more than give Entourage a run for it’s money.

Round 1: Common Features

Entourage and Palm Desktop are both arranged around the same premise. Both feature notes, todo’s and a calendar. Both allow you to link between these (todo’s to calendar, etc.) Both allow you to attach external files to related items. Both feature on-screen alarms with snooze functions.

Round 2: Entourage’s Edge

There is one large feature missing from Palm Desktop: email. In order to sync palm mail with email on a Mac, you need to buy a 3rd party conduit. This isn’t that big a deal, as OS X’s built-in email program is more than adequate for most.

Round 3: Palm’s Comeback

Microsoft has never been a whiz at compatibility. While both Entourage and Palm Desktop support the new vCard standard format for address book entries, only Palm Desktop supports vCal for events. This format allows you to email events to co-workers similar to Entourage’s “invite” feature.
While both allow for saved view settings, Palm Desktop also allows for multiple users. This is a huge plus if you share your Mac.

So, the MacMerc verdict is that Palm Desktop, even without a Palm, is a viable alternative to Microsoft’s Entourage.

Our suggestion on what to do with the money you’ll save? Buy a Palm or Visor!

Related Links: Palm Desktop 4.0 for Mac
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By admin • Microsoft, News • 0

Mar 12 2002

Windows XP helps users think!

Microsoft has a way of calling obvious bugs in their products “Features”. It doesn’t matter that they are undocumented, hinder the user and sometimes are a security issue; they are still called features. Windows XP has a new feature that lets it help users “think”. In some machines XP’s ability to take speech and turn it into text is turned on by default. It sounds like a feature from the future, but continue reading. It gets good!
One may ask: “Why is speech-to-text a bad thing.” The answer is simple; XP adds words to whatever its user is typing whenever it wants. Words that don’t belong, don’t make sense and hinder the user from communicating correctly and in a timely manner.

Merely unplugging or turning off the computer’s microphone does not correct the random-character problem…”

Yep, this sure sounds like a “feature”. Good cover Microsoft! What I would like to know is what would happen if Apple shipped OS X with the same “feature”. The review headlines that come to mind are:

“Jobs doesn’t even let you type anymore”
“X, it’s Unix with TC (Thought Completion)”
“It’s pretty AND smart”

Post your thoughts on what would happen if Apple made such a mistake in the comments below. If you want more details on this story, head over to Computer User.
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By admin • Microsoft, News • 0