And as I check my emails, I am pleased to stuble across this one…

HI ALL – AS PER COMPANY CEO, THE STAFF CAN GO HOME AT 3:00 PM TODAY, WEDNESDAY, HALLOWEEN; THE OFFICE ITSELF WILL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL THE NORMAL CLOSING TIME, WITH RECEPTION AT THE RECEPTION DESK .IF, HOWEVER, ANYONE HAS A PROJECT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BY ANY OF THE STAFF TODAY, PLEASE LET THE APPROPRIATE KNOW ASAP SO YOU CAN BE ACCOMODATED. MANY THANKS

OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

Nothing better than being let go early today and getting paid for a full day!  God I love working for a major corporation….

Well as you may or may not know, I am both a Mac and a Windows IT specialist.  I favor windows but have consulted many major mac clients as well.  I got into the mac scene again during the Panther to Tiger phenomenon and now that Tiger is getting the boot to Leopard, I just wanted to look at the features that Leopard has and see if it is worth me invested in the new operating system.  I have no reason to invest in Macs anymore since I now work at my current job, but it is much better to keep up to date than to let my skillz fall behind.  With that said, here are some highlights…

 Desktop Redesign – As I look at the review of the desktop redesign, I am reminded of Vista and the Windows Flip feature…I never used it in vista, and I will never use it on the mac.  Regardless, it allows you to have a pull-down if you may of different icons so if you overflow, you can select it instead of making all the icons smaller and smaller…

Finder – They improved the finder feature (again) It now can find music with Cover Flow (whatever that means….) I didn’t use the updated finder feature in Tiger, I wouldn’t use it now either. 

Quick Look – This allows you to browse, play, and page through your files without opening them.  This is a similar feature in Vista that I love and would probably use this a lot.  So far, if anything, this would make me want to switch.  Unfortunately, my mac is not very powerful and would probably need to be replaced to move to Leopard or at least use this feature….that is for another time though

Time Machine – it is a backup program of sorts.  You can look at different restore points and if needed, restore your system.  Microsoft has had this implementation since windows XP and I am not a big fan….perhaps the mac has a better grip on it than windows does…

Mail – Getter integration, so they claim.  I never really used mail in tiger, and would probably not use it in leopard as well….but that is just me.  I know a lot of people that used and loved it.  I wonder how much better it does on exchange integration now.  I know that it was kinda lacking it (which is why I didn’t use it) in previous versions.

Parental Controls – I do not think I need to go into explanation on this one….it has it, and I have no kids to worry about….PASS

Boot Camp – I highly doubt that they changed this feature all that much so no real draw to upgrade there…

 Those are the highlights on Apple’s homepage….I would make the leap if I had a slightly newer computer or still used a mac   Maybe I will pick it up and see how it runs on my mac powerbook…supposedly it has better memory management as well which would be nice….

I pulled this from this page here….

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/05/13/how-to-open-mdi-microsoft-document-imaging-format-with-office-2007/ 

When using Microsoft Office 2003 System Suite, you may see a printer named Microsoft Office Document Image Writer in your list of printers. In a situation such as when you don’t have access to a printer, but must print out some transient documents such as booking confirmation for concert, flight or train tickets, or receipt for online purchase, or you simply want to keep a soft copy of the documents in unmodifiable format so that the file can later be printed elsewhere, you can make sure of MS Office Document Image Writer by printing to this virtual printer which will subsequently create a file with .MDI extension.

MDI is a proprietary file format of Microsoft for storing raster images of scanned documents together with optional annotations or metadata, and can only be produced or read by certain Microsoft software, such as Microsoft Office Document Imaging (MODI) module included in Microsoft Office 2003 and later. However, when you upgrade to Windows Vista and Office 2007, or bring the MDI files via USB flash drive or email to another computer with only Office 2007, you will encounter an error of “Windows cannot open this file”, and subsequently ask you to either let Windows to go online to look it up automatically, or manually select from a list of programs that are installed on computer.

The problem happens because “Microsoft Document Image Writer” feature is not installed by default when you run Office 2007 setup. So in order to open and view or print the MDI files with Office 2007 installed, try one of the following workaround or resolution.

Firstly, you can insert the file or drag and drop the MDI file into a OneNote page to view it instantly.

Second is a permanent solution, by installing Microsoft Document Imaging Writer and its corresponding support for the file format.

1. Go to Control Panel, select “Uninstall a program” link under Programs section.”
2. High Microsoft Office 2007 (it may show Ultimate, Enterprise, Professional, Small Business, Home and Student, etc).
3. Click on “Change” located on the navigation link near the top of the window.
4. Select “Add or Remove Features”, then click “Continue”.
5. Expand “Office Tools” section.
6. Click on the drop down list for “Microsoft Office Document Imaging” and select “Run all from My Computer”.
7. Click “Continue”.
8. Click “Close” when installation done.

A new virtual printer “Microsoft Office Document Imaging Writer” is created and allows you to print to MDI format (a TIFF variant). And from now onwards you should be able to open any MDI files by simply double click on them. If you still can’t, try to restart your computer.

I love this debate….what is better a Mac or a PC.

The answer is simple, a Mac IS a PC…

Think about it for a second….everyone is comparing apples to apples and thinking they are comparing Microsoft to apple when they say this.  PC stands for personal Computer….

Now if you say what is better OSX or windows, that is a comparison.

I will give a very small breakdown..

Windows is more compatible to different computers than OSX is.  OSX you need to install on a mac computer (unless you want to break your licence agreement with apple) while windows, you can have installed on any intel based computer.  This includes MAC computers thanks to bootcamp. (nothing like dumping your money to microsoft people….microsoft only sells software….not hardware (unless you are talking about their killer mice and keyboards)

Compatibility – OSX is coming along but it isn’t there yet.  The office suite is still the best application to use when doing basic office work.  This is the reason why microsoft does so well.  Their operating system is relatively stable and you are the most productive while working.

Graphics Design - I would like to tip my hat to OSX for this one but I cannot.  Graphics are the same for both windows and OSX.  I have done consulting for major graphics companies and it is the preference of the designer not the software.  The big software products work for both operating systems but the flexibility of the 2 button mouse makes things a lot easier for the designer (most people plug 2 button mice into OSX based systems…)

Browser – love it or hate it, the web is designed for IE.  OSX does not have IE, they have safari and firefox.  While IE causes viruses, the web is designed for it.  I love security like the rest of em but that is life.  Good web designers know how to code for all browsers, but the web is not composed of good web pages

Games -  Sorry OSX, games are not designed for you   I will give OSX credit, there has been a surge of development for the game market, but just like the browser issue, you should go where the market is.  Windows gets the gamer market.

Stability – OSX.  I will give OSX the mark for this one but I have seen many macs crash and burn and give really idiotic error messages…. “IT IS NOT MY FAULT!” The mac “bluescreens” as much as windows, but you plant the idea in people’s head and they believe it! I will give it to OSX but if OSX surges more, we will hear more horror stories of the MAC deaths…

Security – OSX.  I tip my hat off to OSX for its ability to stay out of the virus spotlight.  I also fear the fact that OSX users think they are better than the virus.  I give OSX credit that the virus surge has not come yet, but it will happen and inflict massive damage in its path.  Virus coders go for the most damage, and that would be Windows currently.  There are a lot of ways that people inflict damage in the unix/linux os and that damage will eventually be brought to OSX.  I will profit on this day.  It will be a good day to be an IT tech.

Well with that said, I think I will end it for right now.  If I think if anything more, I’ll be sure to post up

My boss is on vacation and here is the email he sent to us regarding it….it is rather strange…

ITWORKERA and Koopa,You can send your October T&Es to ITDIRECTOR for approval.  That’s for the updates on the job descriptions and cleaning up AD. ITWORKERB,I’m still waiting on your confirmation on the Manhattan users in AD. Okay, now I expect you guys to hold the fort down until I return from vacation.  Thanks for your help as always.  You are a great team to work with.  For the next 12 days pretend I don’t exist.  

(ITWORKERA, good luck with the office move.)

I feel as iff that would be a note more fitting to a parent to a child.  The man is only going to be gone for 2 weeks…I think we can survive without him.  I know that I never really need to contact my boss.  I only call him to let him know that I the task is completed since he is always up my ass, I like to make the preventive strike.  I know every time I go to remote offices he calls for an update, so I call him first.  It works out since I am usually not at my desk (going home) when he calls and then I am on a defensive of where I was when he called and blah blah blah…

The only thing that this does for me is ensure that I will have no random calls from my boss for 2 glorious weeks…so blissful

So as I was driving down 84 getting off the exit, the cars in front of me stop abruptly and I did as well….as I am stopping, I get thrusted forward and the inevitable happened.

 Someone hit the back of my car.

Lucky for me, there was no damage…. I jotted down his information and we went on our way.  I had a false positive of thinking that my tired went flat…thankfully it was not!

All in all, if that is my worst accident, I will be happy….

I am not feeling rather motivated to write right now but I just wanted to say that my sister got married on sauterday.  Here are some of the highlights…

1. Her ceremony was on a military base.  The groom was in the military for 20 years.  They used a bus to get everyone on base and it was stopped and could not get on the base until 10 minutes before the ceremony.  Joyous

2. The minister did not seem to know what he was doing.  Considering that they must have a lot of wedding a year, he seemed disorganized. 

3. The minister pronounced the grooms middle ninital wrong.  He kept saying L instead of R.

4. The minister prounced my sister’s first name wrong.  Her name is Lisa and he said Louise.  Classic

5. The pictures took forever.  They always do.

6. The reception hall sucked ass.

7. The DJ was thug-like.  His teeth was uneven and messed up and had dred-locks.  The good thing to note is that they played good songs all night.

8. The food was only ok.  C- at best…

9. The DJ prounced Ron’s daughter was Erwin instead of Erin….classic

10. The groom is 23 years older than my sister.  My new neice is 1 year older than me

This post is my 80th post written here.  I like to reflect back on my motivations for writing in here and my success and failures…

Successes -

Hits – I am generating more hits than I ever thought I would… It is mostly due to the knowledge base articles that I post up here but traffic is still traffic…

Daily work day updates – besides the one week where I went on a business trip in september, I have been able to keep up writing at least one post a day.  My goal is to write about 3 posts a day hopefully with one post with a lot of content…

Entertainment factor – writing this keeps me entertained.  I have never done any live journals or blogs before because I thought they were boring.  Every time I would start one and 5 posts later give up.  I am actually enjoying and look forward to coming up with content and knowledge base articles for people.  Entertainment factor ++

Failures -

Comments… I would of thought that more comments would be generated by now.  I know I have been nailing this point into the ground but I am unsure how to resolve this issue.  I cannot think of anything I can do to generate more comments for the posts…my hope ratio is for every 50 hits, there is one comment.  Last week, I generated 50+ hits and still no comments.  I did get a few comments over the weekend which is nice….  My goal is to always reply to comments left on my postings…

Origional Content – While people are coming for the knoweldge base content, they are not really coming for my origional postings.  I would like to think that my non-kb postings are entertaining enough for other people and that would make them revisit the site for future entertainment and possibly learn something new with the future kb posts….

Return value – This kinda goes along with the origional posting skit but it seems that I do not have many return visitors.  I could be wrong but it does not seem so.  I have been checking the hit count/search ratio and I might be getting 1 or 2 non-search topic hits.  Ideally, I would like 5-10 hits a day to be non-search hits.  The more return customers, the more comments

 All in all, I think that this site is doing well for my writing ability (which is slightly lacking) and to keep my job interesting (which it has some boring moments where I don’t do anything)

I am just changing everything left and right.  If it isn’t my alias, it is my Title…

I am adapting to where the blog has taken me.  I initially wanted to write about random things that ticked me off….but that didn’t seem to happen very often.  I must change for my audience….they are here for my kbs and I hope to keep them with my random whit?

I still think that this blog falls under Project Failure….in essence, people are using my knowledge base articles and leaving me for the wind

I have about 4 kbs that generate a lot of traffic and the rest do nothing.  Its a shame.  I still also have little comments generated on my site.  I have been a little more selective with SPAM comments.  If it has content, I will let it slide.  Something to allow me to comment back.  I have no problem talking to spam…sometimes that can stir up some legit conversation!

The comments have started to generate…I had someone legit comment about how they felt that no one should take off from work to vote in georgia…its a start.  Most people are still not commenting though.  I have been generating 50-60 hits a day and get 1 to 2 comments a week (not counting the spam I do not allow through)  I would like to see 1 or 2 comments a day with traffic generated 60 hits….it will come…oh it will come

On a final note, the title changed from “Why bloggers hate you?” to “Computer, Printers, and Life Randomness…” I am not thrilled with the title…and open to change if someone has something better for me to name my blog….

 Feel free to leave suggestions at the front door