3 Weeks of Using a Mac

[Garoolgan]

Three weks ago I bought a MacBook Pro and Ofice 2008 so that I could keep working as I did before the purchase. I copied all my data from my PC to the Mac.
From the start I have had problems with dates. In the Apple/System Preferences/International I've set the dates and times the way I want to see them. 31 Jan. 08 = 31/01/08 & 3PM = 15H00.
In Excel I have on each and every spreadsheet gone into Format Cells/Custom/Dates highlighted the zone and typed over "dd/mm/yy". On most spreadsheets I've already done this about 30 times. Sometimes this works but mostly not, I found almost by accident that if I typed "05 Apr 08" in a cell I got the dates round the right way for me (05/04/08) but again sometimes, there wasn't a 0 in front of the 4.
The Palm for Mac software is as far as I'm concerned a hopeless mess. No matter how I enter a time AM/PM with : or H as separation I'm relentlessly informed that my 07H00 to 18H00 theoretical working day isn't possible as I can't stop before I start ! In addition to this Palm for Mac sorts all my contacts with the Christian name first. As a solution I finally tried synching with iCal and the Mac Address book and I even added Bento. Now I have addresses on Bento correctly sorted, Appointments on iCal and "To-Dos" on Palm Software. This works but is a bit heavy to deal with on a day-today basis. My Palm no longer synchs my appointments with Palm for Mac, only with iCal and Bento but Bento only gets the year and month correctly, the day is invariably the day I first synched my Palm with iCal = the 5th.
Having read all this you will note that I am of a persevering type and I've also spent hours reading on Forums and in books.... but I am starting to wonder when I'm going to crack under the pressure. On top of this I work generally 12 hour days 7/7. The machine is fabulous and fast. I don't need to go make a coffee between switching it on and using it as I did with the PC and I have made a big financial investment.
Has anyone got any ideas ? I know most of you use the American date but there might be a few out there who've been through at least some of my problems.
Regards - Garoolgan

[Garoolgan]

The dates are back to normal !!
As previously said I have only 3 weeks experience with Macs most of which was just keeping on working, not trying to learn. I noticed the date problem a bit late and tried to rectify it including sending messages to you. Since then the only thing I can positively identify as being changed (though I fiddled a lot everywhere) was the little American flag on the task? bar at the top right of the screen. I first changed this to English (UK) and then clicked on the choice not to see it any more. Now I have no idea, should I need it how to get the choice back but as long as it works.......
I've given up using Palm for Mac as a lost cause and am using iCal and Bento for the adresses. Problem with this is that I can't use tasks, or at least I haven't found out how the print out my "Day Sheet" with appointments in one column and non-completed tasks the other column. My work-around has been to change all tasks to "all day" events and to carry them forward manually every evening = a bit of a waste of time but at least I have something that I can work with.
Anyone know how to print out two columns, one with appointments for the day and the other with non-completed tasks I'm more than interested !
..... and one of these days I'll get time to learn how to use this fabulous machine.
Regards to all
Garoolgan

[Garoolgan]

It must be about 2 months now I'm with the Mac.

My main problem is iSynch with my Palm E2. It doesn't synch everything. On top of that it isn't possible to print what I call my "day sheet" which I can see on the screen of my Mac. This is a sheet with appointments in he left hand column and non completed "to-do's" in the right hand column. All I get are two columns of appointments and all day events which is a non-sense result. I now use all day events as "to-dos" and manually move them forward every day which has already led to mistakes.

As previously said in Excel for Mac and in Eudora the dates finally got sorted. This problem was most probably my fault but when you don't know you don't know and my local Mac Shop is only there to sell, not to help.
What isn't sorted is 1>> the "active cell" is highlighted so feebly that I can't with my old eyes see where it is, 2>> worse, when I copy a spreadsheet containing dates, the dates are increased by one day and 4 years ?!?

I can't afford Photoshop so I downloaded Gimp to scan and resize photos but I can't scan through Gimp, this is most probably a Twain problem but the suggestions by others on a forum are so complex that I'd rather buy another scanner! Even trying to work out which scanner will work is too complex.

The Mac Book itself is fabulous but life has become a battle.

Unfortunately after contacting the Mac help line and posting on several forums I have not found any help on either the Palm front, the most important of the two, nor the Excel front, both of which create extra work by their non functioning correctly.

I was the first of three colleagues to "go Mac" and I dived in head first. I work too long hours, every day and 7/7. This is my "fault" but it doesn't give me much time to play and learn Mac so I've suggested to my colleagues who are in the same situation, that they keep their PCs.

This isn't a very Mac friendly sign off to this message but I honestly wish I hadn't gone Mac, it has created far too many problems and more work for me. I work hard to make a living and need a machine that will help me not create problems for me.

Garoolgan

[MacHeadCase]

Hi Garoolgan! Sorry I didn't catch this before! And welcome to MacApper.

My partner uses a Palm and the app that is used to sync is Missing Sync for Palm OS (http://www.markspace.com/missingsync_palmos.php).

Hope this helps. :)

Oh and which scanner are you trying to use? Maybe it's just a question of drivers...

[Sherman Homan]

WOrld of warcraft Power Leveling bloom of true love associated with this time of year!
The phrases: "WOrld of warcraft" and "true love associated with this time of year" should not appear in the same sentence. I think you need to Repair Permissions.
:w00t:

[mathogre]

It's a spammer. :mad: I reported it awhile ago.

[Sherman Homan]

Garoolgan, in your Applications folder is a underrated program called Image Capture. Fire that up and see if you can scan with it. The "missing sync" that MacHeadCase references will work. They make great software. I am not clear on the Excel problem. Can you re-explain it now that part of the date problem is fixed?

[Sherman Homan]

It's a spammer. :mad: I reported it awhile ago.

Yeah, I know, I just needed a reason to use the "W00t!" emoticon....
:w00t: :w00t: :w00t:

[MacHeadCase]

Dang I thought I read true love assassinated with this time of year! :w00t:


The phrases: "WOrld of warcraft" and "true love associated with this time of year" should not appear in the same sentence. I think you need to Repair Permissions.
:w00t:

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[mathogre]

Yeah, I know, I just needed a reason to use the "W00t!" emoticon....
:w00t: :w00t: :w00t:

:coolthumbup:

[MacHeadCase]

Well I'll raise you higher...
:w00t: :w00t: :w00t: :w00t: :w00t: :w00t: :w00t: :w00t:

[MaDDoG]

:w00t: times infinity.

[Sherman Homan]

"To infinity and beyond!"
:w00t:

[MacHeadCase]

Oh drat. That was my line. :sneaky2:

[MaDDoG]

Bugger off Buzlightyear. To infinity and beyond plus one.......

[Garoolgan]

Reply to Sherman Homan >> I have a series of Excel spreadsheets, parts of which have to be sent to the accountant from time to time. If I copy part of the spreadsheet and paste it onto a new sheet under MS Excel for Mac the dates are incremented by one day and 4 years ! Sounds crazy but that's what happens.
My work around in to copy the .xls file to a jumpstick, import it to my old Windows laptop, do my cutting and pasting there and then saving the edited/cut down file to the jumpstick to be brought back to my MacBook Pro for filing and sending.... BUT there must be an easier way !!
I've bought "Missing Sync" but haven't had time to install and play with it yet.
Also thanks for the scanner tip I'll have a look at "Image Capture' but I'm saving up for Photoshop which I was used to using under Windows. It is crazily expensive and I'm almost sure they'd make more money by offering it at a realistic price. Most wouldn't try to pirate it then !

Thanks and Regards

Garoolgan