I have updated myself into Hell!

November 9, 2009
     
      First - I put Office Pro 2007 on the PC - upgraded from Office Pro 2002 - when I was working on 2003 at work.

      BIG MISTAKE. (UGH!) Of course, now we have Office 2007 at work - I got it early because it will be a bloody mess when they roll it out. Still - I prefer the Office 2003. Anyway, people will ask questions. I need to know the answers.
     
      So - on the Mac - I put Office Pro 2008 - which is BUGGY and is just a shade better than Office 2007 on the PC - so THANK YOU STEVE JOBS! Actually - it is MUCH better - The familiar tool bar is there (YES!) Now, if I can get the ribbons to SHOW UP! I have a work-around - and I simply access Word 2004 (mac) when in a hurry.
     
      I keep Office 2004 around for days I don't want to dwell on the foibles of 2008. Would that I had an Office 2003 I could back-install on the PC!
     
      I did manage to hang onto the PC XP OS. (Dell said --- WE HEAR YOU! And sold new machines with XP on them. Only reason I jumped.)
     
      I put Acrobat 9 on both systems. Acrobat 8 had been there a short time, but long enough for the MAC to cease communicating to the HP Lasserjet! Every other piece of software comunicates with it----- Maybe when I get the new MacPro it will work - it had better! The MacBook talks OK. So does the PC. Grrrr. My son had no joy playing with it. If he can't figure it out------

      I still have Acrobat 7 at work. Sometimes I think it is way better.
     
      I am considering back-installing Acrobat 7! BOTH systems!    
     
      Then I upgraded to FrameMaker 9 on the PC because at work, when I asked for FrameMaker 8 (having upgraded to 8 at home) they got me FrameMaker 9!
     
      FM 9 doesn't talk well to FM 8 (you must open and convert and save) To go backwards, you can save FM 9 out as FM 8 reversing the process.
     
      FM 8 doesn't talk well to FM 7 (same routine)
     
      FM9 will read FM 7 (convert and save) but will not allow you to save backwards to FM 7, just to FM 8.

      OK. I have mastered FM9. (My wrists now hurt!)
      
      Now I put Adobe CS4 (software $$$$ package) on the PC (not yet on the Mac). And I am discovering all the ways they screwed up Illustrator (first program run). Took a bit, but I figured out how to quickly do the things I want to do.
     
      I want to go throw up. Somehow, everybody thought that taking a proven stable product and messing with it was "progress". No. It isn't. It will take a C4 pak (you know - EXPLOSIVES) for me to ever upgrade Adobe software again.

      Do not even mention Office 2010. Coming. For the PC. They are planning on messing up VISIO and EXCEL like they did PPT and Word this time.

      Oh go away! My workflow is still (3 months later) trying to recover.