Clever s*ds - help required please!!

[giraffe]

Oh and several people pmed me with helpful advice, thank you all for that. Sparkout even suggested that I pmed it to him as it is such a small file, but it wouldn't attach.

[Bunnylump]

And you think that nobody who is actually on here (like, say, SparkOut - or even me!) couldn't do that? Thanks for the vote of confidence, Bunny

At the moment, it's still not clear what Giraffe actually did the first time, before we get as far as how to edit the file. That's why the questions have been about what was used to "rip" the track, and what format the file is in, before we get as far as what software to use to edit it...

Sorry I didn't mean that. I just thought he's got all the music things to do stuff like that. He said it didn't matter what format it was in he could probably still do it. I didn't realise you had the software to do it. And of course I have confidence in you and SparkOut,and Clvrlad and MBH, don't be silly. I just thought this was a bit more our field...

...or am I banned from responding to a thread entitled "clever S*ds help required please" because I don't have the cleverness required??

[Scurra]

I wasn't suggesting anything of the sort, Bunny, and you know that But two of us had replied to Giraffe with comments that implied that we did know what we were talking about...

I suspect that the PM system rejected the attachment precisely because it was an .mp3 file, Giraffe! I've set the system to disallow almost every sort of file attachment type other than things like Word or Excel, mostly to avoid trouble. Turns out that it causes trouble instead. Typical.

[giraffe]

It said it was a wma

My laptop won't attach spreadsheets to pms because they end xlr. Thats a pain sometimes.

[Bunnylump]

I think we just got it ok. He'll have a look later tonight. If he can't do it I'll pass it on (bit like pass the parcel). Is that ok with you guys?

[Scurra]

My laptop won't attach spreadsheets to pms because they end xlr.

That's not your fault, that's because you're using Works. (If there was one program I would wish never existed, it's Microsoft Works. Yes, it does a bit of everything. But it does none of it well, or even competently. The basic idea is nice, but it's just really badly done.)

And yeah, a .wma (Windows Media Audio) is what Windows Media Player will usually produce when it "rips" a CD track. This is similar to .mp3 but the sound is compressed in an entirely different way, so it will only play back in programs that know what it is. This is not all of them...

[giraffe]

We intend to change the laptop so that it has the proper programmes, because at the moment the kids can't use it for their homework, except looking things up on the internet.

[SparkOut]

Better to get plenty of offers to help than struggle with too few.
And

We intend to change the laptop so that it has the proper programmes, because at the moment the kids can't use it for their homework, except looking things up on the internet.

If that involves expense for MS Office suite, then a free alternative is Open Office. It has equivalent programs for pretty much everything but MS Outlook, and can open and edit MS files, only failing when there are macros embedded in the documents - and those don't actually "fail" - it can open and edit the files themselves, just the embedded macro code is disabled. For school work it should be plenty good enough.

[giraffe]

I think OH can get work to do it on the basis that he needs it as a back up for if his work one breaks!

[Bunnylump]

That tip about the open office thing is a very useful one, SparkOut. We have lots of kids at school who use not having the software as an excuse to not do homework. This is tremendous amunition you've just given me!!!

[giraffe]

It's publisher they mostly fight over. I don't have that one, but OH has put it on the PC.

Schools are a total pain expecting kids to have computer access at home. My friend has triplets and they all need the computer for the same amount of time on the same nights. They've had to get 3 laptops. We manage with a rota, but the little one doesn't use it for homework much yet.

[Bunnylump]

What the little devils have probably neglected to mention to their parents is that they have access to computers in the library or in homework club at lunchtime (and some schools do it after school too), but they'd rather spent the time mooching about in the quad with their mates than doing homework!!

[clvrlad]

That tip about the open office thing is a very useful one, SparkOut. We have lots of kids at school who use not having the software as an excuse to not do homework. This is tremendous amunition you've just given me!!!

want some more? i use open office and i store a "portable" version on a small memory stick....
its good free versatile program that can be very easily taken home.... or indeed emailed copied onto the students memory stick or dare i say mp3 player

[Scurra]

No, I was wrong. Works is a paragon of virtue compared to the abomination that is Publisher...

[clvrlad]

No, I was wrong. Works is a paragon of virtue compared to the abomination that is Publisher...

i remember publisher quite well.....i wish i didnt though

[SparkOut]

I remember Publisher every year when Monkey's school ask me to do the summer fete programme. Then I try and forget it until next year.

[MBH]

Glad things are getting sorted out - the right people are on the job (ducks his head back in his shell)

I quite agree about the 'expectation' of having a computer for school work - any computer use they need to do should be done at school in class times. There is still a very large percentage of people who do not have computer access, so why should a school expect everyone to have one?

Our library survey as to why people come in to the library to use the computers had about a 20% response for "No computer at home".


I'll back up sparkout's reference to Open Office - looks like a damn fine alternative (although very big for initial download time). But I've never had any problems with Works - can't you tell Word (et al) that it is a Works file and it converts it?

Publisher was always a sticking point as it tended not to be in the standard Home suite of programs but only in the more expensive Business set. I did do my first 3-fold advertising leaflet by printing a 'template' of Publisher to get the basic layout, then creating it in Word with my advanced knowledge (and fiddling around until it did what I want... OK - more fiddling around than knowledge - but I learned a lot along the way)


Now.... if I could only figure out why my Netgear wireless connection keeps dropping to 'low' connctivity and speed so slow it disconnects me, then I'll have a look at what else people are talking about (and check my messages that nice people are sending me but I haven't read yet)

Any wireless network experts around? It's been running happily (but variable) for my mate all afternoon, but for me in the eveing it's CARP!!!

[Bunnylump]

Aha! Excellent, Clvrlad. They now have NO excuse!! Well, apart from "The dog ate it", "We moved house again", "I thought it was Saturday today", "my Dad forced me to watch Star Wars with him" or my all time favourite "I was in prison last night."

edit

Oh and mine's doing that all the time MBH. It drives me mental. Well, more mental.

[Scurra]

I did do my first 3-fold advertising leaflet by printing a 'template' of Publisher to get the basic layout, then creating it in Word with my advanced knowledge (and fiddling around until it did what I want... OK - more fiddling around than knowledge - but I learned a lot along the way) !

And that's largely why. There is almost nothing that Publisher can do that Word (or even OpenOffice Writer!) can't do if you are prepared to learn it. But learning how to do it in Word will be far more useful in the long run than knowing how to open a template in Publisher...

Wireless networking is the real trick though. I suggest turning off the fridge as that always interferes.

[LAT]

The fridge?