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September 2005

By Cliff Millward, Editor cliffm@xmission.com

Wedding Bells

I believe it to be of interest to BleuChippers that Dave and Colleen Otterstrom’s son Matt, was recently married to Heidi Thornock in the Manti Temple . Also, their daughter, Serena, recently gave birth to a baby boy which they named Jonas. Congratulations to every member of the families.

It is, indeed, unfortunate that Dave, our president for many years, passed away and was not here to witness these wonderful events.

Scams

Phony Web sites and e-mails, claiming to offer help to hurricane victims or provide more news on the destruction, are making their rounds on the Internet.

One spam campaign that’s circulating offers breaking news reports but tricks people into clicking a link that takes them to a bogus Web site. The site attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer and install malicious code.

Other e-mails are circulating that ask people to aid hurricane victims and their families by clicking on a PayPal button to make a donation.

Intel is Following AMD

Intel is upgrading its Xeon DP processor line-up. The move will finally bring the 64-bit server chips into full compatibility with AMD’s AMD64 technology.

Updated P4s are expected to ship in volume on 14 November, with full Xeon availability following a week later on 28

TIVO for Two

In an effort to attract more subscribers as competition heats up, TiVo Inc. has cut prices of its digital video recorders to as low as $50 after a rebate.

The devices will now go for $50 for a model that can hold up to 40 hours of television on its built-in hard drive and $150 for the 80-hour model.

Prices are after a $150 rebate offer, which runs through November and requires activation of a $12.95-a-month service prior to Jan. 15.

Previously, the lowest-priced TiVos retailed for about $100 after rebate.

TI Video

Texas Instruments Inc. says it has developed semiconductor technology that will let manufacturers quickly produce digital video devices with more power and features.

Officials say manufacturers will be able to use the new chip, microprocessor and software by year end.

The company hopes the technology, called DaVinci, will give it the same stronghold in digital video components that it enjoys in the market for mobile phones, about half of which run on Texas Instruments chips.

Company officials said the technology would allow digital cameras to correct color and lighting problems instead of fixing them on a computer, and allow a single box to let TV viewers record, play or hold a video conference.

New Novell SUSe Available

Novell on Wednesday announced its Suse Linux 10.0 operating system will be generally available early next month in retail or online stores. The new software emphasizes ease of use and is aimed at both developers and home users, according to the company.

Suse Linux 10.0 comes with over 1,500 open-source Linux applications that users can install to facilitate advanced Web hosting, application development and home networking,

Desktop features in Suse Linux 10.0 include the Firefox Web browser, the OpenOffice.org 2.0 office software suite, e-mail and instant messaging clients together with security features including spam blockers, antivirus software and an integrated firewall.

Finé

Index

Solid Converter PDF
Convert, Recover, Reuse, PDF (to WORD) Easily! Convert, Recover, Reuse, PDF (to WORD) Easily!

Reviewed by Don Nendell

Manufacturer:
Solid Documents
2509 152nd Ave NE , Suite A
Redmond , WA 98052
Tel: 800-880-2654
Fax: 425-671-0157

Solid Converter PDF to Word: Download your copy for a free 15 day trial

Note. You can convert 10% of each document - up to 10 pages during the trial period. To remove these limitations, simply register the product for $49.95

Technical Support

Many simply outstanding representatives and different ways are provided to get your technical questions about Solid Converter PDF answered:

Telephone Support and Sales:

Tel: 800-880-2654

Fax: 425-671-0157

Available Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm (Pacific time - Closed on major US holidays)

Note. If for any reason you do not connect immediately to their support staff, leave a voice mail message. They will return your message during their normal business hours.

E-Mail Support: <support@soliddocuments.com>

Note. They offer unlimited complimentary e-mail support to all customers who have registered Solid Converter PDF. You can easily send an e-mail about a problem from within the product.

CD Shipping Options

Shipping is “free,” repeat “FREE,” within the USA (by First Class) and Canada (by Air Mail).

Note. Add $9.95 for USPS Priority Mail ( USA Only), and add $19.95 for overnight delivery ( USA Only).

Minimum System Requirements:

Windows 98SE/ME/XP/2K

Microsoft Word 97, XP, 2000 or 2003

Pentium II Processor with 64MB

24MB Hard Drive Space

An Internet connection is required for installing a product download.

Single product license for single system (Site licenses are also available)

Upgrade Policy:

VoyagerSoft allows you to upgrade free of charge to their latest release, if you have purchased the product within three months of that release. They also provide maintenance releases of their software at no cost. You can receive your upgrade (just like I did) by clicking the “Download” link. FYI even though you may see a message saying it is the trial version; it is actually the full version. You just need to use your unlock code to unlock it.

Why Choose Solid Converter PDF to Word?

Well, here I am once again to share with you, that to recover, manipulate and/or reuse your PDF (content or document) with Solid Converter PDF, you simply open your PDF file(s) in Microsoft Word, then edit them just like you always have done. As advertised, “Solid Converter PDF to Word delivers the PDF content right to your fingertips.” It’s that simple.

Not to be outdone, you can actually reverse the process and save your Word documents straight to PDF too! So now, with Solid Converter PDF, you won’t need Adobe Acrobat. “Great for that limited budget, don’t you think?”

SolidConverter PDF can even be used to extract, one to many, images from PDF files. In so doing, you then have the option of saving them as a file in their original format, or even as a different graphics type. Note. The graphics will be saved in a separate folder with the same name as the original file. Pretty neat too!

So, what’s It All About Alfie?

My dilemma. I needed to copy some data, for some obscure reason or other into Word - for a review most probably - from a certain PDF file not to long ago. Adobe Acrobat Reader would not let me select and copy the data I needed so badly; so what was I supposed to do? Long story-short story. I ended up actually manually typing in everything I needed in the long run. Yuck! A few weeks later, I slapped myself on the forehead (say, that just may be the reason I’m getting so bald in front?) when I remembered that I had been given a copy of Solid Converter PDF (version 2) (SCPDF2) at the recent APCUG 2005 meeting. Sadly, it was “hiding” there on my desk top, deep under a pile of very important papers all the while. Duh!

For the record, I had absolutely no trouble installing SCPDF2, nor in getting my latest update, build 158 (version 2.2). It’s simply not fair to SCPDF2 to report that, “Don had his usual troubles ‘again’ in this, his latest review!” No! no! Wait just a sec there! Not with SCPDF2; but as my new found friends in Customer Support, and I think(?) as well, that most likely it was those Seven (7), yes I said seven, Spyware programs I have on my review computer that just might have had something to say about my first conversion project. It really went Ka-fluie this time!

Well, I didn’t cut SCPDF2 any slack on my first PDF conversion attempt, to be sure either. ;-} Here’s what I did. I selected the 3.56 MB (3,739,136 bytes) PDF file copy of the November 2004 BCM review of Visual Communicator Pro, and sent it straight through the SCPDF2 washer and ringer. Consequently, I sent my screwed up file to Customer Support - and you guessed it - their SCPDF2 worked like a charm. [Matter of fact. Their Word ‘converted’ PDF copy looked exactly like mine, e.g., when the two were finally compared side-by-side.] Seems the “gremlin(s)” just up and left my sick PC somehow unexpectedly - without any help from me - and my SCPDF2 has been working like a “champ” ever since. “That’s only Don’s ‘luck,’ said PC fate, I think you’d agree?” Oh! Well, what the . . .

OK! So take a look at the “Before (Original) PDF” and the “After (Converted) Word” comparisons of my (1st) review PDF test: The Converted Word is on the left and the original PDF on the right. Notice the “Graphics are Superb,” but the font is obviously different between them? Once again, my new friend in Customer Support politely informed me that this is because “I Did Not Have The Original PDF Fonts on My Computer, so SCPDF2 Had to Substitute for Them.” OK! OK! Got it.

Note. Solid Converter PDF to Word preserves as much of the formatting of the original document as possible to make updating and/or editing the conversion easier. As such, text in a PDF file is converted into text within the Word file, never into images. Bitmap images are converted into bitmap images, and vector graphics are converted to embedded, editable vector objects.

However, before you get started with your project, I strongly suggest that you download a very special “Help” file from the web site entitled: Help for Solid Converter PDF - which is found under the heading: Solid Converter PDF Documentation (To get there: under “Tips & Tricks” Click on “More Info”|”Documentation” <http://www.solidpdf.com/documentation.htm>). There’s a lot more too. This is what you’ll find there:

1) Help for Solid Converter PDF:

This is your first stop for customer support. Help provides step-by-step assistance in using each of the different features of Solid Converter PDF.

2) Tips & Tricks

Learn how to maximize the power of Solid Converter PDF. Tips and Tricks gives you new ideas for using Solid Converter PDF that you may not have yet discovered, such as, “Quickly Converting a PDF File to Word” <http://www.solidpdf.com/solidconverterpdf_tip_fast.htm>, and “Converting a PDF File to Word Using the Wizard” <http://www.solidpdf.com/solidconverterpdf_tip_wizard.htm>.

3) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Look through their frequently asked questions to find answers to such questions as, installing and unlocking your software, as well as, specific product-related issues, et al.

4) Sample Conversions - PDF to Word

Here is where you can view other examples of PDF files converted into Microsoft Word documents. They show examples of how the formatting is preserved within the PDF file while making the Word document easy to work with. It is here that we can really see what it’s like when you do have the original PDF fonts to play with. “Bigggg difference.” Once again, take a look at a “Before PDF” and the “After Word” comparisons: As before, the Converted Word is on the left and the Original PDF is on the right. Notice. The “Graphics are Once Again Superb” but, now get a good look at the beautiful font reproduction between the before and after conversion? Yesss! Got that too!

Absolutely a piece of cake. “Push-Pull, Click-Click; Change Styles That Quick,” paraphrasing the old, old Schick Shaver, blade-changing TV/Radio advertisements. “Good Stuff!”

SCPDF2 Features

1) You get PDF to Word conversion at an affordable price (now you won’t need that expensive Adobe Acrobat Program [I should know; I paid almost $500 for version 7.0 before I found my SCPDF2 – Duh!] to unlock your PDF files); 2) You can create PDF’s directly from Word at no extra cost (just click a button and create a PDF, it’s that simple (see my installation “hysterical” (should actually be “historical”) story below on this); 3) SCPDF2 is easy to learn and easy to use (there’s practically no learning curve with Solid Converter PDF - you can be up and running in minutes); 4) You can create high-quality conversions (PDF fonts are matched with Microsoft Windows installed fonts; vector graphics are preserved as embedded, editable vector objects; and, SCPDF2 creates a file that’s easy for you to work with); 5) You can customize your output (they’ve added password and encryption security to the program (my special area of interest), and formatting, graphics, page layout, and text flow can be preserved – or not. It’s entirely up to you); 6) SCPDF2 creates manageable file sizes (when creating a PDF it optimizes the file size, giving you documents that are actually smaller and easier to upload to the Web, and to send via e-mail); 7) You can batch-process your conversions, which saves time by converting several documents at once; and, 8) SCPDF2 currently supports 15 languages, with more on the way in a new and improved version they are working on, so I’ve been told.

“Nitty-Gritty” From

Tips & Tricks

Q. Why Should I Use Rich Text Format (RTF)?

A. There are several reasons why you may want to save files in Rich Text Format. Mostly because RTF:

1) Is readable across many programs and platforms. Although many applications can import Microsoft Word (DOC) files, older programs may not be able to import or convert newer versions of Word. This is not the case with RTF. All major word processing programs can read RTF. In addition, desktop database applications, e-mail clients, and operating systems (such as Unix, Macintosh, and Windows) can read RTF files; 2) Is extremely easy to use, regardless if you use Microsoft Word, AppleWorks, Corel WordPerfect, or another word processing program. Note. You can easily save a Word document as a RTF file by selecting Save As from the File menu, and choosing RTF; and, 3) Does not spread viruses. Microsoft Word macro viruses can present big security problems on the Internet. If you send RTF files instead of DOC files by e-mail, you can ensure that harmful macros won’t be inadvertently sent to others, however, most of your formatting will still be preserved. Caveat. Best of all, since RTF does not use macros, it cannot hide macros that might contain viruses.

And, From FAQ’s

Q. Solid Converter PDF converts from PDF to Word. Does it also convert from Word to PDF?

A. Yes. When you install Solid Converter PDF you have the option of installing their Microsoft Word plug-in. After this plug-in is installed, you can create PDF’s from Word documents by either clicking a Create PDF button on the toolbar or selecting Create PDF from the File menu.

Caveat. In order to install this plug-in, you absolutely must, repeat must, select both the, “Always Trust Content . . . checkbox, and Enable Macros when the Security Warning dialog box displays during product installation.” Note. Confidentially, this item alone originally caused me some very real personal consternation, which ultimately caused me to end up in a lengthy, prolonged discussion with the kindly and understanding Customer Support persons to rectify my error in not, repeat NOT, installing them at the proper time during the installation. Explanation? You have but to remember those seven (7) Spyware programs I have installed to understand what I mean? Add Panda Software Platinum 2005 Internet Security Suite to the mix, and you can easily grasp my paranoia stance here (BTW Most of them are also reviewed by yours truly in previous issues of BCM. Simply visit <www.ucs.org/archives> for more data on these, and other security subjects I’ve reviewed).

Q. What is the PDF File Format?

A. If a file has the extension .pdf, then it most likely is in the Portable Document Format (PDF), developed by Adobe Systems. PDF maintains the original document formatting for both printing and viewing on multiple computing platforms, including Windows, UNIX and Mac. Note. To view any PDF file(s), primarily, you must download the Adobe Acrobat Reader (available almost everywhere), which is free software for viewing and printing Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

Here are some benefits of using the PDF format: 1) For the Web, smaller files are better (“Better,” meaning smaller with Solid Converter PDF than with Adobe Acrobat”) since download time depends on file size; 2) PDF files can: (a) be optimized to reduce file sizes, (b) create files up to 80% smaller than their HTML counterparts, (c) be “linearized” to allow the user to start viewing the document before it is fully downloaded, similar to the process used to deliver streaming video over the internet, and (d) be interwoven seamlessly into most Web sites. Note. This combination of HTML and PDF formats enables authors to serve content in its most appropriate format based on the demands of “content versus technology.” Also, on most popular Web servers there is no compression, translation, or filtering penalty for serving up PDF files; and, 3) PDF has a well-established security feature set. Authors of PDF files can prevent users from editing, printing, and/or copying content (text and graphics) plus they can password protect the same files. Overall Conclusion

Be sure and ask for the real deal, Solid Converter PDF to Word, and you’ll be doing a jig just like Snoopy does in the Sunday Funnies! “Happiness!” “Happiness!” “Happiness!”

For me, “Happiness is a working ‘Converter’ computer!”

Ciao!

Index

Meeting memorandum for UCS General Meeting on August 10,2005

Meeting convened at 7:05 pm by Vice-President Sean Wolsey.

Open access.

Lowell Kenedy – purchased Zone Alarm Pro version 5.0, but it won’t accept email. He has to turn it off to get his email. Bob Beaudoin suggested turning on port 25. Somebody else suggested not updating. Lowell already paid. The free version doesn’t have a problem.

For those that only need a viewer for Power Point presentations, there is a free viewer at the Microsoft web site. Go to www.microsoft.com and search for viewer. You will see an entry for the Power Point Viewer. Follow that link to download it.

Someone mentioned Microsoft’s Longhorn version of Windows has now been renamed Windows Vista. Use your imagination. It will emphasize graphics and a new approach to help. Help!

Lowell Kenedy mentioned the newest Intel Pentium chip contains 1.7 billion transistors. Moore ’s law continues.

It was mentioned that a new, cool web search keystroke monitor is loose. The bad news is that Adaware and Spybot Search and Destroy won’t detect them. Spyware doctor by Computer Associates ($40?) at Compusa is supposed to detect much that freeware won’t. Spyware is now a bigger problem than viruses.

Main Presentation. Bob Beaudoin and Larry Lamph reviewed the new video editor, Adobe Premier Elements. It is a less capable, cheaper version of Adobe Premier, used by professionals, and it retails for around $100. This program will do a lot and will serve most non-professional needs.

Bob first showed a clip of a DVD that he transferred to a network drive. The quality was mediocre. Then he showed a clip from a National Geographic file. It was High Definition and almost 3D; a much better experience. It was a .wmd file, Microsoft’s new format for video. It can be viewed using Version 9 of Windows Media Player. Microsoft recommends a 2.4 GHz Processor, 256 MB processor ram and 65MB of video ram for 1024 X 768 resolution. For 1920X1340 screen resolution, you need a 3GHz processor, 512 MB of processor ram, and 128MB of ram on the video card.

Bob reported that the program is easy to install, but comes on two CDs and takes over a minute to startup. The manual recommends that the hard drive run at 7200 rpm to load in a reasonable time. Bob compared Premier Elements to Microsoft’s MovieMaker (comes with XP Pro). MovieMaker is an OK program but Elements does much more.

Bob then, demonstrated the main features and showed how to construct a project using a video made by Larry. Before the meeting started, Larry made a video recording of the people gathering for the presentation. During the presentation, Bob imported Larry’s video from the camera and edited it in creating his own project. He deleted stuff and included other stuff to create the final output. However, none of the original data files were changed.

Video capture . This is the first step. You can capture from your video camera or any of the video formats. You can also import still shots and audio to include in your projects. Capturing from a video camera shows lots of flicker. Don’t worry about it. It won’t be present when you look at the captured video. Note that the capture recognizes when the camera starts and stops. This also will not be present in playback.

Building the presentation. The Elements screen is a simple layout with several smaller windows. The media window at the upper left lists the elements (clips) included in the project. A monitor window in the top middle show the presentation as it currently exists, A help window in the upper right corner list things to do next. The timeline window is at the bottom showing one or more video and audio elements included in the project. There is a pointer in the timeline window. As you move it, the monitor window shows the scene pointed. The time line scale can be expanded at will to see more detail about the presentation including transitions.

Above the working windows is a tool bar listing the main tools, such as Capture, Edit, Effects, Titles, DVD and Export. There is a long list of effects you can use to enhance the presentation including filters to enhance video and audio clips. There is a title designer which allows a choice of several design templates.

You can use multiple video and audio tracks. Each can be imported from separate sources, but capturing from a video camera includes both video and audio which are linked together. They can be unlinked if desired. When unlinked, the audio can be exported to an audio program for editing, noise reduction, etc.

As the project is created the elements used to construct it can remain anywhere on your system. The project points the each element wherever it is. After completing the project, the rendering process gathers all the data from various places into one folder for burning a DVD.

Rendering. The next step would normally be rendering the project to a DVD which would contain everything needed for the recipient to view it. However, this process takes a long time. He indicated that a 7 minute video could take 1 hour to render. Bob actually rendered in advance another video made by Larry of moose. Bob created from 8 minutes of raw video a 4 minute video which he then showed. I contained a title and credits along with audio clips that changed from scene to scene. He then showed how some of the enhancements were made.

Larry offered a little advice when filming. He said to stay within optical zoom capability of your camera. Don’t use the digital zoom. Add magnification in an editing program if you need it. You will get better results.

Final Comments. A 7 min video = 404MB of video. Bob had built such a video and stills from Feb 2002 20th anniversary meeting Blue Chips. He also added clips from COMDEX meetings and picnics.

Sean commented that transitions add a lot of time to the rendering process.

Competing products? Moviemaker (requires Service Pack 2 for Windows XP) and Camtasia Studio.

Index