Is Microsoft Cracking Down on DVD Ripping?

[D0TZLUV3R]

I myself hate evil vista soon we won't be able to run anything that's why I am staying with XP as long as I can.

[Midzuki]

What a nice and not-annoying avatar!

[ViRaL1]

Some of the things I've been seeing on ZDnet seem like it would be wise to wait for Windows 7 (whatever they decide to call it).

[SmokieStover]

Re Wordperfect, I don't think MS are wholly at fault. Just a read of this makes in abundantly clear how fubar'd Wordperfect has been w.r.t. Windows compatibility:

http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/oldwpwin.html

I mean, three different 32-bit versions of WP7. Wordperfect was a great DOS-based application and ruled the roost (except in scientific circles where T3 was a dominant player) but its transition to the Windows world has always been poorly executed.

The fact that WP12 doesn't work on Vista is simply that Vista is a major new version of Windows (6.0) and it is inevitable that some applications will not work especially those that make implicit and wrong assumptions about the OS. MS actually provide developers with tools to help figure all these incompatibilities. They are very clear in spelling out which functions of one version of Windows may not be supported in future ones or which ones will be deprecated.

You will no doubt know that Wordperfect Office X3 is works on Vista - as the logo on this page shows:

http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/us/en/Product/1151523326841

Though, quite frankly, you can merely fart and get that logo. Certified for Vista is a different story.

So, why not put pressure on Corel to release updates for earlier versions? I doubt they will oblige - they want you to buy a newer version.

From Win95 to Vista, I've had to accept the inevitable and upgrade the software. Sometimes, I have refused and changed to a different vendor. This is usually when a new version of Windows comes out, a vendor releases a newer version of their software because the existing one won't work and they won't provide a free (or discounted) upgrade. Roxio will never, ever, ever see another penny of mine.

BTW, what <2yr old hardware and software do you have that isn't compatible? My hardware is less than 2 years old and have no problems at all, nor with my software.

WordPerfect happens to be the word processing program most commonly used by business folks with whom I interact. I also have MS office 2003 which is rarely used because WordPerfect handles every Word document that I have come across. I think most have heard about WP reveal codes, compare document, publish to PDF, but a very, very important feature for me is found in Tables, which was rolled in from Plan Perfect: create merge data file and export to ASCI point file for import into any CAD or COGO program. I have several tables (programs actually) written as table forms which compute an intermediate result (Latitude and Departure) as well as the customary results (Northing, Easting, DMD, Area) from inputted record land descriptions, which often times contain inverted or transposed bearings, field anges, or deflection angles. Without the intermediate results, tracking down and correcting these type errors is most time consuming. I've been using these tables since 1994 (based on my oldest files) and have challenged several MS Office devotees to duplicate their functions, and all have failed. It's also a very efficient way to tackle the problem, in that any typist can input the calls!

AutoCad Map 2006, ProCogo 2005 with CAD Companion 2006.......no go on VISTA Business.
AutoCad Land Desktop 2007.......buggy and extremely slow on VISTA Business, same true of Carlson Survey 2007 Inside AutoCAD.

An HP all-in one printer and a Brother laser jet printer, purchased 2006.........no go on VISTA Business.

Topcon Top Surv and DC/Controller for GPS, purchased 2006.........no go likewise.

I will be looking for VISTA compatability going forward, but getting the job done now is far more important.

I went from 98SE to Win2K as soon as possible, both at work and at home, because I needed someting better. Most folks at work and everyone at home, EXCEPT me, when straight from 98SE to XP. I expect everyone at work and home to skip from XP to whatever comes after VISTA.

[JohnnyMalaria]

Word would definitely be able to do what you have described using its Visual Basic for Applications. Just because the people you have asked don't know how to do it doesn't mean it can't be done. It's a matter of the right person doing the programming - just like the right person was needed for your case.

You'd be surprised at just what can be done with VBA.

FWIW, I don't know a single soul who uses WP, so it all depends...

[SmokieStover]

Word would definitely be able to do what you have described using its Visual Basic for Applications. Just because the people you have asked don't know how to do it doesn't mean it can't be done. It's a matter of the right person doing the programming - just like the right person was needed for your case.

You'd be surprised at just what can be done with VBA.

FWIW, I don't know a single soul who uses WP, so it all depends...

You obviously don't deal with attorneys.....WP is what almost all of them use in these parts. Most of the title company's are useing adobe (a horrible document creator) and the abstractors are all over the lot......I deal with two who are using WordStar, which WP handles and Word doesn't. Should have also mentioned the print file feature built into WordPerfect....another handy feature not found in Word.

In the end, all software has its good points and bad ones too......the end user, based on their own needs and preferences, will use what works best for them.

As far as VBA and Word, I don't have a clue what your talking about.......I did my tables in WordPerfect using an old PlanPerfect manual. My Word challengers don't have the technical understanding to go from the ground up, but they do have my WP forms. As for me and others who use my tables, there is no time for nor sense in re-inventing the wheel. By the way, I picked up another full version of WordPerfect 12 Office on ebay for 24.95 plus shipping, just in case I lose it at Work.

WordPerfect is peanuts compared to my CAD and COGO programs and Survey hardware. I'm holding Map at 2006 and moving Land Desktop forward with an annual subscription. Check out their cost! Then check out the cost of GPS (I use Topcon).....with radio repeater, DC/Controller and related software it's 40 thousand MS$.

[JohnnyMalaria]

Well, I certainly agree with you about Adobe. We use Acrobat (full) at the end of our various processes mainly to generate non-editable versions of documents.

I also agree with you about CAD software. Powerful but painful both on the brain and the wallet!

At the end of the day, if you have what you need to do the job, you're good to go.

[RdM642]

Lol, you need SP1 to rip the some of the newest disks with anydvd on vista. I think anydvd has has a much bigger base than dvd43.

[lordsmurf]

adobe (a horrible document creator)

You're kidding, right? You'd pick a simple typing program over a publication design program?
Adobe InDesign horrible? I think not.
Only amateurs and low-budget ops create forms in typing software.
Pros use Quark, PageMaker or InDesign for such things. Not WP, Word, Notepad, etc.

[JohnnyMalaria]

That's not true. Multi-thousand page submissions to the FDA for new drug applications are created in Word. Once finalized, they are converted to PDF for electronic submission to the agency.

One reason for this is that these documents are written by many people in many geographic locations. The documents have to adhere to very specific templates. They contain thousands of tables, charts and graphs. Word queries an Oracle database to get the hundreds of (not and) thousands of data points to automate the table, chart and graph creation. Billions of dollars rest on the content of these documents.

Dismissing Word and/or WP as simple toys that aren't used for serious publishing is just silly. It depends on exactly what you are publishing.

[lordsmurf]

by many people

That single qualifier is why Word is used. Most people are generally barely able to comprehend such a basic piece of software, much less learn how to use something more advanced.

I also think we're talking about different kinds of forms here.

[JohnnyMalaria]

by many people

That single qualifier is why Word is used. Most people are generally barely able to comprehend such a basic piece of software, much less learn how to use something more advanced.

I also think we're talking about different kinds of forms here.

The "barely able to comprehend" people comprehend completely different stuff and simply need a tool to do a job. Training analytical chemists to become PageMaker experts is unnecessary and, if done anyway, a wanton waste of resources.

I think SmokieStover's example is more akin to mine - namely tables of data that are then used by a separate program.

Naturally, you'd have to be insane to use either program to create catalogs, fliers, websites etc. Though I've been known to code HTML pages in Notepad (just last week, in fact!)