Sorcerer Software Users Newsletter Issue 0210 Welcome to our monthly newsletter, covering the latest updates, tips and user questions about our software programs. If you have an issue or question you would like to see addressed in a future newsletter, either by me or by your fellow users, please email me and I'll include it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- October 31, 2002 CONTENTS: 1. The Abacus 2. Odyssey 3. This month's worthless trivia AND an interesting web site -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Abacus http://www.TheAbacus.biz I am frequently asked which Abacus version (version 3.0 or Abacus 4.0) is better and which is faster. So let's talk about that. The original Abacus (version 1.0, released in 1999) was an MS Word "add-in" file, meaning that it would load into the computer's memory each time Word started, and speak directly to Word. It was basically a giant macro, and as such it depended on a vital Word file named "normal.dot" to function properly. It could not be run separately from Word. We then upgraded to versions 2.0, 2.1, and 3.0, adding significant features along the way but retaining the "add-in" file format. Creating Abacus as a Word add-in file gave it several advantages. It could speak Word's language and talk directly to it. As a part of Word it could operate at maximal speed. And it used Microsoft's own programming language, decreasing the chance of programming errors and miscommunications. But this approach also caused a few problems that we have struggled with for the last 3 years. Since Abacus relies on the integrity of the Word "normal.dot" file, if anything should happen to "normal.dot", Abacus could malfunction. The "normal.dot" file can actually be easily corrupted (incomplete Word shutdowns, errors writing to the "normal.dot" file, etc.). Abacus was also difficult for some users to install. It required a basic understand of Windows' file system. And the user had to understand how to set their Word security settings so that Word would recognize Abacus and let you use it. In spite of these shortcomings, we believe Abacus is a great program and useful addition to the transcriptionist's arsenal. And we have received a lot of positive feedback from our users, which now number in the thousands. But given the above problems we thought there might be a better way, which led us to develop Abacus 4.0. The newest model of Abacus, Abacus 4.0, as NOT based on the Word "add-in" file format, and is NOT like a giant macro. It is a freestanding program, just like Word, Outlook, your anti-virus program, your MP3 music playing program, and all the other software programs that populate your computer. When you download and install Abacus 4.0 it first creates a program group and icons for its programs. If you double click on the Abacus 4.0 icon, it starts the program and you can then begin counting files. As it counts files, it opens Word, opens the file (to be counted) in Word, closes the file, and then goes on to the next file and so on until it is finished. After all files are counted it closes Word, leaving Abacus 4.0 open for you to close or to go on to count more files. Abacus 4.0 has the obvious advantage of being simple to install and to use. We think this makes it ideal for new transcriptionists and novice computer users. But it also can be a substantial improvement for veteran users who just want an easier way to get things done and who want a few more bells and whistles. It also avoids the dreaded "normal.dot" file which is not necessary for Abacus 4.0 operation. On the downside it is a bit slower that the add-in version of Abacus, but on a fast computer and depending on the counting method you are using the difference is almost negligible. If you haven't yet seen or tried Abacus 4.0, you are welcome to take it out for a FREE test drive. Just download it from our web site, install it, and see what you think. And if you don't like it, double click on the Abacus 4.0 UnInstall icon and that will be the end of it! The current version 3.0 Abacus build is 020911. If you have an earlier build of version 3.0, you may want to download and upgrade to this build. This is the macro "add-in" version. The current version Abacus 4.0 build is 021014. If you have an earlier build of Abacus 4.0, you may want to download and upgrade to this build. This is the freestanding versin. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Odyssey http://www.sorcerersoftware.com/odyssey.htm Two issues have come up in the last few months regarding our file and text searching utility, Odyssey. First, a few users have complained that they can't get an accurate text search performed on Adobe *.pdf files. This is a known limitation, as *.pdf files are compressed, so that a phrase such as "now is the time for all good men" will not appear as such within the file. The file's contents have to be decompressed before the text becomes readable, and Adobe's Acrobat reader does this decompression. Odyssey works by reading the text that is already in the file. That makes it a great utility for Word *.doc files, web pages (*.htm files), plain text files, and so on. But it renders it ineffective for compressed file such as *.pdf or *.zip files. Second issue. We have done a little work on the part of the program used to copy, delete, and move files that were located in a search. (To use this feature, perform a search and then select a file in the lower listbox -- the one with the search results -- and RIGHT click on it.) You will now find better performance with these tasks. The current Odyssey build is 020617 of version 1.14. If you have an earlier build of version 1.1x, you may want to download and upgrade to this build. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interesting but worthless trivia (continued)... Well, I stepped in it this time. We DID have a winner (actually a few of them) to the question posed in the August newsletter, and repeated in September's. The question was: ""According to the Editorial Board of the Modern Library (founded in 1917 - not exactly a dot.com startup), the Best English Language Novel of the 20th Century is: _____________ ?" So let's give credit where credit is due. The first time around, the question was correctly answered by ThunderEagle. In last month's newsletter, Sandy K, KPHippen, and Margaret H came up with the correct answer. The novel is of course James Joyce's "Ulysses". There were also several readers who answered "Lord of the Rings". One survey actually named this as the Book of the Millenium. Remember, they are talking about the millenium that just finished, not the one before that. Now... while still on the subject of books, I came across a new web site recently that may be of interest. The site is called "Booksfree" (www.booksfree.com) and is sort of like a lending library. But there is a difference, and those of you who are familiar with "NetFlix" (a DVD rental service) will understand the concept immediately. At Booksfree.com, you pay a flat monthly subscription fee. For this fee you can order slightly used paperbacks from their web site. The books are mailed to you, you read them, and then you return them via US mail with postage paid by Booksfree. Keep the books as long as you like, but you can't order any more books until you return the books you already have. For a fee of $6.99 per month you can have 2 books out at a time; for $10.99 you can have 4 books, and for $14.99 you can have 6 books at a time. Think about it... the total number of books you can read in a month depends on the speed of the mail service and how fast you read. A great deal, especially for those of us who live more than 30 minutes from the nearest Barnes and Noble! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That's all, folks. Look for our next newsletter in about 4 weeks... -- Bill bill@sorcerersoftware.com Sorcerer Software http://www.sorcerersoftware.com To read all the old newsletters, go to: http://www.sorcerersoftware.com/archives.htm To be removed from our mailing list, send me an email with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.