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May 16, 2012

Jackson Holahan: The Aleppo Codex
Jonathan Tobin : Iran Declares Victory in Nuclear Talks
Anne Kates Smith: 7 Stocks That Let You Sleep Tight
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Dennis Prager: God and Man at (and for) Liberty
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
Environmental Nutrition Editors: Get the facts on palm sugar sweetening
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Richard Simon: Purple Hearts for domestic terror victims?
Nando Pelusi, Ph.D.: The privacy paradox: Surrounded by strangers, we risk isolation, anxiety
Chris Farrell: Investing Lessons from the Great Recession
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
Tiffany O'Callaghan: New hormone mimics effects of exercise without the sweat
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Rabbi B. Shafier: Why happiness will always be elusive
Charles Krauthammer: Echoes of '67: Israel unites
Howard LaFranchi: With G8 snub, US-Putin 'reset' off to stumbling start
Jeremy J. Siegel: Investors, Relax About Rising Interest Rates
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Clifford D. May: The Real Palestinian Refugee Problem
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Harvard Health Letters: Palliative care: Underused therapy yields surprising benefits
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
Rachel L. Sheedy and Susan B. Garland : Make the Right Moves to Boost Benefits
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
John Rosemond: Parents, stop destroying the American male
Valerie J. Nelson: Maurice Sendak, author of 'Where the Wild Things Are,' dies at 83
Bob Frick: Angst Over Annuities
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
Howard LeWine, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Why did my blood pressure suddenly shoot up?
Lisa Gerstner: Lower the Rate on All Your Loans
The Kosher Gourmet by Emily Ho : Springtime soba with miso sauce offers a coloful mix of fresh textures and flavors
May 8, 2012
Edmund Sanders: Netanyahu suddenly cancels new elections, forms unity government
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: Farewell to European superstate
Anne Kates Smith: 4 Stocks That Mimic Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway
Gaia Vince and Clare Wilson The Rise of Miniature Medical Robots: Fantasy Fast Becoming Reality
Paul Takahashi, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Never suffer night leg cramps
Jessica L. Anderson: Extended-Warranty Warning
The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Celebrate National Chocolate Chip Day with the Best Cookie Ever (Includes techniques)
May 7, 2012
Mark Clayton: Homeland Security warns major cyber attack aimed at gas pipeline industry underway
Angus Roxburgh: Putin Decoded: World view of a Russian feeling dissed
Kimberly Lankford: Navigate a Course for Long-Term Care
Kevin McCormally How to Adjust Your Tax Withholding
Celeste Robb-Nicholson, M.D.: Harvard Health Letters: How do you treat a Baker's cyst?
Joanne Capano: Healthy Snacks for Children: The Choices May Surprise You
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: Classic Creamy Spinach Dip with a Fraction of the Calories and Fat
May 4, 2012
Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Holy 'trivialities'
Jonathan Tobin: Bibi v. Barak will be no contest this time around
Steven Goldberg: Blue Chip Stocks On Sale Worldwide
Art Pine Slow Productivity Growth a Blessing --- For Now
Sue Hubbard, M.D. : The Kid's Doctor: Are Kids Too Wired?
Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D: Foods that are good for your smile
Amy Paturel, M.S., M.P.H.: Eating Well: Foods that are good for your smile
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Strawberry rhubarb parfaits are elegant yet simple to assemble
May 3, 2012
Michael Freund: Who's Afraid of the Messiah?
Clifford D. May: The Foggiest War
Susan B. Garland: Insurance to Cover Old Old Age
Steven Goldberg 6 Reasons to Bet on a Big Bull Market
Harvard Health Letters: Treating prostate cancer --- no rush to judgment
Larry Gordon: Harvard, MIT partner to offer free online courses
Naomi Nix : Man gets free trip to Chicago after postcard sent by mother in 1957 finally reaches him
The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Intensely Italian vegetable frittata is a seriously simple standby
May 2, 2012
Daniel Pipes and Steve Emerson : Chris Christie's Islam Problem
Richard Z. Chesnoff: A Nazi collaborator at the Met
Thomas M. Anderson: The Best 529 College-Savings Plans
Harvard Special Report: Fatigue is a symptom of numerous illnesses
Amy Paturel, M.S., M.P.H.: What to eat for a healthy heart and mind


Jewish World Review January 25, 2008 / 18 Shevat 5768

Excel, Powerpoint on Mac

By Mark Kellner

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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | The formal launch last week of Microsoft Corp.'s Office for Mac 2008 brought with it new versions of the Excel spreadsheet and the PowerPoint presentation graphics program, the latter immortalized by The New Yorker magazine some years back, when the journal said 30 million PowerPoint presentations were given every day, worldwide. I'm guessing the number may be slightly higher today.


As with Word 2008, reviewed here previously, Excel offers easy ways to use formatting to help "tell your story," as Microsoft says, with numbers. The program features a range of design tools, styles and, of course, templates, to make creating visually useful spreadsheets and charts a breeze. In my view, once someone can see the numbers you're working with, they'll be able to understand the point you're trying to make.


There's also a "Formula Builder" to help the computationally challenged, such as this writer, create formulas to use in putting a spreadsheet together. An "auto-complete" feature can help bring things together as well. And the spreadsheet is large enough for just about anything, up to and including the federal budget: Excel 2008, Microsoft says, can handle spreadsheets of more than 1 million rows and 16 thousand columns.


For me, and for other users, the true tests of a Mac spreadsheet are ones of compatibility, with both spreadsheets and templates created in the Microsoft Windows-based version of Excel, and with Windows-based Excel files. So far, so good: Excel 2008 allowed me to open my corporate expense report form and print it out for the account department to marvel over.


There's a bonus, I believe, in being able to demonstrate this kind of compatibility: if you're the corporate "renegade" who's trying to persuade the I.T. department that a Mac is needed for your work, being able to seamlessly interact with your Windows-using counterparts is a plus. As mentioned last week, so far I've seen no area where there isn't that level of file compatibility between Windows and Mac versions of the various Microsoft Office components.


Microsoft PowerPoint for Mac 2008 offers a similar level of compatibility with its PC counterpart, and also offers Apple's Keynote a run for the money. On the plus side for PowerPoint, it draws on the best of the Windows version and on integration with multimedia tools on the Mac; I believe you can easily insert images from Apple's IPhoto library into your PowerPoint slides. A similar range of formatting palates and enhancement tools exist in PowerPoint on the Mac side as are found in the Office 2007 for Windows version.


But unlike Apple's word processing or spreadsheet programs, the simply named Pages and Numbers, it might be a toss up for some users as to whether or not PowerPoint surpasses Apple's Keynote. This is, I suppose, a "theological" issue: If you're a confirmed Keynote user, you might not want to go back to PowerPoint. But, again, for the corporate Mac "renegade," having PowerPoint available, and again having it truly compatible with the Windows version, is a plus.


Don't mistake my ambivalence about presentation software for an overall ennui, however. I'll repeat what was said here last week: Microsoft beats the world with this Mac office productivity suite. It's an essential for home, school and business users, particularly in a world where, for better or for worse, Windows dominates and Microsoft Office's Windows version still have a lion's share of the market.


Microsoft's Mac-related Web site, http://www.microsoft.com/mac/default.mspx, features details on the Office for Mac 2008 suite, which should be rolling into area stores any day now. For corporate buyers, several Internet sites are reporting a Feb. 1 date for announcement of "enterprise pricing," or what's more commonly known as the corporate discount you'll receive on the products.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

JWR contributor Mark Kellner has reported on technology for industry newspapers and magazines since 1983, and has been the computer columnist for The Washington Times since 1991.Comment by clicking here.

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