Author Archives: Bob McDonald

About Bob McDonald

Greetings! I'm Bob McDonald, the founder of TOG Solutions. To find out more about me or my company, please feel free to visit www.togsolutions.com!

OpenOffice – Out With the Old, In With the New

By Bob McDonald on January 27, 2010

With 2010 in full swing, one thing that won’t be carrying over long into the New Year is the 2.x version of OpenOffice.org. With version 3.0 being released in late 2008, and with the upcoming public release of OOo 3.2, the 2.x version, with its last release being 2.4.3, has achieved legacy status.

In its “end-of-life” state, OpenOffice 2.x will, at least from a community standpoint, cease to be maintained. That means support no more bug fixes or security releases. Translation? If you have a 2.x version, you’re pretty much on your own from this point forward.

That’s not to say that all users with older versions of OOo 2.x are completely out in the cold. As with most legacy software, there are numerous resources available online. In the case of OpenOffice, the community itself will be your best bet to answer questions about your older versions.

Also, if you happen to be running a system that came with the older version installed, you may also be able to get technical support through them.

Meanwhile, the long, winding journey that has been OpenOffice 3.2 is slowly, but surely, reaching its send. Since December, there have been numerous Release Candidates available, the most recent being today’s availability of Release Candidate 4.

And while we spent most of the end of last year in our Countdown to OpenOffice 3.2 series discussing the new features, OpenOffice.org has gone on step further, postineven more information about OOo 3.2′s new features on the OpenOffice Web site.

With news like this, users can be confident that a public release is just around the corner.

Posted in Tagged , , Leave a Comment

OpenOffice 3.2 Is…Coming in January?

By Bob McDonald on December 14, 2009

December 14th is here. Is OpenOffice 3.2?

OpenOffice.org

Yes, and at the same time, no.

As we’ve been counting down to this date with the new

features that will be a part of all the programs that make up OOo 3.2, in anticipation of this day, December 14th, in which, according to the OpenOffice Wiki page.

But, since the holidays are upon us, the development team decided that perhaps this wasn’t the best time to release a new version. So, the wiki has been updated to read that OpenOffice 3.2 is pushed to a January release.

Meanwhile, as it has been for several months, a beta version of OOo 3.2 is available for those brave enough to check it out.

For this week, though, we can look for a Release Candidate version of OpenOffice 3.2 that will be ready on December 17th. For those scoring at home, the Release Candidate isn’t a beta, but not quite the finished product, as there are, as with any software, some remaining bugs that need to be worked out before being ready for public consumption.

While a definite release date is looming (though not concrete at the moment), we will, for our part, be switching back over to our regularly-scheduled OpenOffice Wednesday next week, but will certainly get into any news that we can find regarding the release of OOo 3.2.

Hopefully, we will see 3.2 in January, mostly because it looks as if the development team is already setting up to get OpenOffice 3.3 out the door next June.

Posted in Tagged , , , Leave a Comment

Countdown to OpenOffice 3.2 – Base

By Bob McDonald on December 9, 2009

Note: This is the fifth in a multi-part series on OpenOffice Wednesday that will focus on some of the new and upgraded features that will appear in OpenOffice.org 3.2, which is slated 128px-OOoBase.svgto be released December 14, 2009.

Part One – The Countdown Begins
Part Two – Writer
Part Three – Calc
Part Four – Impress and Draw

The development team for OpenOffice.org certainly had a field day with the database program, Base, the open-source counterpart to Microsoft Access. In fact, the number of changes and additions to Base far outstrip those of the other OOo programs.

  • View/Zoom Menu Item - With Base, all documents within the database could be zoomed by using the View/Zoom menu item, with the exception of forms. That restriction has been lifted, and you will be able to manipulate the view of all your database items.
  • Sun Report Builder - The report builder within Base will feature three items that will allow the removal of excess space. The top shrink and bottom shrink removes top and bottom spaces, respectively, while the Shrink command removes space from both directions
  • First Line as Column Names – When rich-text format and HTML pages are copied to a database, there was no ability to allow for the first column of the copied material to be used for column names. With OOo 3.2, that capability has been added to Case with the click of a checkbox.
  • Multi-line Text Controls – Multiple cut-and-pastes should be easier with the addition of the multi-text controls. That means the formatting will go with the text when it is copied.
  • Form Property Browser – With 3.2, more information will be displayed in the property browser, including font name/style/size, plus the ability to change the positioning, size and anchor, which is very useful in the event you wish to modify multiple shapes.

Next week: OpenOffice 3.2 is available, and we will present a special Monday edition of OpenOffice Wednesday to review everything!

Posted in Tagged , , , Leave a Comment

You Know I Don’t Speak Spanish (But It Would Help)!

By Bob McDonald on December 7, 2009

In deference to the famous line from the movie, “Anchorman,” the truth is that if you have noticed in job ads that more and more employers are seeking candidates with Spanish-speaking abilities.

This recent trend should come as no surprise. Because the Hispanic community is one of the fastest-growing demographics in the United States, along with a sharp increase in companies expanding operations in Latin America, the ability to speak Spanish is an ever-useful skill.

However, foreign language education of any kind tends to stop after high school, as many college students focus more on their specific majors. As a consequence, they will find themselves shut out of any bilingual opportunities.

The trend has gone beyond Spanish. Language ability has also extended to Chinese and Arabic as well, again because of the business growth in those regions.

So, if you are interested in seeking out these multi-lingual opportunities, you will certainly want to find educational opportunities that will allow you to market yourself to these positions.

First, and foremost, it’s never too late to return to school. Many two-year colleges offer foreign language courses at the fraction of the cost of their four-year counterparts. Also, some two-year institutions have taken their courses online, allowing for schedule flexibility for people with busy lives.

If you are looking for a more specialized and concentrated option, there are companies that cater exclusively to foreign language training, the most popular of which is Berlitz.

Software training options are also widely available. Rosetta Stone is the most popular software, plus foreign-language tutorials can be found for free all over the Internet.

When searching for opportunities to learn a foreign language, it’s always important to find a situation that is right for you, especially when it comes to price and schedule. That way, you will get the type or training that can help you to move at your own pace.

Once you have mastered a particular language, be sure to add this skill to your resume. And prepare yourself before the interview, because it’s a good bet you will be asked about it.

Posted in Tagged , , , , Leave a Comment

Can You Afford It?

By Bob McDonald on December 4, 2009

If you’ve gotten to this point, you have already assessed how you’ve gotten to the point where Changing Your Game is an option and you are certain that your current situation isn’t just a case of bad times hitting everyone. The tough questions, however, are not finished being asked.

At this stage, you are now ready to figure out if you have the financial capabilities of making such a change. This is broken into two categories: The employed and the unemployed, each with their own set of questions.

Continue reading »

Posted in Leave a Comment