michael@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Michael Duebner) (07/13/89)
MCS Tidbits & Computer Hints
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A Service of Macro Computer Solutions, Inc.
July 12, 1989
--> Tidbits <--
Have Laptop will travel, still......
The Federal Aviation Administration recently announced that plans
of banning laptop computers from the skies has been canceled.
Airlines and some passengers sought the removal of laptops from the
cabin after the PanAm 747 mid air explosion last year over Ireland.
The ill fated flight was apparently brought down by explosives
packed in a cassette tape recorder. Since laptop computers are
much larger and may make it easier to conceal large quantities of
explosives, increased passenger safety was on the minds of some law
makers and airline spokesmen.
However, cooler heads prevailed and immediate plans of removing
laptops along with other electronic devices from airline passengers
have been scrapped for now. Increased and much closer attention
will be paid to all electronic devices taken on board.
This editor for one welcomes this decision as my laptop has been a
steady companion on domestic and long overseas flights. Its
amazing the amount of work that can be accomplished in a few short
hours plucking away at the keys. I have noticed that the security
personnel at all airports now no longer wish to handle my computer
at all. It has to be left waiting while passing through the metal
detector and then carried by the passenger to a counter or table
where a security guard wants to see the lights come on.
--> Hints for the Power User <--
Narrower dBase Reports
At times it is necessary to fit a rather wide dBase report on an
8.5 x 11" sheet of paper. Combining information in a single column
is called for here. This can be accomplished by separating mul-
tiple field names with quoted semicolons (";"). The fields now
appear stacked in each column when the report is printed. Keep an
eye on the field character width display, at times dBase will add
up the width of all fields when only the field with the most
characters needs to be specified.
This technique only works for character fields, numeric data fields
can not be stacked.
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Strange Characters in Pagemaker
When moving documents between different desktop publishing
workstations it is possible to experience uneven character spacing
within the document. Provided that both workstation use the same
printer and have the same fonts installed, it is possible correct
this problem by selecting the 'spacing' option under the 'type'
menu. It is not necessary to change anything, just click on the
'ok' and wait while Pagemaker reformats the text. If different
printers are used it is necessary to select the proper printer and
reformat the entire document.
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Macro Computer Solutions, Inc UUCP: michael@ddsw1.MCS.COM
520 N. Seymour Avenue Direct: (312) 566-8911
Mundelein, IL 60060
(312) 566-8910
Quality Solutions at a Fair Price
The place for high performance '386 workstations.
# # #hollen@zeta.megatek.uucp (Dion Hollenbeck) (07/14/89)
From article <[4274]comp.ibmpc@ddsw1.MCS.COM>, by michael@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Michael Duebner): > > > MCS Tidbits & Computer Hints > ---------------------------- > A Service of Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. > July 12, 1989 > > [... tidbits and hints deleted ...] > > Macro Computer Solutions, Inc UUCP: michael@ddsw1.MCS.COM > 520 N. Seymour Avenue Direct: (312) 566-8911 > Mundelein, IL 60060 > (312) 566-8910 > > Quality Solutions at a Fair Price > The place for high performance '386 workstations. > > # # # Personally, this weekly posting smacks of commercialism. If Michael would have posted this without the plug for his COMPANY, I would have never been prompted to make this statement. But every week, we get some good information (thanks, Michael) with an advertisement from his company. I don't feel that this is proper use of this newsgroup (there is probably not an appropriate newsgroup for advertisement; comp.newprod is strictly for announcements of new products). Am I alone in this feeling, or do others out there share my sentiments. I would prefer to see this posting GRATIS, i.e. less the advertisement at top and bottom. This would be more in the proper spirit of NEWS. Dion Hollenbeck (619) 455-5590 x2814 Megatek Corporation, 9645 Scranton Road, San Diego, CA 92121 uunet!megatek!hollen or hollen@megatek.uucp