The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Letters To The Editor |
Dear Ash,
Some feedback on Acrobat Distiller. I use it intensely in my work and I remain frustrated and appalled at its poor quality. Despite searching around for solutions and fixes, I have found no solutions to the following:
Every time I create a Distiller file, it tries to access the floppy disk drive. Every time I specify a changed directory for a Distiller file, it makes that directory the new computer default, upsetting other software.
Distiller is so slow. Typical worst case is a 2 MB Excel file is printed to a normal printer, then when changing to print to Distiller, it seems to access every one of 50 odd worksheets, freezing the PC for perhaps 2 minutes (P3 500 MHz, 128 MB RAM). I want my default to produce unencrypted Acrobat files, then a SINGLE BUTTON macro to produce an encrypted version, same name, in another directory. There is no facility.
There is no obvious option to select whether default file is encrypted or not. After years of unencrypted output, recently my Acrobat has suddenly decided that all output is encrypted. I cannot find how to toggle it back.
Macros are meant to save time-yet a macro to encrypt, when run, always insists on the tedious process of re-entry of the passwords (unless Acrobat remains open). It is annoying!
But the worst fault which really annoys me, is Distiller corrupts output from Excel 2000. This costs me many hours per year in work-arounds, and their remains no apparent rules of cause. Also, the macros attached to Excel do not produce compact output, so I do not use them.
So, despite my $500 odd outlay 2 years back, I am still looking for fixes or an alternative quality Acrobat file generator.
You may publish my letter, or ask at Q&A monthly meeting (which I cannot attend as I teach Wednesday nights). I do help you or someone can help. Any help will be much appreciated.
James Fricker
Dear Editor
I've been meaning to send this letter for months if not years.
All too often I will recall an article that has appeared in PC Update and then have to spend a lot of time looking through past issues to find it. PC Update is packed full of great stuff and its benefits and ongoing usefulness would be greatly enhanced if an index were compiled (either 6 monthly or annually). If this is a repeat of suggestions/requests from others, then you'll know that I'm not the only one out there seeking this!
Yours Sincerely
Peter Harvest
Reprinted from the September 2002 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
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