Keynote power tips

[Guest]

One fault that people sometime have with Keynote is that you can't store
images without the file size becoming excessively large, since RTF saves any
image -- even compressed ones -- as uncompressed bitmaps.

Another complaint is that Keynote doesn't allow you to embed tables.

The author hopes that the next incarnation will recify these issues, but, in
the meantime, I can offer up a couple of "workarounds" that might work for
some people.

1. IMAGES
This one makes use of freeware graphic viewer Irfanview at
www.irfanview.com. Convert your image to one of the more obscure image
formats, then associate it exclusively with Irfanview. Use Keynotes file
link capabilities to point to the image. When you click the filename, the
graphic will open in Irfanview for you to see.

"Aah," you think, "But that doesn't solve the size issue since many of the
obscure image formats are uncompressed."

Okay, do this. Open the image as a jpeg. Now rename it with some obscure
extension -- one not used by any other program. Now associate that extension
exclusively with Irfanview. Normally, in this case Irfanview will prompt you
with a dialogue that tells you the image is a jpeg with an incorrect
extension and would you like to rename it correctly? However, under
Irfanview options, you can turn off this dialogue. So now you have jpeg
files that are "exclusive" to Keynote.

2. TABLES

Okay, this is a little more awkward. You could create your tabled
information, save it as an image file using a freeware virtual printer
driver such as the eFax program and then do the same trick as above. The
disadvantage is that you can't search the table since it is an image and not
genuine text.

The other option is to get a little freeware program call Offline HTML
viewer (http://roman.stratopoint.com/). Use any HTML editor to create your
table of passwords, URLs, whatever (freeware programs such as NVu, Trellian,
Amaya, 602, whatever, commercial program such as Word, whatever. . . .) Now
rename this HTML file with a unique extension as described above and
associate it exclusively with Offline as describe above.

Insert a file link pointing to your HTML file and voila.

Admittedly, these suggestions aren't as handy as commercial programs such as
Treepad Pro, TreedNotes Pro, etc, but they are in keeping with the freeware
spirit and work to a limited extent.

As an aside, I used to admire PC Mag's "workaround" tips back in the
Windows3.1 days. I often hope that someone here would take the initiative to
start a forum dedicated to freeware power users' tips.

Cheers

<<M>>

 

[Bjorn Simonsen]

<<ML>> wrote in <8WO4c.168467$A12.23357@edtnps84>:

Thanks for several nice tips, specially:

The other option is to get a little freeware program call Offline HTML
viewer (http://roman.stratopoint.com/)

I am mainly using Lister <http://www.ghisler.com/lister/> for viewing
html offline, as it strips the html tags and leaves only text and URLs
(not what you want for looking at tables), but also need a good
offline viewer for when I need to see html files w/ format intact
(like tables). I've used the Offbyone browser
<http://www.offbyone.com/> for this recently, but the one you suggest
is both smaller and somewhat faster loading it seems (at least not
slower) - and it does the job just fine. Thanks! (now configured for
ALT+F3 in my Total Commander

All the best,
Bjorn Simonsen

 

[Bjorn Simonsen]

I've used the Offbyone browser <http://www.offbyone.com/> for this
recently, but the one you suggest is both smaller and somewhat faster
loading it seems (at least not slower) - and it does the job just
fine. Thanks! (now configured for ALT+F3 in my Total Commander

Spoke to soon, Offline HTML viewer does not offer "copy url" in
right-click/context menu, OffbyOne does, essential for my use. But I'm
sure the Offline HTML Viewer will serve most people fine, for example
as a handy little table browser as you suggested

All the best,
Bjorn Simonsen

 

[Susan Bugher]

As an aside, I used to admire PC Mag's "workaround" tips back in the
Windows3.1 days. I often hope that someone here would take the initiative to
start a forum dedicated to freeware power users' tips.

Good idea. I have gotten *many* good tips from ACF posts - so many that
I think of one collection as "101 uses for Irfanview".

Why not use alt.comp.freeware.discussion for this?

IMO the name fits in nicely with your suggestion and it would give that
newsgroup a focus that IMO it lacks now.

Susan

 

[dszady]

Good idea. I have gotten *many* good tips from ACF posts - so many that
I think of one collection as "101 uses for Irfanview".

Why not use alt.comp.freeware.discussion for this?

IMO the name fits in nicely with your suggestion and it would give that
newsgroup a focus that IMO it lacks now.

You haven't read it the past few days have you?

 

[omega]

I consider that Keynote post as the kind that is very good for ACF. Three
freeware programs, with discussion about using them. If we don't discuss
actually using the freeware, then the group limits itself to an endless
QA of the form "where is an x type of prog," and thereby renders itself
nothing more than an extension page for Google web.

You haven't read it the past few days have you?

Fdisk. Sig deliminators. That is what I see as the right use for the acf.d
group. We can discuss subjects with each other that don't conform strictly
to freeware topics. I don't mean chaos, as in those dreadful threads about
global politics. I mean those various computer subjects that tend to rise
from freeware conversation.

Although I have to note that I have built no record of doing this in my
own actions. Taking a thread there when it drifts. Lieu of this: Last
time my OT ratios began to drift too high, I had to put myself in the
killfile for a couple weeks. <g>

Or, ideal in my speculation: It would really be helpful to ACF is if ACF.D
was the offical place for all posting-peeves threads. We could vent it
out of our systems -- about quote ratios, upside-down-posting, sig lines,
etc. Argue if up one side the wall, down the other. Plus, those who do
concern themselves to learn the preferred dress code and other, they could
go read there as they wish.

Getting a routine, a tradition started, the first steps are the hardest
to imagine, especially since such things tend to happen naturally, and
less so by decided plans.

I want to mention, there is further a small technical problem. It's
that a number of servers don't carry acf.discussion. With fair reason.
Its name no longer makes any sense; it was founded as an extension for
a binary group. That (illicit) binary group was ACF, from back before it
decided to enter civilization.

As to what ratio of servers do not carry acf.d, I've no idea. Same time
bringing that matter up, have to note I consider it reasonably trivial.
Since the Berlin server is very good and very free for use...

 

[Susan Bugher]

I consider that Keynote post as the kind that is very good for ACF. Three
freeware programs, with discussion about using them. If we don't discuss
actually using the freeware, then the group limits itself to an endless
QA of the form "where is an x type of prog," and thereby renders itself
nothing more than an extension page for Google web.

I agree - but - most discussions now seem to be either program
comparisons or problem solving. I'm not suggesting *those* should move
to ACF.discussion. It is difficult to shift a thread from one newsgroup
to another and such discussions often *evolve* from a program request.

IMO more discussion about how to use *one* freeware program to the best
advantage (power user tips) would be helpful too. I'd like to see
"requests* for tips for a freeware program - especially the ones that
*don't* have user groups. IMO those could be interesting threads.

The OP suggested a *new* forum - ISTM we already have a newsgroup that
*could* be used.

I don't know if that's the *best* newsgoup for it. I think there would
be one *big* advantage to using ACF.discussion rather than ACF - it
would be easier to search the archives for *tips* on using a particular
program.

Susan