Computers and the web have made the world a friendlier place for sharing. It is much easier, faster, and cheaper to send a digital file than mail paper. But sometimes recipients can't open the file. That's aggravating and something we never had to worry about with paper.
Compatibility problems usually arise from variance in operating system, software, or version. I cover all three here - if you have ever had problems with the new Word 2007 format, .docx, or are curious how compatible Macs are, this article is also for you.
As lawyers, we care about documents. The good news is that all compatibility problems related to documents, from whatever source, can be eliminated at once by switching to PDF as the default format.
Avoid Problems by Using the Common Language
The best way to rest easy is to make sure that everything leaving your office is in Portable Document Format (PDF). Because Reader, the essential software to view PDF, is free and ubiquitous your recipients will always be able to open your files. Updating their version of Reader is the maximum possible hassle. But since the basic feature of Reader, i.e. reading, is highly backward compatible, most versions will read most PDFs.
A Good Rule of Thumb
If, in the tangible world, you would have printed the thing on paper before sharing it with others, then in the digital realm you should print it to PDF before sharing it with others. PDF is the digital equivalent of tangible paper. You may want to take a quick look at the relationship between PDF, Adobe, Reader, and Acrobat.
I think of .doc as a factory assembly line and PDF as a finished product in the box and on the shelf ready for sale. When the file leaves the factory, it should be in appropriate packaging.
The name says it all: "Portable Document Format."
A couple of fringe benefits:
More Stable and Predicable
PDF is more secure and predictable than other formats like Word. Once a letter is converted to PDF, you know what your recipient will see, a Word file may look different depending on the version and the users settings.
Fraudulent intent aside, PDF eliminates the risk that someone will accidentally alter or delete part of your message.
Many people think of a PDF as a picture and, while not technically correct, it's a good way to think about how a PDF works in Reader for most purposes.
More Secure (but probably not as secure as you may think)
PDF is less susceptible to alteration and editing than other files. A PDF in Reader can't be changed. But an Acrobat user can edit a PDF in a way similar to a word processor unless the PDF is secured. If you want to be sure your files will stay exactly the same once released into the wild, you'll need to apply security in Acrobat -you can also protect, remove, or alter metadata in Acrobat.
Now let's get specific about, 1. PDF, 2. Microsoft Office, and, 3. Operating System compatibility.
I have prepared screen shots of all this stuff so before you get into it you can open the screen shot gallery in a pop up window to refer back and forth- you might to have to allow pop-ups from this site if your browser asks.
Or you could check them out after on the "Screen Shots" page.
1. Fixing Problems Viewing PDF: Not a Big Deal
All problems related to opening and using PDF files can be fixed by getting the latest version of Adobe Reader, currently at Reader 9. Reader is free from Adobe.
Problems arises when a later version of Acrobat, the program most often used to create PDF, generates a document with features not backward compatible with previous versions of Reader. This problem will be especially pronounced with the Portfolio or comment-enabled PDF produced in Acrobat 9.
If don’t know which version you have, open the application - the easiest way is to open a any PDF you have handy- and:
On the PC, click the “Help” menu and select “About Reader”
On a Mac, click the “Adobe Reader” menu and select “About Reader”
What is difference between Acrobat and Reader?
2. Word Documents and the Office 2007 .docx: A Bigger Problem
Before Word 2007, Word documents ended with the .doc extension. In Office 2007, Microsoft introduced a new format to support number of innovations and advanced features. Office file extensions now include an “x”, e.g. .doc became .docx, and .xls became .xlsx (Excel), .ppt became .pptx (PowerPoint).
The new “x” files are not backward compatible. e.g. Word 2003 cannot open a .docx file. While it seems strange for Microsoft to release a file format that the previous generation could not use, but the improvements are worth it and Microsoft included a work around, "Compatibility Mode."
Word 2007 users can save their documents in "Compatibility Mode" by selecting that choice from the "Save As" Drop down menu dialog box. It is easy to tell if a document is compatible because the words "Compatibility Mode" will appear in the header of the document window.
But it's also easy to forget to save as .doc. This can be troublesome if you often work with people on Word 2003, or 2004 for Mac, but you can fix this as well. You can eliminate the need to remember by having Word save as .doc by default rather than .docx by:
On Word 2008 for Mac: Click the "Word" drop-down menu, then "Preferences" and from the control panel type select "Save" and select Word 1997-2004 Word Document (.doc) from the drop down menu.
On Word 2007 for Windows: Click the "Office Button" located on the upper left of the screen and click "Word Options" and the click "Save" from the menu on the left. You'll see a drop-down list to choose the default save format.
Also while you're in there, if you don't like the default color scheme, you can change it to black or silver in the "Popular" section. This change will apply to all your Office programs so you need not suffer from that blue anywhere.
Later, if a Word 2007 user wishes to use the new features, they can upgrade the .doc to a .docx. Important new features in Word 2007 are enhanced style sets, the "Quick Styles," and automation tools called "Quick Parts." Spending time learning about these will be time well spent.
3. Operating Systems
XP and Vista
XP programs may not run on Vista and if you want a new PC, say goodbye to XP. Oddly, buying a Mac can save your beloved XP programs, because you can run XP on your Mac, see below. If you want to stay in the Windows frying pan but fear Vista, Windows 7 will be out soon and I don't hate it. It's Vista done right.
Don't misunderstand, that's not to say that either is anywhere near as easy, fast, and reliable as Mac OS X.
In my view, the most important feature that Vista and Windows 7 has is indexed search. Apple rolled out indexed search in 2005 with OS 10.4 Leopard.
For people on XP, the idea of searching a computer like Google will be weird.
But when you upgrade, don't forget to use the boxes with a magnifying glass icon inside; they are everywhere. That's index search and you will never think about your computer the same way again.
XP and Office 2007
Office 2007 runs on XP. Compatibility related to Word files has nothing to do with the operating system. A Mac, XP, or Vista with Word installed will be able to open the same .doc or .docx files according to the version of Word installed.
PC and Mac
The major applications for the law office, Acrobat (.pdf) and Word (.doc and .docx) both have Mac specific versions. Microsoft makes a Mac version of Office, released one year after the PC versions, i.e. 2004 and 2008. The Mac versions have the same .doc -.docx, relationship stated above.
A Word file is a Word file and a PDF is a PDF, regardless of the operating system running the application. However, Macs typically have a larger built in font set and some fonts may not be available on the PC and will be converted to something else, e.g. “Skia” is a Mac font and will not covert as such on a PC.
Of course, Mac users know that the operating system has a great deal to do with being efficient, productive, and happy. Using a Mac is not about image, style, or taking sides in the computer battle; it is about getting work done.
Work is work, and nothing can change that.
But doing the work should not be idle agony or endless frustration; and a Mac will change that.
Enhanced Compatibility between Mac and PC
People often have programs they like and resist switching to Mac on those grounds. That is no longer a problem.
If you would like to avail yourself of the speed, ease, and stability of a Mac, you need not give up a thing to get it.
While Mac OS X can't run a Windows program directly, it can run the entire Windows operating system and then do anything any PC can. Apple picked up this capability in 2005 when they switched to Intel processors, the same processors that run PCs. And it turns out that Windows runs better on a Mac; Apple has out PC-ed the PC.
OS X comes with an application called "Boot Camp" that lets users boot up into Windows, but that means using one OS or the other but not both.
Virtualization software, VM Fusion or Parallels, lets Mac users install several different operating systems and run them simultaneously with OS X.
I have Vista Ultimate and Windows 7 RC (Release Candidate) on mine. I can run OS X, and either, or both of those at the same time. The only limitation is the amount of memory on the computer. Each Windows installation takes about 1GB of RAM and with 4GB, the maximum amount my Macbook will take, I can run all three at once.
Switching between operating systems is as easy as going from Word to Outlook because OS X treats a window containing the entire Vista operating sytem exactly like a window holding anything else.
Maximize, minimize, re-size, drag around, whatever. Or you can give Windows one of the 16 full desktop screen Spaces that every Mac ships with. There is even a "Unity" view that throws everything together.