From Windows to Mac and back
File formats
The cornerstone of Microsoft Office compatibility is its file format. Office 98, Office 2001, and Office v. X for Mac - as well as Office 97, Office 2000, Office XP, and Office 2003 for Windows - all use the same file format. This means that a file created with any of these Office versions will open in any other version. If you do share files with someone who uses a version earlier than Office 97, chances are you can save your Office v. X file in a format that can be opened in that earlier version.File extensions
Windows-based programs generally require a file extension, a three-letter code that follows the period after a file name. The extension indicates what program should be used to open the file; for example, Excel file names must include the extension .xls. To ensure that other people can open your files, make sure that file names always include the correct extension. By default, Office v. X programs append extensions to file names automatically when you name and save files. To verify that a file extension is being added, make sure that the Append file extension check box is selected when you save the file.Alternatively, when you attach a file to an e-mail message in Entourage X, you can have Entourage add the extension to the file when it sends the attachment. To add extensions to files you send as attachments
1. On the Entourage menu, click Mail & News Preferences.
2. Click the Compose tab.
3. Under Attachments, select the Append file name extensions check box.
Fonts
When you create a file that will be shared with others, choose your fonts carefully. If the file is opened by an Office program on another computer and the fonts it contains are not installed on that computer, different fonts will be substituted for the ones that you chose.This is not necessarily a bad thing. The substituted fonts will likely look fine. But if you want to make sure that your file looks the same across both Windows and Mac platforms, choose fonts that are most likely to be installed on a Windows-based computer.
The fonts that are installed by default with Office v. X are also installed with Windows versions of Office. So it's a safe bet that when you choose from these fonts, other people will see the same fonts that you see. You can choose the following fonts with confidence: Arial, Arial Black, Century Gothic, Comic Sans MS, Copperplate Gothic Bold, Copperplate Gothic Light, Curlz MT, Edwardian Script ITC, Impact, Lucida Handwriting, Monotype Sorts, Tahoma, Times New Roman, Verdana, and Wingdings.
Note Fonts that you install from the Office v. X Value Pack are also available to users of Office for Windows. However, because these fonts are optional for both Mac and Windows users, you cannot be as sure that other computers have these fonts installed.
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Crunch numbers across platforms with Excel
For many people - especially Mac users in Windows-based organizations - cross-platform compatibility is an absolute requirement. With Microsoft Excel X for Mac, Mac users can easily open and edit files they receive from colleagues who use Excel for Windows, and vice versa.
Sharing files across platforms works well because Excel 98, Excel 2001, and Excel X for Mac - as well as Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002 (XP), and Excel 2003 for Windows - all use the same file format. This means that a file created using any of these versions of Excel will open in any other version. While working across platforms in Excel is remarkably efficient, it helps to know some basics. In this article, you'll learn some techniques to ensure that sharing files with colleagues who use Windows-based computers goes smoothly.
Changing the default font
When you open a workbook in Excel X that was created with Excel for Windows, the text may look different. That's because Excel for Windows files use different default fonts. The default font for Excel X is Verdana, which is optimized to look best at the typical Macintosh screen resolution.
It's easy to change the Excel for Windows text to Verdana. First, select all the cells in the worksheet by clicking the box at the top left of the worksheet. On the Format menu, click Cells. On the Font tab, click Verdana on the Font list.
Changing column widths
In Excel X, the default column widths and row heights are optimized for viewing on a Mac. Excel for Windows is similarly optimized for viewing on Windows-based computers. The result is that by default, column widths and row heights are a bit larger on a Mac - Windows-based Excel worksheets fit more cells on a page. Depending on what font was used, text that fits perfectly in a cell when viewed on a Mac might not fit when viewed on a PC.
The best way to ensure that your data shows up correctly is to increase the width of columns by about 15 percent before sending a worksheet to a colleague who uses a Windows-based computer. To increase the size of all the columns in a worksheet, first select all columns. Click the box at the top left of the worksheet, where the row numbers and column letters meet. Then drag the boundary between any two column headings to the right just enough to increase the width about 15 percent.
Setting the date system
Excel stores dates as sequential numbers, called serial values. Like other Macintosh programs, Excel for Mac uses the 1904 date system. This means that Excel converts dates to serial values beginning with January 2, 1904. Each subsequent date is assigned its corresponding serial value. This numeric system allows dates to be added, subtracted, and included in other calculations.
By default, Excel for Windows stores dates in a similar fashion, but it uses the 1900 system, which means that it converts dates to serial values beginning with January 1, 1900. This discrepancy is generally not a problem. When you transfer a worksheet between a Mac and a PC, the worksheet always retains its date system setting so the data is not affected.
You need to consider the date system only if you happen to be cutting and pasting date-related data between worksheets that use different date system settings. In that case, before you begin transferring data from one worksheet to the other, make sure that both worksheets use the same date system.
Set the date system
1. On the Excel menu, click Preferences.
2. On the left, click Calculation.
3. Select or clear the 1904 date system check box.
Saving a file in a different format
When you share a worksheet with someone else, it's helpful to know something about the other person's computer system. Will the file be opened in Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002 (XP), or Excel 2003 for Windows? If not, you might need to save the worksheet in a format that can be opened by a version of Excel that is earlier than Excel 97.
Excel provides several options for doing this. If you know what specific version of Excel the other person has, you can save the worksheet in that format.
Save a worksheet in another format
1. On the File menu, click Save As.
2. On the Format pop-up menu, click the file format you want.
Tip Make sure that the Append file extension check box is selected. Windows-based computers require that file names include an extension that indicates what program should be used to open the file; for example, Excel file names must include the extension .xls.
The drawback to saving a file in an earlier format is that people who open the file can't take advantage of features that are not supported in the earlier version. For example, Excel X supports indented text in cells; however, Excel 5.0/95 does not, so the text appears left-aligned.
Suppose you're sending a workbook to a group that you suspect might include a mix of people who have earlier and later versions of Excel. In that case, you can save the file in a dual format, Microsoft Excel 97-2001 & 5.0/95 Workbook. That way, people who use Excel 5.0/95 will be able to open the workbook, but those who have later versions of Excel will still be able to take advantage of recent features.
Sharing files that contain list
Excel X includes List Manager, a feature that is not available in most versions of Excel for Windows. When you share a file that contains a list created using List Manager, all of the data in the list is preserved. When the file is opened in Excel for Windows, all of the data in the list appears - only the special formatting and tools, such as the List toolbar, are not available. The data can be edited like any other data in the worksheet.
If you reopen the file on your Mac, Excel X recognizes that the workbook contains a list even if the workbook was saved in Excel for Windows. When you reopen the workbook, a message appears, stating that the file contains a list. Click OK to reapply the list formatting.
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