Help Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0 load faster

Adobe PDF files are a pain, but  necessary evil on the web. The latest Adobe Reader takes forever to load, especially compared to older versions.  Help is on the way at: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=11041

Simple Word Macros

I'm a simple minded guy. I use Microsoft Word for all of my word-processing. I can get along with about four styles; Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, and Normal. I also like to print single envelopes to my LaserJet printer.

I've used macros for these things for years...transferring and updating them to each subsequent version of Word. The following code works in Office 2003:


Sub Heading_1()
'
' Heading_1 Macro
' Macro recorded 6/3/2004 by Lawrence Keyes
' Assigned to Alt_1

Selection.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("Heading 1")
End Sub

Sub Heading_2()

'
' Heading_2 Macro
' Macro recorded 6/3/2004 by Lawrence Keyes
' Assigned to Alt_2

Selection.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("Heading 2")


End Sub
Sub Heading_3()
'
' Heading_3 Macro
' Macro recorded 6/3/2004 by Lawrence Keyes
' Assign to Alt_3

Selection.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("Heading 3")
End Sub
Sub Heading_Normal()
'
' Macro2 Macro
' Macro recorded 6/3/2004 by Lawrence Keyes
'
Selection.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("Normal")
End Sub


Sub Envelope_Address()
'
' Envelope_Address
' Macro recorded 6/18/2004 by Lawrence Keyes
' Modified 6/18/2004, to hold the selected text
' This macro is assigned to a toolbar button. Select the adress that you want to print
' on the envelope, then click the "Print Envelope" button.

'Assign the currently selected text to the local variable lkAddress
lkAddress = Selection.Text

ActiveDocument.Envelope.PrintOut ExtractAddress:=False, OmitReturnAddress _
:=True, PrintBarCode:=True, PrintFIMA:=False, Height:=InchesToPoints(4.13 _
), Width:=InchesToPoints(9.5), Address:=lkAddress, AutoText:= _
"ToolsCreateLabels3", ReturnAddress:="", ReturnAutoText:= _
"ToolsCreateLabels4", AddressFromLeft:=wdAutoPosition, AddressFromTop:= _
wdAutoPosition, ReturnAddressFromLeft:=wdAutoPosition, _
ReturnAddressFromTop:=wdAutoPosition, DefaultOrientation:= _
wdCenterLandscape, DefaultFaceUp:=True, PrintEPostage:=False
End Sub


The above macros are assigned to the keystrokes within the "Customize Keyboard" section of ViewToolBars. Again, it is really simple: ALT-1 is used for Heading 1, ALT-2 for Heading 2, etc. ALT-N is for "normal". The envelope printing macro is assigned to a button on the toolbar.

Rethinking HP Printers

In keeping with a philosophy of standardizing on as few brands as possible, I've used and recommended Hewlett Packard printers for 15 years or so. I've recommended the purchase of hundreds of thousands of dollars of HP printers, mostly laser printers in the $750-$2000 range that are sometimes known as small workgroup printers. Because people ask, I've also recommended HP for ink-jet color printers, usually as an adjunct to a laser printer in an office, or as a stand-alone printer for a single computer at home. However, I have recently had the following problems:

• Two "all-in-one" injket printers/scanner/faxes that were dead on arrival
  
• Two 18 month-old color deskjet professional printers that broke because of flimsy parts. The problem with these printers is that they perpetually are saying that they are out of ink for one cartridge, (usually blue or magenta). The user caught on when they hadn't printed any color pages for weeks...just black and white, and they began to wonder why were they running out of magenta ink when they weren't using any.
  
• A low-end laser that was shipped with software that was deemed "useless" by HP technical support, which required me to download and install new software after spending an hour or more attempting to install it with the software provided with the unit.
  

Note that each failure results in the loss of tens if not hundreds of working hours. The affected users are frustrated with all of the futzing around. Not to mention the buying of all the extra ink jet cartridges.
So, today, I'm in Staples, looking for a replacement for one of the color printers. I see there are no less than 12 different models of HP ink jet printers, costing from about $89.95 to $495.00. And I decided I had enough with the throw-away printers, and the ridiculous costs per page, and the dozens of different cartridges, the rotten software, the multiple hours of installation, testing, downloading drivers and all the ink-jet crap. I bought a low-end Brother monochrome laser printer. We'll see how this works out.