Okay, I'm about ready to slam my iMac into a wall! I'm having two the following problem:

1. I'm unable to download and open files from iDisk. I've tried accessing them from my Mac through the Finder and the app that they should open in (Word) hangs and never opens. I then tried it from the me.com Web site and they look like they've downloaded (file on desktop) but when I try to open them, Word hangs and never opens. This is a HUGE problem as I've been saving all my schoolwork to iDisk as that seemed like the safest way to go!

2. I was working on a doc in Word that I created in Word for Mac. Word crashed. When re-opened Word and then the doc, the formatting was all stripped and some text was missing. Argh! I recreated the file and saved it but when I re-opened it, it opened that effing stripped one again with missing text! I found the file. It was saving in a different location after the crash. !@#$%## Word.

Can anyone help?

Can you see if the files will open in TextEdit? It will lose some of the formatting, but at least it's a way to check if its a file problem or a Word problem.

the only other suggestion I could make is do you have a google docs account? See if you can import the files (after download) there and see if google docs can open them.

I got's me a new computer! A mini-laptop. An Acer Aspire One. [link] It has an 8.9" display, 512 MB RAM, an 8GB solid-state drive, and it runs Linux. It was $329.99. For $20 more I could have gotten one with XP home, 1 GB RAM and a 120GB conventional hard drive. So far I like it, but it'll take some time to get used to the tiny keyboard, the trackpad seems a little wonky, and I hate the desktop that the Linux version comes with. It has some customized version of gnome that easier for newbies to use. I'm hoping I can reconfigure it to be a more conventional Linux/gnome environment.

Oh, the Wikipedia article sez:

The default Linux OS has been designed to hide advanced features from the user and to prevent modification. However, there are steps[15] that can be taken to have it modified, giving the user a series of advanced features including a "right-click" menu, the ability to install additional software, as well as a more traditional desktop.

Oh goody.

Whee! New toy envy!

OK, the most annoying thing? I keep trying to do the two-fingered scroll thing that Mac laptops have. So that's not really a fair complaint (do any non-Macs offer that?) but it is something I'll have to get used to. I'm all, "Wait, I have to use the scroll bar to scroll up?"

Also, because it's so tiny, the trackpad buttons are on either side of the trackpad, so my fingers are always hunting to find them. That should be easy to get used to, methinks.

But I'm still amazed I bought a new laptop for only $320....

Thanks for the tips. I ended up trying to get the files of iDisk on my work laptop (PC) and I was able to d/l the files with no trouble. This does not make me a happy Mac user. WTF, Mac?

Does anyone have a dead battery pack that would fit a 17 inch Powerbook?

Windsparrow's is down to 30 minutes, and I have a wacky idea of taking a bad one and jerry-rigging it to hold X amount of rechargeable batteries in sockets.

I don't think I'm going to end up with an OLPC. Until late November, Ebay is sole source, and there is always someone bidding who wants one more than I do. So what is out there that has the following virtues: under 3.5 pounds, really small, really great screen, under $350? How is the Aspire screen? (Once, long ago good video was an Acer speciality.) I understand the Asus screen does not suck quite as much as the old one. Other thoughts? Anyone out there know anyone with an OLPC in good condition they want to get rid of? (Though quite honestly, they can sell them on Ebay right now for amazing prices if they do. )

I know this has been asked before, but is there a free Mac program that can read docx documents?

I'm trying to work from home this morning rather than just fuck around on the intertubes, but if I can't open email attachments there's not much point! (My office switched over to Office 2007 a few months back so everything is either docx or xlsx now.)