OT: Ghostscript, won't install

My family wasn't poor-poor either, just typical Scot tight fisted. ...Jim Thompson

OrCAD I'll give you... it's junk.

I have not a bit of trouble with Acrobat, other than later versions have too many "features"... drop down menus drive me nuts ;-)

I have versions 4, 5 & 7 co-resident without issues.

I use whatever version suits the "feature" I want to use, primarily v4, but I use v7 a lot for annotations.

But then I usually "Save As" in v4 (compatibility) so everyone can read it. ...Jim Thompson

Oh, Westphalians can be very tight-fisted as well. And there is a saying that some Swabian view the Scottish as wasteful spenders :-)

Ok, granted, I am known to be a patient guy but not when it comes to computers and software. However, I am (by far) not the only one experiencing that. There is a reason why a web search turns up a HUGE number of stories such as this:

The general concensus among many engineers I've met is "Use Foxit or something else that isn't from Adobe". Well, the alternatives are generally far better, as in the dreaded crashes going away. So there, the proof. However, it seems there is the occasional file those can't read in. Facetious folks would call that vendor-lock.

Sorry, if one software crashes all the time and then a very similar software from another group on the very same computer does not then, to me, that leaves only one conclusion.

Perhaps Acrobat insttead of PS is the problem?

However,

Not me, but then again i normally run Linux. The day job provides XP Pro SP2 with Acrobat 7 Pro and Acroread 9. No crashes.

And which PDF viewer do you use on Linux? I started with Evince since it came with the installation, but eventually switched to Foxit Reader since it was noticeably faster on large documents...

---Joel

No, I don't use Acrobat for PS. In fact I only used it if I have to. For PS I used GSView and GhostScript. No crashes but the rendering results were far from pleasing. So we just hung that up and moved to a mored popular format. That works.

How does Foxit handle datasheets and schematics? Do you still encounter documents that Acrobat can display and Foxit can't?

Maybe the over 10 years old SVG format?

No, something that is more compatible. Essentially I went through several of the usual suspects, see what they can import. That's what is key. Turns out PNG and GIF are quite popular. So ... bye-bye PS.

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So MY XP Pro situation is somehow profound ?:-) ...Jim Thompson

Not in the, say, past six month but certainly over the years I've used Foxit I've come across something under half-a-dozen documents that didn't display correctly in it.

Hence I do keep a copy of Acrobat reader around, just in case...

One feature I really like in Foxit is the ability to print at an arbitrary zoom level (100%, 115%, 85%, etc.)... some documents have 1+" margins, and since I usually print things "two-up," that can make the text unnecessary small (i.e., hard to read) with all that excess white space.

---Joel

Well, then, thanks, looks like it's time for me to switch as well. Having to run Acrobat once a month or so is much better than all those crashes.

Wait until you get older :-)

I even have to put glasses on when turning the (yet unfamiliar) rotary switch on the new swamp cooler. Once I thought I saw the word "cool" alright, temps rose rather quickly in the house ... whoops ... had it on "vent". Beats my why all this has to be such small font.

To teach you young whippersnappers some respect :-)

I'm so old my right eye is now 20/20 ;-) ...Jim Thompson

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Probably not, most likely you have more patience in operating some software. With Orcad it was similar. We had guys who could go a whole week without a freeze or crash. For me it was one day, tops.

This also brought me a special job. I was da boss but the people elected me for this, so no choice. I was "Mr.Crash-it" for our ultrasound systems. "Ok, we think it's now almost cast-iron, let's have Joerg take a whack at it" ... "Wait, what are you doing behind the system, you are supposed to ..." ... bip .. bip .. BEEP .. CLOINK .. BEEEEEEEEE .... "Dang!"

Later when some new SW routine was presented folks would occasionally aske it it was properly joerged. Our clinical guys said that our system had a remarkably low propensity to freeze up. In contrast to other manufacturers' stuff.

Lasik surgery? Or did it just get better with age all by itself? Of course, if your eyes started from the opposite extreme when young that might be possible.

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"Mr. Black Tongue" ?:-) ...Jim Thompson

Cataract lens-replacement == perfect sight. Eye doc indicates left eye will "qualify" next year (on your dime :-) ...Jim Thompson