Ok, so being a student I have to type stuff: papers, vocab lists, random bits of info, etc. Ivy Tech, much like most schools in existence use Microsoft Office. So, I figured I would load it up here as well. We have legal copies of every MS office since 97 (an advantage to being a student) just laying around not being used, so why not? I grab the Office XP disks, tear off the plastic wrap, and look over the disks. Hmm, they all look alike. There is no way to distinguish these disks...no Disk 1 or Install Disk. The second sleeve has the serial and a big "Don't Lose This Number!" sticker. Of course, I did not notice this until after I had arbitrarily shoved the first disk in my computer and started the install...the install that only required one disk and the serial on the second sleeve. So now I am sitting here staring at the other two disks wondering why I was given three disks for something that only required one. ...coasters? ...backups? ...stupidity? So I pop the second disk (fighting urge to call it disk 2 since it is not labeled as such, but I still believe in order) into my computer. No README or any text files, just an installer and misc install files. I double-click the installer, and it fires up some Media thing I barely paid attention to but that my firewall program absolutely hated. I killed the install since I don't need more shit on my computer and tossed in (fighting urge again) the third disk...etc..etc..Interactive crap. No wonder they did not label these, no one would look at them if they did. If I could find my Sharpie, I would write "CRAP" on them, but then I would be tempted to write it on the install disk as well...I miss WordPerfect
They also seem to have a preference for the Helvetica font. Two of my four teachers have specified it as the font they want their papers in. Now I will give you a chance to fire up any program you want to see what Helvetica looks like. Take your time...this will be here for awhile...now this is important, keep looking...I know you are not looking...fine, you don't have it. At least, no one I know should have this because we live in a Windows world, and Windows uses Ariel, which is basically a Helvetical knockoff (Story if you are interrested.) Nealy all the computers on campus are Macs (at least all the I have seen). Which makes sense, we are learning to do the work of graphics professionals so we are using the tools that they probably will be using (one areas in computing where Microsoft does not dominate). Apple licensed Helvetica so it is there on campus. So it looks like all my homework will be done at home, taken to school, font switched, and printed there. Yay, I love going to class unprepared.
