Dorchester — Feb 13th 2018

Michael C showed us the features available in the Notes App included on all Macs and Apple devices. To make use of the full features you need more recent macOS & iOS with updated iCloud features. On both Mac and iOS you can include tables, checklists and text styles but on the iOS devices you can also use markup, add sketches (best with iPad Pro & Pencil), and scan documents. You can share notes in the usual way; David M pointed out that when emailing a Note it is converted into an email, very useful. You can also share a note i.e. let someone else have access to and edit the note but we struggled to demonstrate this at the meeting.

Euan showed a demonstration document he had created in the Open Source, cross platform, and free DTP application Scribus — which has a somewhat clunky interface. Scribus and GIMP are the InDesign and Photoshop of the open source movement. Euan showed several of the comprehensive range of tools available including the use of styles and layers. He drew our attention to a remarkable book on an Exmoor clockmaker’s clocks written and produced by Mark Ford’s sister and brother-in-law using Pages which showed what could be achieved even with relatively unsophisticated software. Euan suggested that the overdue Affinity Publisher (about £50?) will be well worth waiting for, although Scribus is worth a look meantime.

Tom L has recently purchased an HP Envy 5020 and is very impressed with HP’s optional Instant Ink Service, free if you only print 15 pages a month and options up to £7.99/month at 300 pages a month. The service monitors how many pages you have printed and automatically mails replacement ink cartridges as you deplete your ink. There is also a free three month trial when you register. You get emails advising you how many pages you have printed and how much ink remains. Michael asked for a show of hands of those who do not use proprietary inks, pointing out the huge cost savings and his problem-free experience (now with 999 Inks). A lively discussion followed. Tom and Roger P, who have new iMacs, were very complimentary about the ease of setting up their new computers. Mick B confirmed that John M should use Migration Assistant to transfer data from his old machine. Q&A followed the break, then David M demonstrated MailSteward — a comprehensive macOS email archiving app. The search facility works fast on modern Macs and you can open emails, and attachments, and reply to and forward direct from the archive. The basic version stores up to 100,000 emails costs $24.95 and works with both Apple Mail and Postbox. David M then asked the HomePod, which had been sitting silently through the meeting, how long it would take to drive to Manchester, Siri responded loud and clear for all to hear, “light traffic and four hours on the motorway”. He showed a few pictures from the iFixit Teardown of this sophisticated speaker. Siri ended the meeting with several music tracks from Apple’s colossal music library.

Comments

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David Moon said…

John M & I have been successfully sharing a Note. I think the slots around the centre of the HomePod are for the microphone not the tweeters as I had suggested.
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