OVER 2 YOU, 116 (04/02/03)

A QUESTION OF FORMS

I am using Windows 98 SE, MS. Word and MS. Outlook Express 6. I need to send a short questionnaire via e-mail to various people. I have composed a template in Word, which I send by mail and ask the recipients to complete and return via the reply button. It serves the purpose but is a bit temperamental, depending on how much the recipient types in. There must be a better way? Does anyone know of a better system or program that will do the job?

Ted Wooller, via email

I struggled with similar issues with Word and found the Surveykey website (http://www.surveykey.com) most useful.
John Cumming

Acrobat and the Forms section of that program will perform the job without suffering from the limitation experienced because you can limit the length of the User's entry. Also you can validate the information, and the data can be extracted for database use. I do not believe Word has this capability.

The template for the questionnaire can still originate from the Word document. The Form is an overlay, which can be extracted separately. There is a learning curve involved, but Acrobat is extremely powerful, and importantly is cross-platform, so recipients can be Mac or PC oriented.  I refer to the complete Acrobat package, not simply the Reader. All the recipients require is the Reader which is available as a free download from Adobe, but is invariably supplied with most computers - I would suggest that for peace of mind the reader asks his recipients to use
the latest version to avoid frustration.
Rod Wynne-Powell

STAMP COLLECTING

Does anybody have any good ideas or software suggestions for cataloguing stamps on a PC?
Tom Livingston, via email

Your correspondent will find lots of useful information about software for cataloguing his stamp collection at the Philatelic Computing Study Group site at www.pcsg.org
Ron Negus via e-mail

Have a look at http://www.libertystreet.com/, where you will find details of a program called StampManage 2000. It’s an American program, hence the built-in database of US stamps, but it is very useable and you can download a demo, so you can decide if it’s for you.

Reg Willis

A company called Hobbysoft produces four programs for stamp collectors under the heading Stamp Keeper. More information is available from: http://compu-quote.net/

stamp-collecting-software.htm

Richard Neil, via email

There's a huge amount of information and links to sites containing lots of freeware and shareware stamp collecting software at: http://www.netcollection.com/

Boards/Stamps/software.htm

D. Reynolds. Via email

CELL PROTECTION

Sometimes I need to protect an individual cell, a number of cells or columns within a spreadsheet rather than an entire sheet or workbook. Is there anyway of forcing Excel 2000 to do this?
I.C. Blaik, via email

Protection is a two-stage process - a cell needs to possess a lock, and that lock needs to be closed, in order for that cell to be safe. All cells possess a lock by default - look in Format Cells/Protection and see the tick against "Locked".  That doesn't mean really locked, just able to be locked.  You can untick the box for all cells on a sheet, which are not
to be made safe.

If only a few cells are to be made safe, use the "Select all cells" button (left of the "A" column name button and above the "1" row name button), and Format Cells/Protection/untick "locked.  Then select the few cells, and lock those. Then the Tools/Protection/Protect Sheet menu item closes all locks on the worksheet, offering password protection.
Margery Allcock

To protect individual cells or groups, you need to make use of the "lock cell" device.
1. See if the "lock cell" icon is on your toolbar. It resembles a padlock.
2. If not, click on the Tools icon, then Customise, Commands and Format. Scroll down until the Padlock appears and then drag this icon onto the toolbar.
3. Select the whole sheet and then click the padlock icon a couple of times and ensure that it is left in the "raised" position.
4. Select a cell or cells, which need to be locked and click on the Padlock icon so that it appears to be depressed.
5. Finally protect the whole sheet and you will find that you can enter in every cell other than those that were locked.
6. Depending upon how many cells require locking, you may find it easier to select the whole sheet and click "lock" and then "unlock" the cells which need to remain accessible.
7. You can tell which cells are locked by clicking a cell and watching the effect on the Padlock.
8. I also find it useful to have the "protect sheet" icon on the toolbar.  This can be obtained by clicking Tools, Customise, Commands, Tools and dragging up the "protect sheet" phrase. One can then immediately tell whether a sheet is protected or not.
Peter Gallagher

STUDENT TRACKING

Does anyone know of a system that could be used to track and monitor student attendance with the aid of bar codes or swipe cards?
Meenesh Patel, via email

The DBtoGO website www.dbtogo.co.uk has a database called IDCard. This is an Access database with a barcode scan facility that logs the barcode against a list of students. Any number of classes can be set up. You can also create the student badges with a barcode and photograph. This is available as a free download to allow testing to be carried out.
David Hodge

BICYCLE RACE

I am entering a competition for a motorcycle design. I have plenty of ideas, but no means of expressing them in a technical format. My entry needs to be submitted by e-mail, can anyone suggest software for technical drawings?

Paul Reynolds.

I use a design program called "AutoSketch" which is a derivative of "AutoCad". AutoSketch is relatively simple to operate, I am self-taught but obviously you require a basic engineering ability to prepare drawings. As a Chartered Engineer I regularly send e-mails, with drawing attachments, to my business colleague in India with great success.

Steve Warr

There are many packages available for creating professional standard technical drawings, the most famous of which must be AutoCAD, which is quite expensive and it would take some time to become proficient in its use. I would recommend DesignCAD 2D (http://www.upperspace.com/gallery/2d.asp), which is similar in many ways but a lot simpler to use and much cheaper.

Martin Kotler 

DEAD DOG DILEMMA

I was recently given a Sony Aibo ERS-111 robotic dog. Unfortunately ‘Softy’ seems to be very sick. Sony tells me it has to be sent to France and wanted over £100 just to look at it, plus scary sums to replace limbs or the head. Are there any robotic vets in the UK who can see to my poorly plastic pooch?

Emily Trainer, via email

Following on from the recent discussion about repairing faulty Aibos, you should do what I did, give up and buy another one, it’ll probably work out cheaper than getting your old present one repaired, and you’ll have a source of spare parts, batteries and a charger etc, if anything goes wrong. I’ve seen working ERS-11’s selling on ebay for around £500, which is probably less than the cost of a visit to Sony’s robotic dog repair facility in France.

Geoff Daniels, via email

ROCKET BACKPACK

Does anyone recall the rocket backpack in the James Bond film Thunderball? I believe such a device did actually exist but did it ever go into production and if so, where can I get one?

D. Lewin, via email

I came across an article regarding the sale, on ebay, of a SoloTrek XFV personal ‘strap on’ helicopter, which might amuse your correspondent. The entire article may be viewed at http://www.avweb.com/newswire/

9_03a/briefs/182289-1.html
M.H.D

CAN YOU HELP?

I have produced separate JPEG digital images (600KB each) with a high quality camera (Nikon 990) of every page (over 3,000) of the Minutes of a highly respected winter sporting club, going back to its inception in 1885.  Does anyone know of an application/program, which will enable the information to be presented in a format which allows rapid searches of the text (both hand and typewritten) on specific topics, for example as can be done with Encyclopaedia Britannica etc.?

Ken Newman, via email

I thought it would be easy to produce my own Bridge Scoring Cards using tables but it all seems to go wrong for me. Can anyone help?

Derek Withey, Wirral

We will be moving to Switzerland in May/June for a three-year period.  We currently use AOL for the Internet and e-mails, unlimited use monthly charge, but they've told us we have to close our UK account and open up a new one when we get to Switzerland!  Also we won't be able to keep the same e-mail address.  Does anybody have any experience of Swiss Internet providers, typical monthly rates and the quality of service, etc?
Bob & Kate Minor, via email