Excel

Does anyone know how to make the Microsoft Works
Spreadsheet easily compatible with everyone else's Excel?
Can I just download Excel from Microsoft with out spending
a fortune? Does anyone know WHY Windows ME did not come
with Excel in the first place?

No Microsoft operating system comes with any spreadsheet application or in
fact any application whatsoever - just a few basic applets none of which
are a spreadsheet. Such applications need to be purchased, not
necessarily from Microsoft as there are alternatives. Personally I dread
to think what the cost would be if Microsoft were to include copies of all
their application software with each operating system they sold nor what
their competitors in the software application field would think of such a
decision.

That your system has a copy of MS Works is probably because the OEM from
whom you purchased your system chose to include Works as part of the
package. If you want to use Excel this has to be purchased as do Quattro,
1-2-3 or other spreadsheet applications.

As for Excel users being able to read your Works spreadsheets, what
options does your copy of Works have when saving a spreadsheet file? I
see the copy of Excel I have installed on this PC can read Microsoft Works
files with a wks extension but maybe the problem is that Excel cannot read
the version of wks files your Works produces. You might want to consider
saving your spreadsheets as csv (comma separate variables) files as
virtually all spreadsheets can import such files although this would
usually mean the loss of any macros, etc.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Julie wrote:

Does anyone know how to make the Microsoft Works
Spreadsheet easily compatible with everyone else's Excel?
Can I just download Excel from Microsoft with out spending
a fortune? Does anyone know WHY Windows ME did not come
with Excel in the first place?

"Julie" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know how to make the Microsoft Works
Spreadsheet easily compatible with everyone else's Excel?

Save them in Excel format. Hit File | Save As. Choose .xls or whatever
(it'll probably say something like Excel Document .xls). You should be able
to convert existing documents by opening them then doing the File | Save As
routine. Word of warning: just make sure you keep copies of the originals.

Can I just download Excel from Microsoft with out spending
a fortune?

No.

Does anyone know WHY Windows ME did not come
with Excel in the first place?

Excel is part of the Office suite. It doesn't come with any Operating System
and never has done. It's an extra that you have to pay for, as is Access,
Word, PowerPoint, Outlook etc. Works doesn't come with ME either, but it's
an extra often included by computer vendors and sometimes includes Word. The
full Office suite costs considerably more than even the most expensive
version of Windows.

Shane

Thanks Mike, I guess I'll just have to purchase Excel as
my contract employer wants me to have it and I'm sure they
would not look foundly on losing macros, etc because of
Microsoft Works. Next time I purchase a computer, I'll
have to make sure it actually comes with decent software.
Thanks for your help.

Julie
-----Original Message-----
No Microsoft operating system comes with any spreadsheet
application or in
fact any application whatsoever - just a few basic
applets none of which
are a spreadsheet. Such applications need to be
purchased, not
necessarily from Microsoft as there are alternatives.
Personally I dread
to think what the cost would be if Microsoft were to
include copies of all
their application software with each operating system
they sold nor what
their competitors in the software application field would
think of such a
decision.

That your system has a copy of MS Works is probably
because the OEM from
whom you purchased your system chose to include Works as
part of the
package. If you want to use Excel this has to be
purchased as do Quattro,
1-2-3 or other spreadsheet applications.

As for Excel users being able to read your Works
spreadsheets, what
options does your copy of Works have when saving a
spreadsheet file? I
see the copy of Excel I have installed on this PC can
read Microsoft Works
files with a wks extension but maybe the problem is that
Excel cannot read
the version of wks files your Works produces. You might
want to consider
saving your spreadsheets as csv (comma separate
variables) files as
virtually all spreadsheets can import such files although
this would
usually mean the loss of any macros, etc.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Julie wrote:

Does anyone know how to make the Microsoft Works
Spreadsheet easily compatible with everyone else's
Excel?
Can I just download Excel from Microsoft with out
spending
a fortune? Does anyone know WHY Windows ME did not come
with Excel in the first place?

.

Julie,

As both Shane and myself have pointed out no computer operating system
comes with products such as Microsoft Office included. These need to be
purchased separately although manufacturer's such as Dell often have
financially attractive packages of software such as Microsoft Office that
can be specified to be included with a new computer purchase. Again, as
Shane also pointed out, the cost of an application suite such as Microsoft
Office well exceeds the cost of any workstation operating system and if
including all available components can well exceed the cost of a first
rate PC.

One final point if I may. If you now intend purchasing Microsoft Office
please note that the most recent version, Office 2003, cannot be installed
on Win Me but instead requires the user to be running either Windows 2000
SP3 or later, or XP or later. Office 97, Office 2000 and Office 2002 (aka
Office XP) can all be installed on Win Me without problem.

Regards,
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Julie wrote:

Thanks Mike, I guess I'll just have to purchase Excel as
my contract employer wants me to have it and I'm sure they
would not look foundly on losing macros, etc because of
Microsoft Works. Next time I purchase a computer, I'll
have to make sure it actually comes with decent software.
Thanks for your help.

-Julie, I am having a similiar problem. Today I burned an
Excel
document to a CD..when I try to read it, it looks like
squares and squigglys.
How do I get it to show regular writing? I am using Word
Pad to open
it, but it is not readable. By the way...I HATE WORKS.!
You would think
it would be compatible with Office. If you can help me, I
would
appreciate it. Have you found a place to download Office
w/out having to buy
it?
Thanks,
Jo Wright

-----Original Message-----
Does anyone know how to make the Microsoft Works
Spreadsheet easily compatible with everyone else's
Excel?
Can I just download Excel from Microsoft with out
spending
a fortune? Does anyone know WHY Windows ME did not come
with Excel in the first place?
.

See my reply to your query posted elsewhere.

BTW MS Office cannot be legally downloaded from ANYWHERE and any site that
offers Excel to you should and probably already has been reported to
Microsoft for piracy and copyright theft. I also wouldn't recommend your
discussing piracy or copyright theft of Microsoft products on a site run
by Microsoft.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



wrote:

-Julie, I am having a similiar problem. Today I burned an
Excel
document to a CD..when I try to read it, it looks like
squares and squigglys.
How do I get it to show regular writing? I am using Word
Pad to open
it, but it is not readable. By the way...I HATE WORKS.!
You would think
it would be compatible with Office. If you can help me, I
would
appreciate it. Have you found a place to download Office
w/out having to buy
it?

Mike, I don't think she's talking about piracy. She's
talking about how bad Microsoft Pad and Works are - - and
Microsoft needs to know that!

When I asked about downloading, I meant from Microsoft as
both of these products (Word and Works) are theirs. It was
my hope that they had some sort of patch or link that
would atleast make them compatible. It just makes no
sense why there is not.

Julie


-----Original Message-----
Does anyone know how to make the Microsoft Works
Spreadsheet easily compatible with everyone else's
Excel?
Can I just download Excel from Microsoft with out
spending
a fortune? Does anyone know WHY Windows ME did not come
with Excel in the first place?
.

I appreciate this feed back. Since I have WindowsME and
will not be buying a new computer anytime soon, what do
you think I should do to get Excel on my computer?

Julie
-----Original Message-----
Julie,

As both Shane and myself have pointed out no computer
operating system
comes with products such as Microsoft Office included.
These need to be
purchased separately although manufacturer's such as Dell
often have
financially attractive packages of software such as
Microsoft Office that
can be specified to be included with a new computer
purchase. Again, as
Shane also pointed out, the cost of an application suite
such as Microsoft
Office well exceeds the cost of any workstation operating
system and if
including all available components can well exceed the
cost of a first
rate PC.

One final point if I may. If you now intend purchasing
Microsoft Office
please note that the most recent version, Office 2003,
cannot be installed
on Win Me but instead requires the user to be running
either Windows 2000
SP3 or later, or XP or later. Office 97, Office 2000 and
Office 2002 (aka
Office XP) can all be installed on Win Me without problem.

Regards,
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Julie wrote:

Thanks Mike, I guess I'll just have to purchase Excel
as
my contract employer wants me to have it and I'm sure
they
would not look foundly on losing macros, etc because of
Microsoft Works. Next time I purchase a computer, I'll
have to make sure it actually comes with decent
software.
Thanks for your help.

.

Mike, I don't think she's talking about piracy.

No? In which case I suggest you try reading Jo's post again since the
phrase "Have you found a place to download Office w/out having to buy it?"
is pretty explicit in my eyes and I'm sure also for anyone from Microsoft
who reads Jo's post.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP



Julie wrote:

Mike, I don't think she's talking about piracy. She's
talking about how bad Microsoft Pad and Works are - - and
Microsoft needs to know that!

When I asked about downloading, I meant from Microsoft as
both of these products (Word and Works) are theirs. It was
my hope that they had some sort of patch or link that
would atleast make them compatible. It just makes no
sense why there is not.