Budget Cuts - a painless idea

Nothing to do with Caseworks this time - but addressing an issue which will be taxing Caseworks Managers for at least the next 5 years. How to make a painless budget cut.

How about this for an idea? Stop paying license fees to Microsoft every time you buy a new PC. Dont upgrade to Office 2007 or 2010. Scrap the lot and download "OpenOffice" instead. Its free, its compatible and at least in some respects it is better. None of the users will mind, if they realise that this "cut" is instead of cutting the service they provide.

I have downloaded the whole suite to my PC from http://www.openoffice.org/ and spent time playing about with it. My verdict

• It really is compatible with Office, you can open Word, Excel and Powerpoint files and edit them and save them as Office files very easily


• There is MUCH less of a learning curve going from Office 2003 to OpenOffice than there would be going to Office 2007. I am still scanning the numerous "ribbon menus" trying to work out where Microsoft has put things.


• It does pretty much everything Office does, and a few things Office 2003 didnt do, like exporting to PDF.


• I still havent come to terms with the new Access 2007. The Open Office Database was a pleasurable throwback to the old Access look and feel which I have lost.


• Open Office Drawing programme offers you a version of Visio.

That's my idea for now. Share your ideas with our community for painless cuts by commenting or by emailing caseworker@hubsolutions.co.uk

Caseworks on an IPad

Like many others, especially those from the Microsoft tradition, I was more than sceptical about the value of the IPAD format. Too big for your pocket, and no keyboard, was my initial reaction to the media hype.


However, 10 minutes in the Apple Store in Brent Cross shopping centre, logging onto our new ASB Mobile and I am converted. It is a real pleasure to use; bright, crystal clear, the two-finger zoom control adds so much, and unlike so many other mobile browsers everything works really well.

Remember, all of these pictures were taken by my mobile phone, in less than perfect conditions, but the crispness and clarity of the images are striking. The picture on the right, shows the neat way that the browser handles pick lists.

The image on the left shows the visually pleasing curves on buttons and input fields, while the one on the right, shows the Calendar Control. This control doesn't display properly on Windows Mobile or Blackberry, and will as a result have to be rewritten.

Readers who are more interested in the IPad than Caseworks might be wondering if I looked at any of the apps and other facilities on this new toy. I did actually, and this image of the Transport for London App seemed the most visually appealing to include in my blog.

My verdict - if you want a portable device to browse the Internet, read emails, and show off your photos, buy it. It will compliment your fixed PC or laptop.