- Readers Like You!
- Web Crossing
- Microsoft
- Mark/Space, Inc.
- CS Odessa
- Bare Bones Software
- MacSpeech
- Circus Ponies
- Fetch Softworks
- VMware
Copy Excel Selection as a Picture
Want to show someone a chunk of an Excel spreadsheet via email or iChat? You could take a screenshot, but if you want to show just a portion of the Excel window and you don't use a utility like Snapz Pro, you can do this right from within Excel 2008. Make a selection, hold down the Shift key, and choose Copy Picture from the Edit menu. You can select whether the selection will be rendered as though it was shown on screen or as though it was printed. Then just switch to your desired destination and paste.
Written by Adam C. Engst
Recent TidBITS Talk Discussions
- Sorting out years worth of files (14 messages)
- 2008 Holiday Gift Ideas: For the Macintosh-minded (22 messages)
- Print Classy Discs with the Dymo DiscPainter (1 message)
- Safari says "host not found" but Firefox works (3 messages)
Published in TidBITS 948. Subscribe today to receive TidBITS in email every Monday.
- Font Puns Galore in Extensis's Bravefont Trailer
- Take Control News: 50%-Off Sale to Celebrate 5th Anniversary
- Apple Allows Developers to Talk about iPhone Software
- The Return of AIM (in Beta)
- Easy Wi-Fi Enters Hotspot Passwords for You
- The iPhone Game Review Conundrum
- TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 06-Oct-08
- Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/06-Oct-08
Older Mac Pros Toxic or Just Smelly?
A TidBITS reader in France who wishes to remain anonymous has alerted us to a tempest brewing around older units of the Mac Pro line. Apparently, users noticed a strong smell emanating from the machines, particularly when they were new, and the French newspaper Liberation just published an article about the experiences of a lab researcher who reportedly analyzed the emissions and found volatile organic compounds, including benzene, a known carcinogen.
AppleCare representatives in France contacted by our reader confirmed the problem as affecting Mac Pros built before 2008 but refused to put it in writing. Apple spokesman Bill Evans told Macworld, "We have not found anything that supports this claim, but continue to investigate it for the customer."
Apple's discussion forum contains posts from 2007 from users who experienced the smell, some of whom had their Macs replaced under AppleCare. In some cases, the smell may have been related to a seal near the power supply, small plastic strips on the access door, or the thermal compound on the processor heat sinks. Many, though not all, of the affected Macs were built in China.
The discussion thread started by our reader (reportedly after having several previous attempts deleted by Apple) hasn't generated nearly the number of "me too" posts as the 2007 threads, although some Mac Pro users who haven't experienced the smell are expressing concern.
It's difficult to know what to suggest with regard to this issue. Strong smells coming from a computer aren't likely to be a good thing, although without careful analysis, it's impossible to know whether the compounds being emitted are actually toxic, and if they're being emitted in concentrations that could pose a health risk. Plus, the machines in question are nearly a year old at minimum, so if there was a manufacturing problem, Apple has undoubtedly addressed it months ago. There seems no reason to suspect current Mac Pro units, but if you have a pre-2008 Mac Pro that emits a strong smell, or did for some time when it was new, you may wish to contact Apple about it.
ConceptDraw Office adds real business power to Microsoft Officeand Apple's iWork. Whether you need project management, business
graphics, or mind mapping, it's all easily created on your Mac!
Buy today for only $499! <http://www.conceptdraw.com/tb>