The Gang discusses several hot topics and some fun new Web 2.0 applications we’ve been playing with.

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Update to the October 3, 2007 post Microsoft Excel 2007 has a “Math Error”. Microsoft has posted a hotfix to correct math problems in Excel 2007. Visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943075/ for the description and step by step instructions for applying this hotfix or click here Download the Excel 2007 hotfix package now and save the file to your desktop. When download is complete, launch the file by double-clicking and follow the prompts. Once the hotfix has installed, the file on the desktop can be deleted.

This update only applies to users who have installed Microsoft Office 2007. Users of previous Office versions, even those with the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack installed, need not apply this patch.

Are you having trouble opening Microsoft Office files from your peers? Not sure what programs are associated with file extensions like .xlsx, .pptx, and .docx ? Welcome to that awkward transition period between MS Office 2003 and MS Office 2007.

Microsoft didn’t change the file formats for Office mainstays Excel, Powerpoint and Word for versions 2000, XP (aka 2002), or 2003. Now suddenly with Office version 2007 the rules have changed. Oh sure, if you have the latest and greatest version, you can open up files from any previous version and IF you remember you can save your 2007 file down to an earlier version for others who haven’t switched yet. But, what if you’re happy with Office 2003, you’re not ready to upgrade and someone sends you a document in Word 2007, what then?

Help has arrived. Microsoft has released an update for Office versions 2000, XP, and 2003 to allow users to open, edit and save Excel, Powerpoint, and Word files from version 2007. The complete title is the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats and information can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-
8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en . You can also search http://microsoft.com for “compatibility pack”. The update is one simple download named FileFormatConverters.exe. Save the file on your desktop and then launch the file after the download is complete. Follow the prompts. After then install, FileFormatConverters.exe can be safely deleted.

Office users should be sure that their version of Office has all High-Priority updates installed before installing the Compatibility Pack. Use Internet Explorer (as opposed to other web browsers like Firefox, Netscape or Opera) to visit http://update.microsoft.com/ for Microsoft Office updates.

Early last week reports came out that the new Microsoft Office  2007 Excel has a math error. It seems that the program that does math for you has a small problem getting the correct answer on some math problems. Now I am not sure but I think if I am doing some problem solving on  my budget form, I would want to double check myself with a good old handheld calculator now that I have seen this come out. Microsoft has been working on the issue and hopes to correct the issue shortly. Here are a couple of links that reported on this issue.

PC World,  BusinessWeek, ZDNet,