Screen redraw artifacts also in Powerpoint 2004!!!

[mgsite]

The recent post about screen redraw artifacts in Powerpoint X should
know that they exist in the 2004 version as well. In fact, they seem
worse after the recent patch. Everytime I create a new text box,
artifacts of the selection box are left behind once I start to move or
position the text. It even happens when I resize the text.

This kind of thing is just unacceptable for a product with the maturity
of PP. I'm running OS 10.3.8. It just shouldn't happen. If its a video
card thing or some other config variable, MS should really look into it
and fix it. It makes PP 2004 a pain to use and just adds to grief
created by all the other little and big problems that still exist in
this product and that have been posted by myself and others in this
forum.

Please MS, please don't put out a patch without addressing the basics.
This stuff should never have made it through the 2004 v1 release let
alone still be an issue after two patches.

Everyone talks about how great the Mac version of Office is and how
much 'better' it is than the Windows version, but I use the Windows
version too, and it doesn't have such gross quality issues as the
current Mac powerpoint.

Please fix these problems Microsoft!

-m

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi mgsite,

I have observed the same behavior that you are seeing.

Although your posting here in the public newsgroups may get sympathy
from users like you and me, there's no assurance that anyone at
Microsoft will ever see your comments.

To let Microsoft know that you are experiencing difficulties with
Powerpoint use the feedback option located on PowerPoint's Help menu.

-Jim

 

[mgsite]

Here's an update on the earlier problem I described...

I left the presentation open last night on my Mac (a dual G4
Quicksilver, 1gig RAM, original nvidia twinview card) and came back
this morning to work on it. Sure enough, the artifacting was gone when
I started working with the same slides. I never touched a thing. I
create some new text boxes, and again, no artifacting!! Very strange
indeed.

I speculate that not all users see this problem or there would be an
more loud screaming about it. I further speculate that it could be a
graphic driver problem on specific cards. However, I'm using a stock
graphic card using Apple's drivers with 10.3.8 so its not like I'm
doing anything unusual. I suspect that MS just hasn't tested enough
configurations. This must be why some see the problem and others don't.
But don't ask me why the problem disappeared overnight.

I just bought a brand new powerbook G4 and will install PP on that to
see if the problem can be recreated.

In general however, I would say that PP clearly exhibits the worst
performance and glitches of any of the Mac Office apps. It just doesn't
stand up to the Windows version and that is sad given that it started
its life as a Mac app.


I would encourage the MacBU folks to communicate more with their
customers in some public forum where they can at least acknowledge some
issues and converse with customers about expected fixes etc. I know
this is unusual and would never happen on the Windows side given the
sheer number of users, but it would go a long way towards smoothing
over bad feelings about the current problems in the product. If Mac PP
2004 worked as well as the Windows version, this would be a non-issue.

-m

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi mg,

I don't want to give the impression that MS folks never read the
newsgroup postings. They do read them, but it is not something that's
done rigorously. I've seen MS folks respond directly in the newsgroups
on occassion. It's just not a forum that you can count on to be a sure
way to get your message to Microsoft.

If you report a problem like this one, it is most helpful if you include
information about your system including video card, RAM, display type,
OS, and Powerpoint version. When a pattern becomes apparant then it
helps narrow down the cause and makes a fix likely to happen.

In a way I'm surprised that there hasn't been a major update to fix some
of the more noticeable issues, but maybe the imment release of Tiger has
something to do with the delay. I imagine that Microsoft folks must be
testing Office in Tiger (at least I hope they are).

-Jim

 

[mgsite]

Well I can say that the problem DOES NOT show up on my brand new
Powerbook G4 (1.67/128vram/1gb RAM). So its interesting that MS appears
to have a machine configuration specific bug here. The people who have
reported these artifacting problems must be running either an old video
driver or video card specific problem. I see the problem ALL DAY LONG
on a Quicksilver G4 with a 32 meg nvidia twinview card (stock on the
machine). So perhaps its the nvidia drivers. My new powerbook has a ATI
card in it.

I have to say this is the one thing about the mac that annoys me. On
Windows you can usually just go upgrade the video driver to solve
problems like this. On the mac I am at the mercy of Apple's video
driver upgrades and what they choose to do and when.

So, MS, you get points for not having a wide spread bug, but it would
be nice if you could test across multiple mac configurations so you
don't leave out those users who don't have the latest and greatest
hardware.

-m