# NT OT Is MS Office 2010 compatible with MS Office 2003?



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

This is Off Topic and does not involve trains but it is somewhat related to MLS in that I use Microsoft Office (Word, Excel etc.) to organize and format information and photos that I end up using on MLS.

This has nothing to do with any programs other than Microsoft Office or how Microsoft Office might compare with any other programs.

All of my computers currently have licensed versions of MS Office 2003 Professional Edition. What brings this topic up is that I now have a licensed version of MS Office 2010 Professional Plus BUT I can only install it on two computers. 

This means I have two choices:
1. run 2010 on two computers and convert their files to make them backward compatible with the other computers running 2003 or
2. forget about using 2010 and just stay with 2003 (as far as I know there is nothing new in 2010 that would be important to me)



*My questions are (ONLY) for those MLSers who happen to be proficient both with Office 2003 AND with Office 2010.*

1. MS states that their converter program makes it possible for MS Office 2003 to work with MS Office 2010 files. Aside from something that may be new and unique to 2010, is there a downside of trying to maintain compatibility between 2010 and 2003 files?

2. All computers but one (that has Vista) are running XP SP3. Would there be any problems with installing Office 2010 on a P4 HT 3.0 MHz?

3. Is it possible on a home network to share a single installation of Office Professional Plus 2010 with multiple computers? 

If answering the above would be easier via email or by phone, send me an email and, if you like, include your phone number and I will call you.



PLEASE DO NOT confuse me by providing anything about any programs other than Microsoft Office 2003 and 2010. I do not have the slightest interest in changing to anything else. This has nothing to do with what is best. It has everything to do with staying with what I know and am comfortable with.

Thanks,

Jerry McColgan


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry,

I just did exactly what you are doing. I installed MS Office 2010 Pro about six or seven months ago. All of my old Office docs (Office Pro2003 and older) were and are compatible. I really like some of the new goodies in Office 2010 Pro!


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Office 2007 and 2010 allos you to save files in the older Office 1997-2003 format. As for sharing a single installation, I doubt that is possible as most Windows programs rely on DLL's, OCX's and other shared library files which need to be on the local machine. While I'm not 100% sure, I'd bet that even if it's do-able it would be a PITA to set up and would require that you purchase additional licenses anyway, making it cost ineffective. The exception is Office Home and Student Edition which allows you to install up to three copies on three different machines for one low price - less than $100.00 in some places. Home and Student Edition includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and something called OneNotes (which I don't even bother to install). If you don't need Outlook or Access, Home and Student is the way to go imho.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

I have Office 2007, so this might not be correct for 2010, but here is what I did. I have too many older 97-03 files in excel and word and an older computer that needs those older file formats. Our main computer runs on windows 7. I set it up in the preferences to save everything in 97-03 format. This works for me. Once you set it up in the preferences it does it automatically, you don't have to make any changes in the save window.


Chuck


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

1. Only downside is that if you want to use some of the new features only in office 2010, then you cannot save them in the old 2003 format (and of course cannot "see" them) 

2. No 

3. You need to define what you mean by sharing. You cannot install your single copy on more machines at one time than the license says, which seems to be 2 in your case. You can share a computer with another (like remote controlling it's desktop)... There is a free program that allows you to do that, try teamviewer (at teamviewer.com). You cannot "remotely" use any windows program from another computer, like a mainframe and terminal relationship. 

By the way, just to make sure I am qualified to answer, I have owned and used every version of Office from Word 1.0 to Office 2011. (Same for Windows) 

Greg


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry...one more MAJOR thing. Office 2007/2010 has a completely different man-machine interface from 2003. You will have to remaster the use of all the programs. The pull down menus are GONE. All the controls are in different places. I was totally comfortable running all versions of Office until I got the 2007 version...and there are still features I routinely used in 2003 that I can't even find in 2007...it's that different..,and I've been running it for four years. Outlook is the only Office 2007 program that works pretty much the same.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

It took a while to find the missing stuff in 2007, it was there, but hidden under layers of new icons. 

In 2010, lots of original stuff is gone, completely reorganized, and I hate it. 

I have to run 2010 to be able to advise people on big problems, and how to design some work flow stuff, and I find the new interface is more cutesy, but more layers of work to get to what I want to do. It's clearly the goal of Microsoft to emulate apple in producing something that does not need to be "learned" at all. 

Greg


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By Dwight Ennis on 06 May 2011 02:03 PM 
Office 2007 and 2010 allos you to save files in the older Office 1997-2003 format. As for sharing a single installation, I doubt that is possible as most Windows programs rely on DLL's, OCX's and other shared library files which need to be on the local machine. While I'm not 100% sure, I'd bet that even if it's do-able it would be a PITA to set up and would require that you purchase additional licenses anyway, making it cost ineffective.





Posted By Gary Armitstead on 06 May 2011 01:34 PM
Jerry,

I really like some of the new goodies in Office 2010 Pro!













Posted By chuck n on 06 May 2011 02:56 PM 

Our main computer runs on windows 7. I set it up in the preferences to save everything in 97-03 format. This works for me. Once you set it up in the preferences it does it automatically, you don't have to make any changes in the save window.


Chuck 




Posted By Mike Reilley on 06 May 2011 03:10 PM 
Jerry...one more MAJOR thing. Office 2007/2010 has a completely different man-machine interface from 2003. You will have to remaster the use of all the programs. The pull down menus are GONE. All the controls are in different places. I was totally comfortable running all versions of Office until I got the 2007 version...and there are still features I routinely used in 2003 that I can't even find in 2007...it's that different..,and I've been running it for four years. Outlook is the only Office 2007 program that works pretty much the same. 


I appreciate everyone's comments.

Rather than to try to answer everyone individually (I have about 30 minutes experience with 2010 so far) I am just going to comment on the above.

Based on Dwight's and Chuck's comments it looks like that is the way to go for me (just keep everything in 2003 format).

Mike also hit the nail on the head. So far I don't like 2010 at all. It is SO different that it will be a PITA to try to understand how to use it without putting a lot of work into it.

Since it would be cost prohibitive to put it on all the computers and some (especially the older laptops) would probably not run it well, there is little incentive for me to put much effort into learning 2010.

Since I will have 2010 on one or two computers, what are some of the new goodies that might be desirable for someone like me who does not do much beyond Word, Excel and Picture Manager (which is very different in 2010)?

Does it handle multi-megabyte images any better than 2003?

Many thanks,

Jerry


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

An added comment. I was and am still basically a MAC person. I went to windows based machines to have GPS and map options that weren't available in a MAC supported format. I hate office 2007. Three years later I am still learning how to do things that worked easily in the old system, office 03. I had "03" on both my MAC and older windows machine. I could easily move files across the two formats. My thought is that the "improvements" are only for Microsoft. 

I resent having to buy new "Office" program when ever I get a new computer. Especially when they are harder to use and are different.

My first computer was a MAC 128. It had an operating system and a word processing program THAT WORKED on a single sided floppy (400+ kb?). My contention is that 99% of the users of word processing and data management would be happy with the old MacWrite and an early version of excel. I don't need or want any of the new bells and whistles.


As a scientist who uses symbols, superscripts , subscripts and other oddball notation it used to be simple, pull down a menu and there it was (MAC). Now I have to go through multiple steps to get what I want. 

These "new and better programs" eat up memory for no additional benefit. It is too bad that program writers aren't limited by memory requirements!!!

Chuck 


Jerry, unfortunately, if you have office 2010 on your machine, you will have to learn it. You can save your documents in an older format so that you can read them on older machines. BUT the bottom line is, you need to learn a new more complicated program to do what you used to do very easily.


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Jerry, 

My only comment is - if you send MS Office ...x files to anyone, ie .docx, etc., make sure they can open them and open them correctly. 
My older MS Office for the Mac can't open any .docx files, ironically, I have to use the Apple Word equivalent called pages to open .docx files; Open Office struggles with these .docx files as well. 

Knut


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

I strongly agree with Knut. Send files as older versions (.doc, and equalivents). I hated it at work when upper management always had the latest program and we couldn't open their emails in "docx".

Chuck


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Chuck, have you tried Office 2011 on your mac yet? 

Greg


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg:

No. I doubt that I will until I need a new machine. Then I will probably have to.

Chuck 


Jerry:

Unfortunately, you are going to have to spend the time to learn the new program. My suggestion only allows you to save your work in a format that your older programs can read. There is no easy way to use it for everyday operations without a steep learning curve.

Nothing is obvious. Things like print, save and save as show up only when you click on the logo in the upper left corner. I had to call my son to learn that, and it took him 40 minutes to figure it out in the first place.

Chuck


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

It sounds like Microsoft hired some engineers from Blackberry. With the Blackberry, I was told it would do everything you needed. Course, finding the keys to the ignition for most things was impossible. That is why I now have a Droid.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By chuck n on 06 May 2011 06:17 PM 
I resent having to buy new "Office" program when ever I get a new computer. Especially when they are harder to use and are different.

My first computer was a MAC 128. It had an operating system and a word processing program THAT WORKED on a single sided floppy (400+ kb?). My contention is that 99% of the users of word processing and data management would be happy with the old MacWrite and an early version of excel. I don't need or want any of the new bells and whistles.


As a scientist who uses symbols, superscripts , subscripts and other oddball notation it used to be simple, pull down a menu and there it was (MAC). Now I have to go through multiple steps to get what I want. 

It is too bad that program writers aren't limited by memory requirements!!!

Chuck 


Jerry, unfortunately, if you have office 2010 on your machine, you will have to learn it. You can save your documents in an older format so that you can read them on older machines. BUT the bottom line is, you need to learn a new more complicated program to do what you used to do very easily.


Hi Chuck,

My 1st PC was a Commodore 64. From that I went to IBM PC's, XT's, AT's and from a Radio Shack 100 portable to IBM Convertibles, P70's etc. I bought an IBM XT through an employee purchase program ($100 a month for 36 months) which was limited to only a CGA monitor because the company said no one had any need or use for an EGA monitor.

I started with Word Perfect on 5 1/4" floppies, 1-2-3 on a PC Jr. cartridge and dBase III. I could do 90% of what I do now faster and easier then once I learned how to work with Word Perfect, 1-2-3 and dBase. What I could not do I could learn to program the software to do because the software was programmable and came with massive manuals.

In many ways the worst time was when I was forced into buying Windows 3.11 because suddenly there was a massive explosion in system requirements for processing speed, hard disk capacity (and speed) and image resolution.

Granted that VGA was a wonderful improvement and Super VGA reached a level that I could be happy with today. Same with printers. Dot Matrix clearly is no match for Laser-Jet, Ink Jet etc. but once 300 DPI was reached not much more is needed (for me). 

While computers far less than $3,000 and laser printers under $2,500 are wonderful, now the focus is on obsoleting perfectly good equipment and forcing us to buy new computers and software because either support is discontinued; older hardware and software is incompatible with new hardware and software or internet hackers and viruses force us into newer stuff.

That's why I finally had enough and bought a bunch of used Chinese Lenovo (AKA IBM) P4 HT computers with Windows XP Pro and Office 2003 that can legally be loaded on everything. I should have enough equipment and software to last me until I die unless Microsoft or Norton find a way to kill what I have.

The Office 2010 was a hedge against what might happen in the future. It was an employee purchase at a price I could not pass up so it will sit on one computer where I have all the time in the world to figure it out. I might as well learn the basics of how to use it but there are a couple of Lenovos a few rooms away (with 2003) in case I run into any problems with 2010.

I guess Microsoft and the rest of the hardware & software companies have no choice. If they stopped obsoleting their current products the market would reach a point where there would be insufficient demand for new products for them to survive. Still, I don't have to like it. 

On the other hand I think the government(s) should make it mandatory for any convicted hackers to be immediately drafted into the military service (or as soon as they are old enough to qualify). Then they can learn how to become responsible citizens and instead of being hired as expensive consultants they would work for the government for a Private's pay.

Jerry


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow. Um......yikes!! Congrats gentlemen, You have thoroughly and completely scared me me into a terminal case of computer heebie-jeebies!!! I have the Office Home version and I think I'll just stick with it for the time being thank you very much!


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By krs on 06 May 2011 07:54 PM 
Jerry, 

My only comment is - if you send MS Office ...x files to anyone, ie .docx, etc., make sure they can open them and open them correctly. 
My older MS Office for the Mac can't open any .docx files, ironically, I have to use the Apple Word equivalent called pages to open .docx files; Open Office struggles with these .docx files as well. 

Knut 

Knut,

I have now changed Word and Excel to save as Office 2003 Word and Excel documents.

Jerry


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

Microsfot has a plug in for 200 through 2003 office. It allows them to work with and save as the 2010 files. I am sure there are some things adjusted for the programs but it might help. It is at: 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...70-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By Ironton on 08 May 2011 10:03 AM 
Microsfot has a plug in for 200 through 2003 office. It allows them to work with and save as the 2010 files. I am sure there are some things adjusted for the programs but it might help. It is at: 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...70-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en 

Hi Rich,

I had found that and I was going to use it until I realized I can simply save my 2010 Word and Excel files in 2003 format and not bother with making any changes to the rest of the computers. If there was something in 2010 that was really important to me, the _Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint File Formats_ would have been necessary.

Thanks,

Jerry


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## nkelsey (Jan 4, 2008)

As a person who GREATLY missed the old menu system in the office suite, I was very happy to find an neat and free little program called Ubitmenu. Here is the review on PC World. Free, easy to install and works great, everything you want in software. 

PC World review 
@import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Provide...ad.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Nice find Nick! Looks like it has been updated for 2007 and 2010. 

Thanks! 

Greg


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By nkelsey on 08 May 2011 09:04 PM 
As a person who GREATLY missed the old menu system in the office suite, I was very happy to find an neat and free little program called Ubitmenu. Here is the review on PC World. Free, easy to install and works great, everything you want in software. 

PC World review 


Hi Nick,

That looks like just what I need - and* exactly the sort of thing I was looking for when I started this topic. * 
I hate the new menu system.

As far as I am concerned, Office 2003 was not broke so I have no desire to fix or replace it. Being able to keep the original menu system is perfect.

Thank you for providing the information and the link.

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

I just found out that I have a problem with some old PowerPoint files that I created in 1996. I am guessing that I was using Office XP at the time.

When I try to open these files in Office 2010 PowerPoint I get this error message:










And when I try to open those files with Office 2003 PowerPoint I get a different error message that says something about registry security settings prohibiting access.

The only thing I can guess at is that I was working in 1996 and I had installed Office XP under Jerome McColgan and later I installed Office 2003 and 2010 under Jerry McColgan so the author's name (my name) does not match the current installation's administrator's name which is Jerry McColgan. 

What is strange is that the preview shows the document images are there - I just cannot open them.

The help files I found are pretty complex and I have to think there is a simple solution.

If I need to I have some spare computers that I could install Office XP or Office 2000 on but I would not know how to change those documents to make them readable with Office 2003 or 2010.

Any ideas?

Also, once I do get them open (perhaps in Office XP or in Office 2000) is there an easy way to change the PPT images into JPG images?

Thanks,

Jerry


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

The different names you installed under is not the problem. It sounds like the file is actually corrupted, even though it has the right extension. 

Having several versions installed at the same time could explain the registry security settings. 

Make sure the file is not in a read only directory, or is set to read only itself. 

Email a file to a friend to see if he can open it. 

PPT files are a sequence of images, jpg is only one image... you could probably extract all the images in a ppt file to multiple jpg files, not just one. 

Greg


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Ironically, even though I have MS Office 2004 on the Mac, I often end up using Apple Keynotes to open some older power point files. 
I'm not suggesting you buy a Mac, but perhaps you should download Open Office to give you another potential option to open some of these older files. 

Knut


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

It's free also. (openoffice.org) Good idea Knut! 

Greg


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

I am sure that clickng on the "Show Help>>" button inundated you with worse than useless info.









You might have a problem with "Ownership" settings. These are rather obscure and difficult to address. I have managed to re-arrange the settings and get access to some files, but it took hours of head scratching and seemingly doing the same steps over and over before something clicked and it worked. I have no idea what I did "different" that last time that let me in. I was changing ownership and permissions on both individual files and several nested subdirectories that contained the files. Real "Can o' worms".

You might try e-mailing the file to yourself as an attachment and store the attachment in a different directory (one that you know you can open other files from) to see if you can open the new one; change the name while storing it also.

If that works and you find another file that you can't get to, you might try just copying it to another directory to see if that helps. But the e-mail to yourself trick has worked a few times for me!


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

I actually lucked out. While doing some other stuff on another computer (sort of a master computer) I discovered the original BMP files that I had used to create the PPT files so at least for now the problem has been resolved. The BMP were easy to convert to JPG. I use MS Paint to do this since for some reason it seems to be the only Windows or Office program that will do it.

I only run a single version of Office on any computer but I have extra computers so I can always load old programs on a spare computer if nothing else works.

This was a pretty rare situation in that I needed an image I had created back in 1996. I have no idea why I put it in PowerPoint in that I would have had no need to make any sort of presentation out of the images. Back then I was proficient in all the capabilities of Office because I used to teach the other salesmen all across the US how to make their presentations and I had direct access to IT professionals to help me if I ran into any problems.

Thanks guys,

Jerry


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Posted By Steve Stockham on 07 May 2011 07:35 AM 
Wow. Um......yikes!! Congrats gentlemen, You have thoroughly and completely scared me me into a terminal case of computer heebie-jeebies!!! I have the Office Home version and I think I'll just stick with it for the time being thank you very much! 



Yes me too Steve...........


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Nicholas Savatgy on 16 May 2011 07:20 PM 
Posted By Steve Stockham on 07 May 2011 07:35 AM 
Wow. Um......yikes!! Congrats gentlemen, You have thoroughly and completely scared me me into a terminal case of computer heebie-jeebies!!! I have the Office Home version and I think I'll just stick with it for the time being thank you very much! 



Yes me too Steve...........










I can now die happy, knowing that I at least had some effect while present upon this earthly vale of tears.


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 16 May 2011 09:21 PM 
Posted By Nicholas Savatgy on 16 May 2011 07:20 PM 
Posted By Steve Stockham on 07 May 2011 07:35 AM 
Wow. Um......yikes!! Congrats gentlemen, You have thoroughly and completely scared me me into a terminal case of computer heebie-jeebies!!! I have the Office Home version and I think I'll just stick with it for the time being thank you very much! 



Yes me too Steve...........










I can now die happy, knowing that I at least had some effect while present upon this earthly vale of tears.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By krs on 16 May 2011 08:28 AM 
perhaps you should download Open Office to give you another potential option to open some of these older files. 

Knut 

Hi Knut,

Good advice. I will try to remember it if I run into further problems.

I found it here:

http://www.openoffice.us.com/openof...;pk=1546-4

and I am posting the link for my own future use in case I need it.

Thanks,

Jerry


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

bad link.... the official site is http://openoffice.org much easier to remember... 

Greg


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

For those of us who have mixed feelings whether computers have enhanced our lives or not - read on. 
At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated, 

'If Ford had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon.' 

In response to Bill 's comments, Ford issued a press release stating: 

If Ford had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics (and I just love this part): 

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash.........Twice a day. 

2... Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car. 

3... Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this. 

4. Occasionally, executing a manoeuvre such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine. 

5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads. 

6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single 'This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation' warning light. 

7. The airbag system would ask 'Are you sure?' before deploying. 

8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna. 

9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car. 

10. You'd have to press the 'Start' button to turn the engine off. 

PS - I 'd like to add that when all else fails, you could call ' customer service ' in some foreign country and be instructed in some foreign language how to fix your car yourself!!!! 

Maybe share this with your friends who love - hate relationship with their computer?


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

An Oldie but a Goodie! 

Could use a slight update but is still true in most respects.


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