Hi Jim, I haven't been following this thread too closely as it has gotten rather long and as usual covers quite a few subjects, but just a couple thoughts regarding your wanting to access excel data.
One thing you could do is to input the data into an excel spreadsheet and then export it to a .csv file. then, create a database in the database manager of the MPower and finally import the data into that. I have gotten transaction downloads from my bank and one of the format options is to download it in a .csv format. I did this and then opened the file using excel and was able to see the headings and all. Then I created a database on the MPower using field names the same as the headings on the spreadsheet. Finally, I imported the original .csv file into that database and it reads really well. Since the ongoing balances were in the original downloaded transaction data, they ported over to the MPower database just fine. Since you can select transaction downloads by several criteria including a from and to date, you can set up a date rage of transactions and then import them into your database as time goes on. I've tried this also and it does work. Maybe not the best solution ever in the world, but it does work. Sorry to be so long, but since there does seem to be some real interest here I thought I'd explain in detail what I'm doing here. If you can access your banking system with the MPower, I see no reason why you couldn't download the .csv files directly using the MPower. With a little work you could even figure out the correct content for the headings without having to use excel thereby getting around the need for a computer although the computer would certainly make the setup task easier. Don On Sat, 5 Aug 2006 14:11:28 -0600, James Aldrich wrote: Paul, For now, I just want to be able to read and interpret an XL spreadsheet, and have the ability to put this into hard copy braille without needing to input the data again. I'm not all that concerned whether the M-power has pocket XL or not, I just want to be able to deal with the XL spreadsheet, have it with me in my M-power to go over in a meeting or have the ability to access it quickly should I need to do so. I can deal with pdf files rather easily for the most part with the 7.0 adobe acrobat reader which works well in Windows XP. I have found ways to convert these to text so am not all that worried about .pdf. It is the Xl files which I need to master and import elsewhere so I can read them and put them into hard copy braille if need be. I don't want to input the data again by hand. Jim Aldrich ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Henrichsen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Braillenote List'" <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 12:00 PM Subject: RE: [Braillenote] Vitally important suggestion for the next upgrade > Hi, Jim. That's the problem with being on a list<grin>. You read a message > from someone and you want to reply to one of their points. > I suppose if you could read every message in a given topic then formulate > your answers based on all of those topics, that would certainly reduce the > number of replies<grin>. > I see what you are saying here and agree that as blind folks, we do need > something to allow us to manipulate pdf and xls files on the braille note. > My take on this is this. > I don't mind having pocket excel on my bn, but give me a simple financial > program to use while I get up to speed on my spreadsheet knowledge. And if > I > am one of those who just can't get the hang of a spreadsheet, don't leave > me > out in the cold with nothing. Give me something that I can use. > So, we really need both methods. Some people are happy writing in a > notepad > type of application. Others want a full bodied word processor with all the > bells and whistles. > But if I am not very good at computers or using some of the more advanced > features of my braille note and all I have is pocket excel for anything > financial, as a user, what am I to do? > Paul Henrichsen > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of James Aldrich > Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 8:58 PM > To: Braillenote List > Subject: Re: [Braillenote] Vitally important suggestion for the next > upgrade > Paul, > I think you could have condensed those fifteen or so messages down to > three, > goodness! > Having said that, I think a totally different aspect of this discussion > has > been neglected! Like it or not, we must deal with .pdf or .XLS files in > some way or at some point! Both of these file types are widely used and > we > unfortunately must deal with them! I know very little if anything about > spreadsheets, yet I've been asked to make braille hard copies of some of > our > state organization's financial matters. This certainly is a dandy > challenge > for a person who barely knows how to read a spread sheet to put it into > braille in a form that might make sense to someone who understands them. > That is a dandy challenge! My newer computer has XL and I can get an idea > of the layout of the spreadsheet and maybe make some sense out of what I > think I see there. Thanks to XL, I'm able to at least find columns, and > specific data within those columns but getting this from my PC to braille > and make as much sense and do so efficiently really is a seemingly > impossible task! Heaven Forbid I'd need to reenter all the data by hand > myself! I use my M-power to braille what I do much of the time. I wish > there was a simple, efficient way to interpret the data within the > spreadsheet and have it available in hard copy braille very quickly so it > could be sent to those who request the information within that > spreadsheet. > That is my immediate need whether I know what I'm talking about or not. > It > would be nice to simply read the spreadsheet on my M-power and make some > sense of it. Having money management programs or calculators are nice but > how much nicer it would be if we could import a spreadsheet and get the > information quickly without much effort and a person could take more time > to > study the data within the spreadsheet rather than spend so much energy > trying to figure a way to place it in a format which makes sense to those > who understand spreadsheets. Tasks like this make me cringe! I'd rather > run away rather than face the task at hand! I truly hate this kind of > thing! Is there a way to make this donting task a bit easier and maybe a > bit more satisfying? > Jim Aldrich > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Paul Henrichsen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "'Braillenote List'" <[email protected]> > Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 4:55 PM > Subject: RE: [Braillenote] Vitally important suggestion for the next > upgrade >> Hi, Mike. I suppose it is only vitally important for those people where >> the >> Braille note is their only computer or for those who want their financial >> data such as their checking account or credit card balance with them on >> the >> go. >> >> >> >> Paul Henrichsen >> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mike Garrett >> Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 2:19 PM >> To: Braillenote List >> Subject: Re: [Braillenote] Vitally important suggestion for the next >> upgrade >> >> I suppose it is "picking a nit," but though the suggestion might be a >> useful >> feature to a lot of people, calling it "vitally important" is more than >> hyperbole! >> >> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>From: "VIRGIE UNDERWOOD" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>To: "Braillenote List" <[email protected] >>>Date: Thu, 03 Aug 2006 21:28:22 -0400 >>>Subject: Re: [Braillenote] Vitally important suggestion for the >> next upgrade >> >>>Hi Rusty, >>>This is an excellent suggestion and I agree that it is something >> that most >>>of us would like to see for our BrailleNotes. >>>Virgie and Hoshi >>>----- Original Message ----- >>>From: "Rusty Perez" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>To: "'Braillenote List'" <[email protected] >>>Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 6:36 PM >>>Subject: [Braillenote] Vitally important suggestion for the next >> upgrade >> >> >>>> Hi folks, >>>> I believe that keysoft NEEDS a financial management component >> like >>>> Quicken. >>>> Most sighted people keep a log of their checks. Many keep a >> budget sheet >>>> to >>>> track expenses and expendatures ETC. >> >>>> Some one is bound to answer this by saying that there's a >> calculator and a >>>> database program and that this should be enough. I'm not savi >> enough to do >>>> the leg work to do the math, go from one to the other. >> >>>> I hope that some one can harness the power of the bn to create >> an >>>> application where we can simply and easily enter these figures, >> categorize >>>> them, automatically perform the calculations to let us know how >> much we >>>> are >>>> spending and saving on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis. >>>> It would even be cool if the BN had built in formulas to help us >> calculate >>>> interest, convert measurements, other simple tasks. >> >>>> I'm not a math wizzard, I need something to help me do these >> things. An >>>> economics major a finance expert could probably make a list of >> the >>>> features >>>> we'd need, but I think that if we could just have a BN version >> of quicken, >>>> we'd be ahead of the game. >> >>>> I think these things would make our lives much easier. >> >>>> Thanks for reading! >>>> Rusty >> >> >>>> ___ >>>> To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >>>> http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote >> >> >> >>>___ >>>To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >>>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >>>http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote >> >> >> ___ >> To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >> http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote >> >> >> __________ NOD32 1.1692 (20060804) Information __________ >> >> This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. >> http://www.eset.com >> >> >> >> ___ >> To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >> http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote >> >> >> > ___ > To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit > http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote > __________ NOD32 1.1693 (20060805) Information __________ > This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. > http://www.eset.com > ___ > To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit > http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote > ___ To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote __________ NOD32 1.1693 (20060805) Information __________ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com ___ To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
