I have to agree with Pat, I've looked at the paper size on various computers
around the planet, all generally have inches set as standard and the clock to
am/pm. Paper however is normally A4. I've wondered if various programs look at
the Country selection in Windows before deciding what the default settings
might be. When you first buy a new computer it asks which Country you live in
during the initial boot up.
I agree with John Frewen-Lord that Adobe is a nuisance, I print on A4 paper but
the document is all inches. Even my HP printer gives the size of the paper in
inches and decimal inches for the A4 size. All very annoying.
Mike Payne
----- Original Message -----
From: Ametrica
To: pat.naugh...@metricationmatters.com
Cc: Ressel Howard ; Jakuba Stanislav ; Chernack Phil ; Winn Andrew ; Abbat
Pierre ; Payne Mike ; Stone Ron ; Kocz Remek ; Moore Patrick ; McKinney Teran ;
Wade Tom ; Saxton Jon ; MacDonald Carleton ; Wyeth Harry W ; Bushnell Robert H
; Darfus Jason ; Steele John ; Mechtly Gene ; Hilger Don ; Davis Stephen ;
Frewen-lord John ; Vliestra Martin ; Naughtin Pat ; Trusten Paul ; Paice Robin
; Pollard Derek ; Berenger ; UKMA ; Burns Eric ; Hall Phil ; augustine
Sent: Thursday, 17 June 2010 03:15
Subject: [USMA:47834] Re: superscripts for SI symbols
What is stopping anyone from developing their own software that will compete
against Microsoft and Apple that can be sold as Metric friendly. If someone
develops a superior product and it outsells Microsoft and Apple and defaults to
proper SI, then and only then will Microsoft & Apple take notice and change
their ways. In the mean time you can just manually change the setting to
metric and A4 and they work fine.
I'm wondering though if what you said is actually true. It may be so for
versions in English, but may not be so in other languages. It may also depend
on the computers settings in Windows Control Panel; Regional & Language
settings. I set my measurement setting to metric. The default is USC, but is
that so everywhere in the English world? Change the default to metric and see
if it fixes the problems. Other languages may already default to metric and
the problems you mention don't exist.
Of course if no one is really complaining, will Microsoft and Apple change
anything?
I also know that AutoCAD defaults to inch settings as Standard. I've
received AutoCAD drawings from overseas and the default setting in the
configurations were in inches with inch default values, even though the entire
drawing was in millimetres. I edited the values to metric when I could and
returned the marked up drawing with the new metric settings back to the source.
Those making the drawing may not know that the default values can be changed
and so don't bother. They may have discovered a different work-around.
[USMA:47834] Re: superscripts for SI symbols
Pat Naughtin
Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:22:25 -0700
Dear Bill and All,
Underlying these issues with writing and reading superscripts for square metres
(m²) and for cubic metres (m³) is the thought that the original software
writers (mostly at Apple and at Microsoft) are deeply opposed to the metric
system and its use in the world.
As an example, both of these companies provide word processing software for
schools all around the world with the page defaults set to 'US Letter', the
margins set to 1 inch top and bottom and 1 1/4 inches on the right and left
sides of the page. Any student in the UK has to come to terms with (by learning
about) old Imperial measures, before they can complete a project on (say) the
invention of the metric system in London.
It seems to me that the solution to the issue of the superscripts lies in
approaches to Apple, Microsoft, and any other word processor software writing
companies.
Any thoughts?
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin
