Hints and tips on data conversion and transfer

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• MacDisk
• MacImage
• Download
• Support
• FAQs
• Site Map

Introduction

We publish below all hints, tips and clues we collect in our daily work, from the feedback of users of our programs MacDisk, MacImage and MacText and from the discussion forums and newsgroups we visit regularly.

Applications Existing on Both Platforms

Things a relatively easy when the program exists on both computers. This is true for most big applications: business software, DTP software, etc. In this case, the files are binary-compatible (most of the time). You only have to move the data from one computer to the other and to open the file in the target application. As an example, versions of MS-Word and MS-Excel are binary-compatible upwardly and you should not have problems moving data from one computer to the other at the same version level (or higher).

• Business software
• Claris (Apple) Works
• File Maker Pro (Claris)
• MS-Word
• MS-Excel
• MS-Works
• MS PowerPoint
• RagTime
• WordPerfect (now Corel)
• DTP
• DTP (generally)
• InDesign
• PageMaker
• Xpress
• Graphics
• Corel Draw!
• Freehand
• Illustrator
• Photoshop
• Multimedia
• Multimedia files (generally)
• Director
• Flash
• QuickTime

Applications existing only on the Macintosh

• MacWrite
• MacDraw

Applications existing only on the PC

• Word Pro from Lotus/IBM (née Amì Pro, née Samna Word)

Generic Graphic Formats

According the feedback we get from our users, exchanging graphic files between Macintosh and PC, mostly when you only have to mount these pictures in DTP layouts, gives best results when you use uncompressed Tiff files (bitmap pictures) and EPS files (vector graphics). More generally, graphic packages accept several formats as input and offer to export to different formats. Some tests can be useful when you are starting exchanging files with a new partner. These tests are absolutely necessary if the pictures are complex.

• TIFF files
• EPS files
• Other graphic formats

Special Cases

• Fonts
• Print files
• Compressed files

Conversion Tools

• WinConv
• MacText

Other interesting Web sites on data exchange between Mac and PC

• Wotsit's File Format Collection, quite a lot of file formats specifications.
• dotwhat.net File Extension Resource, interesting web site on file extensions and their identification.
• Patrick Peccatte manages a page on how Windows NT stores Macintosh files under the Services For Macintosh (SFM).

How to Keep a Link to This Page?

If you want to create a link to our site, you can point to this page, or on the main entry point (https://www.macdisk.com), since some pages could be created and other deleted. Just copy following code in your own HTML:
<a href="https://www.macdisk.com/annexeen.php">Logiciels & Services Duhem</a>.
In turn, if you want us to include your address on this page (or on another one), just write us an e-mail.

All hints and tips on this site were collected through up to december 2009. They are published here "as is", without any liability for us. We think that they are reliable and correspond to the reality. If you intend to use them or to make recommendations using them, you should first ascertain that they work as you intend in your precise working conditions.