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So as I am understanding, this there is no way to save the report so you can go back and compare it to past reports except to print it. I'm not much of a computer person so some one correct me if I am wrong. I guess I don't understand "Print to a PDF", How would you do this.

6PtStar wrote:So as I am understanding, this there is no way to save the report so you can go back and compare it to past reports except to print it. I'm not much of a computer person so some one correct me if I am wrong. I guess I don't understand "Print to a PDF", How would you do this.

I've never done it myself. But I think it must somehow convert it to a pdf file so it can be saved.

The solution I found that will allow you to save your data to a .pdf file is a free application called PrimoPDF. You download the application and it installs a PDF printer as a printer choice. When you are viewing the Viewer report, select print and it brings up a box that allows you to choose which printer you would like to print to. Pull down the menu and there it is... PrimoPDF printer. It will generate a .pdf file so you can save your data .

Here is the link to PrimoPDF.

http://www.primopdf.com/

Ted the Tritrator

I haven't used that software but the two I've used cost $. The most expensive is Adobe Acrobat Professional, the cheaper one is "cutepdf". Both work the same way - it sets up a dummy printer.

Note that the same method can be used to save most things you can view on the screen to PDF. For example, if there's a thread on this forum I want to save, I "print" to CutePDF or AdobePDF (it asks where I want to save it and what name I want to use) and that saves it in a file that looks just like the screen.

I rarely print to paper anymore (save those trees!)

Mindy

Hey, Thanks. Seems i had an old copy of Acrobat (Standard Version 6.0) that I had not used much since I stopped doing a newsletter for a club I was in. Just tried it and it worked, I did not know it would do that.

Titrator wrote:The solution I found that will allow you to save your data to a .pdf file is a free application called PrimoPDF. You download the application and it installs a PDF printer as a printer choice. When you are viewing the Viewer report, select print and it brings up a box that allows you to choose which printer you would like to print to. Pull down the menu and there it is... PrimoPDF printer. It will generate a .pdf file so you can save your data .

Here is the link to PrimoPDF.

http://www.primopdf.com/

Ted the Tritrator

I already had a pdf choice for the printer, too. I tried it and it worked. But I'm happy to learn of the primoPDF because I'm helping others get their therapy going and this will come in handy.

Here's another one:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/

It also acts as a printer.

Here's one that actually allows you to edit pdfs to some degree:
http://www.pdf995.com/

Titrator, thanks for your detailed review of Viewer & comparison with Pro. This is very helpful!

Ron

To Titrator, or anyone else that owns and uses Encore Viewer:

Can you please check and tell us if there is an easy way to find out whether Respironics issues minor updates/bug fixes and makes them available to people who own a licensed copy of Encore Viewer? For example, perhaps a "check for updates" option?

Much of the software I use (iTunes, MS Office, many others) has something like this, so the end user can get minor updates & bug fixes for free. Or, there's a website you can go to download these minor updates.

Encore Pro (the version I'm using, 1.8.49) does not, though. As discussed elsewhere on this forum, there's a newer version of Pro, 1.8.65, which probably has minor bug fixes or better Vista compatibility or somesuch. But there does not appear to be a way for someone who owns 1.8.49 to obtain 1.8.65, other than purchasing a new copy - something that wouldn't make sense for such a minor update.

I think this is particularly important for Encore Viewer, because it is a brand new product (cpap.com is selling version 1.00, I think). The newer the product, the more likely it has bugs (remember, Respironics is the company that brought you machines that occasionally forget to write data to the card - those infamous "missing nights" of data). I'd hate to shell out the $$$ for Encore Viewer only to find I'm forever locked into version 1.00, especially if in 3 or 6 months Respironics replaces it with version 1.01 or 1.1 with bug fixes.

A related question: When you buy Encore Viewer, does Respironics provide tech support? Is it via toll-free phone, email, or paid phone support? I ask because cpap.com says it doesn't support Encore Viewer. I don't expect most of us would need much tech support, but it's good to know we have the option before spending our hard-earned money. Especially with a product that is in version 1.0.

Thank you!

RosemaryB wrote:

Anonymous wrote:they should use the standard storage like usb (very cost effective and excellent capacity) Universal, Cost effective, Versatile and High Capacity for 1GB (USD10) and last for many years.......

If you mean the memory sticks or flash drives, it's my understanding that they don't last very long, and that are not good devices for permanent storage. They would be cost effective, universal, versatile, and high capacity. I agree with that part.

Have you ever had and/or used a memory stick? I've been carrying the same one around in my pocket daily for 5 years or so now (LexarMedia JumpDrive). ABSOLUTELY no problems with it. Speaking from personal experience, they are good storage devices that do last a long time.

If anyone have use the card utility software from mycpap.org, you will notice the file saved is 32K in size. That's very small compare to memory stick/thumb drive. One thumb drive will probably hold many days or months of data. Is funny to think multi megabytes/gigabytes of RAM in PC just to process a mere 32k of smart card data.

GreenIce wrote:If anyone have use the card utility software from mycpap.org, you will notice the file saved is 32K in size. That's very small compare to memory stick/thumb drive. One thumb drive will probably hold many days or months of data. Is funny to think multi megabytes/gigabytes of RAM in PC just to process a mere 32k of smart card data.

The ram in the PC isn't needed to process the smartcard data, it's needed to support the Bloated Operating System, so we can do more than one thing at a time. If you are willing to wait, the world can be run on a Commodore 64.

As far as memory sticks, if they are well made, and most major brands they are the most reliable device for storage. I use eight, all the way from 256K to 4 GB, I even store all my important records on 4GB Verbatim U3 Smart drives. I even know of some that have been put through the wash, twice with no data loss. Jim

GreenIce, ____H,

Probably the best storage device would be an SD card. They come in a myriad of storage sizes. They're also easy to pop into a laptop. They're used in everything from still and video cameras to audio recording devices to phones.

They also come in uniform physical sizes, which jump drives do not.

It's likely they chose the smart card method to keep a proprietary foothold on the market.

roncron wrote:Can you please check and tell us if there is an easy way to find out whether Respironics issues minor updates/bug fixes and makes them available to people who own a licensed copy of Encore Viewer? For example, perhaps a "check for updates" option? ...

A related question: When you buy Encore Viewer, does Respironics provide tech support? Is it via toll-free phone, email, or paid phone support? I don't expect most of us would need much tech support, but it's good to know we have the option before spending our hard-earned money. Especially with a product that is in version 1.0.

There is no "check for updates" option available (that I could find) with the Encore Viewer software.

Respironics does provide a toll-free customer service number for tech support 800.345.6443

Anne

You also have to consider the state of technology when the "tanks" were being designed, and the notion that smartcards could be mailed back and forth in a standard #10 envelope. The replacement smartcard I bought came in a cardboard folder just the right size to mail. It's not Respironics fault that our docs and DMEs don't care enough to read the data!