# Excel problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 8, 2006, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-problem/379563 "2006-11-08T15:59:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-problem/379563/1 "2006-11-08T15:59:05Z")
With rare exceptions, the only Microsoft application I use is Excel, and I use it a lot. I’ve been using Office '98, and it’s sufficient for what I do. Since I work on a G5 Mac with OS 10.4, I decided to upgrade all my software, including the new Office. What I’m experiencing is: 1. Text looks blurry, regardless of my screen resolution or font. 2. I’ve lost the ability for fractional text sizes. 3. Really bizarre kerning in almost every font (like the equivalent of a word space after lower-case r’s). Is there any way to resolve these issues, other than going back to '98? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-problem/379563/2 "2006-11-10T04:39:06Z")
bump ---
**Author:** ![turnbuckle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@turnbuckle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turnbuckle)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-problem/379563/3 "2006-11-10T13:15:59Z")
Is your standard font set as verdana? It should be, but just checking. I use Excel 2004 all day long (in fact most folks here do) on Macs without the problems you described. Even at home where I upgraded from Office 98 to Office X to Office 2004 on an old G4 tower, I don’t have any problems. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-problem/379563/4 "2006-11-10T13:41:29Z")
Would you post a link to a screenshot? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-problem/379563/5 "2006-11-10T14:21:25Z")
It sounds like ClearType is turned on. See if you can dig around in Excel or Windows and turn it off (assuming it’s an option, I know it is in the new IE7) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-problem/379563/6 "2006-11-10T14:56:25Z")
I haven’t had any problems with Excel (as with the OP, it represents my sole Microsoft product in my Applications folder); I’m running 10.4.8 and my Excel is “v.x, Service Pack 1”; yours is probably more recent than that, and it’s always possible they screwed something up, but the Mac business unit is actually pretty good. I suspect I’d have heard some screaming on the Mac boards if they’d messed Excel up. ---
**Author:** ![turnbuckle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@turnbuckle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turnbuckle)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-problem/379563/7 "2006-11-10T18:19:46Z")
What about Quartz text smoothing? Is that enabled in preferences?