Open Office

[carrottop10]

Hi,

just wondered if anyone has used OpenOffice as opposed to Microsoct 2007 and if so what are their opinion on it. I want word and Excel but dont want to fork out the £100+ price tag

Thankd

[ChuckFickens]

firstly, MS office home and student edition is more like £60, not £100+

OpenOffice is fantastic for it's price! and for most people will have all the features they need and will be compatible with all the basic functions of excel (and word) but if you have spreadsheets that use the more advanced features (such as macros) then they will probably not work.

Why not download and install open office and have a look yourself, it's free and can be removed easily enough if you decide it's not suitable for your needs.

[saxy_jag]

I'm a fairly advanced MS Office user and I actually prefer it to OpenOffice, which I find a bit of faff, to be honest. I've 'grown up' with the former and it's a bit like a well-loved coat now, so that's probably why. For all that, though, OpenOffice is a pretty good programme if you need something that is basically functional, free and compatible with MS Office.

And as Chuck says, if you don't like it, you can do what I did and uninstall it. You'll have lost nothing.

[NazNomad]

"OpenOffice is fantastic for it's price!"

lol, precisely. You don't get nuthin' fer nuthin'.

[MarkRae]

It still doesn't (AFAIK) provide full compatibility with Office Open XML documents (docx, xlsx, pptx etc) yet, though. I believe the last time I checked it could open these file formats, and the very latest version could open them even if they are password-protected, but it still can't save them.

Which I find more than a little odd, as OpenXML is (theoretically, anyway) a much simpler file format than the original binary format, as it is very little more than a zipped XML document...

[beso]

It was a few years ago but I tried OpenOffice then paid for MS Office 2007.

OpenOffice might be OK for someone just starting out because they don't have to replace their notions of using MS Office. However for a fluent advanced user of MS Office, OpenOffice seems comparatively clunky. It is unlikely to ever be as slick as MS Office 2007 but hey it is free.

Some OO devotees will tell you that it is comparable or even superior to MS Office. Listening to them will give you unrealistic expectations unless you don't have a lot of need for the more advanced features of MS Office such as automation.

[NazNomad]

"Some OO devotees will tell you that it is comparable or even superior to MS Office"

Those same people will tell you GIMP is better than Photoshop. ;-)

[saxy_jag]

The document types you've listed, Mark, if I'm not mistaken, are Office 2007 formats, which aren't always compatible with earlier versions of MS Office anyway. A thoughtful 2007 user will save their documents in 98-2003 or rtf format so that others can open it. I am forever having to contact our librarians (who use Office 2007-loaded, library PCs) to ask them to please re-send their request forms in different formats so that my PC can read them.

[ChuckFickens]

you're correct, it still can't save in MS office open XML formats.... though to be fair we are still in the stage that saving things from MS office in open XML format can, and does cause people problems if the are sending the documents to other people (yes I am aware of MSs free converter, but a lot of people aren't)

It will be a few years yet, IMO, until the majority of older versions of office work their way out of circulation and then open XML will be less problematic for sharing documents between systems.

[ChuckFickens]

Sexy_jag, install this on your system (or get your IT department to)

http://www.microsoft....cd1466&displaylang=en

[saxy_jag]

Thanks Chuck - will do that when I get back.

[MarkRae]

> so that my PC can read them

http://labnol.blogspo...7-converter-word.html

[rojash]

"You don't get nuthin' fer nuthin'. "
Well, you're wrong there. I get a set number of free licenses for each MS product as it's released, so Office 2007 cost me nowt. I have it installed on my machine so that I can support customers who use it, but for my own work I use OpenOffice. Apart from anything else it means I don't have to deal with the stupid ribbon control.

[hc4361]

I really don't understand why many people ignore Microsoft Works, which is often installed on computers.
Years ago it was rubbish but nowadays it is much better, and suitable for most home users and students.
It is fully compatible with Office, provided you 'save as' in the correct format.

[NazNomad]

"Microsoft Works"

lol, that's like the phrase 'Military Intelligence'

[MarkRae]

> It is fully compatible with Office, provided you 'save as' in the correct format.

:-)

[saxy_jag]

Problem is though, hc, that many users of Works are relative beginners and technophobes who struggle to get their heads around the concept of just saving, let alone in different formats and even folders.

I agree it's a great little basic programme, though, if you're not so bothered about sharing your documents with Office users.

[VHG]

>I really don't understand why many people ignore Microsoft Works

Microsoft are no longer making or selling Works and it is no longer installed on any new computers.

It has been replaced by "Office 2010 starter" which includes a free versions of Word and Excel but with cut down function.

You will find this is now installed on most new computers.

[wendyl]

I have not used MOffice for years but have Open Office on my PC which allows me to open or send files compatible with it certainly would not fork out for this over priced programme. Have also recommended OO to friends and family with new laptops who can't afford it and they have a ll been well satisfied as previous MO users carrottop10 give it a try