OpenOffice.org

[nice_shoes]

I've been considering downloading and trying OpenOffice. I currently use use MicroSoft Office but I would like to know how the OpenOffice programs compare.

 

Does Writer = Word??

Does Calc = Excel??

Does Draw = Visio??

 

Anybody tried these yet?

[ReelFiles]

I use it at work all the time, pretty much generic Office '03. Just make sure you change the default file format to .doc, other than that I think it'll be fine for most people.

 

Does Writer = Word?? Yes

Does Calc = Excel?? Yup

Does Draw = Visio?? No clue

[Angry_Games]

only thing I hate about it is that it requires Java (it did when I wanted to try it anyway). I hate that new Sun Java more than I hate Microsoft Office so for now, it's Office.

 

But I am VERY happy that Open Office is out there and available, and I hope one day it ends up forcing MS to lower the price of Office to something reasonable or better, compete in an open market for free (hahahahahaha...like MS will ever do anything free)

[MACarter02]

I have too many problems with OO's equation editor, but for the average user, the suite should be more than enough.

 

Don't discount web apps either!

[SpockST]

I've been using it in my classroom to teach basic database and mail merge techniques for a couple of years now. Initially there were a few glitches until I rewrote my class handout to match the OpenOffice commands.

 

It opens and operates on MS Office files with no problems that I've been able to determine and will even save back to the same format.

[nice_shoes]

Angry, why do you hate Sun Java? What are your reasons?

[momoceio]

The New OO 3.0 is going to be VERY nice when it comes out...I think later this year. It has a much updated interface and I think they are going to include an Outlook-like email client...from the screen shots I've seen it looks nice!

[Angry_Games]

Angry, why do you hate Sun Java? What are your reasons?

 

I hate it because I have to uninstall 19 previous versions on customer rigs (as well as momma's rig) since Sun decided to have the new versions just install and leave entries in the Add/Remove programs list instead of uninstalling old version and installing new, or even overwriting old version and removing the corresponding entry in teh A/R program list.

 

And then there's the security issues....java execution can lead to ugly things, and while most applets are legit, even some legit ones are malicious, some are malicious in subtle ways, and then on top of all that, it's the added overhead that java requires to run, and all the apps I've ever used that required java always seem to run like ., like they hitch and skip or lag or something...I just hate it.

 

For a long time I was able to install the old MS Java machine and get security updates for it via windows update and it ALWAYS ran much better than Sun's crap java, but you know, monopoly and unfair practices and ....but for once it was MS's bundled product that was superior =(

 

Anyway, installed it on the Vista-64 partition along with OO and I'll fool around with it a bit whenever I'm on the Vista-64 side (about 1/3 of the time unless I'm gaming then zero lol)

 

ps the reason I still spend for MS Office each time is almost purely because of Outlook. I've tried almost all other mail clients out there and none of them (to me) are worth a fart in the wind compared to Outlook (which sucks because I hate MS and would do almost anything to stop using MS products, but not give up my Outlook for something crappier)

[momoceio]

What is it about Outlook that you like better than other mail clients? The main reason it's used at work is because we use an Exchange server so you need Outlook to take full advantage of Exchange and Calendar sharing and such.

 

Also, I have to disagree with the argument that Java itself is dangerous...it's just that people don't pay attention to what Applets they run. Saying Java is dangerous would be like saying C#, Visual Basic, C++, etc are dangerous. They reason Java is so slow though is that it runs the code in a VM...you'll find that Java code that uses a JIT compiler runs much better since it converts the Java code to native code before the program actually runs. Then it caches it so the OS can run it without using the Java VM.

[nice_shoes]

Angry,

 

I tend to agree with you about Outlook, but I have recently begun using Thunderbird 2.0 along with the Lightning add-on, which is a calendar that is comparable to the calendar in Outlook, and so far - so good. You have to be sure to get a download from the Microsoft site that fixes the daylight savings time, and then the Lightning calendar works just fine.

 

Do you know of specific issues where Outlook is better than Thunderbird? So far in the week that I have been using it, TB appears to be pretty equal to Outlook.

[Angry_Games]

I absolutely hate thunderbird, I've tried it multiple times.

 

I just like Outlook. I like everything about it. I like how it looks, how it functions, how it can do all kinds of things like calenders and reminders etc, and I like the way it does it better than any other clients I've tried (Eudora, Outlook Express, T-bird, etc). I just won't give it up until something better comes along.

 

Specific issues where Outlook is better than T-Bird? Well, in my opinion, EVERYTHING about Outlook is better. Do I have benchmarks and testimonials and proof etc? Only for myself, and me, I'm more important than anyone else because I use it it for ME lol.

 

Oh, and T-bird tends to crash ALL THE TIME for me...and I just can't have that. I'm at least open-minded and have given plenty of clients a try (just like I do with anti-virus).

 

Also, I have to disagree with the argument that Java itself is dangerous...it's just that people don't pay attention to what Applets they run. Saying Java is dangerous would be like saying C#, Visual Basic, C++, etc are dangerous. They reason Java is so slow though is that it runs the code in a VM...you'll find that Java code that uses a JIT compiler runs much better since it converts the Java code to native code before the program actually runs. Then it caches it so the OS can run it without using the Java VM.

 

 

Java sucks in my opinion. It's dangerous and slow and there's simply nothing good about it. My personal feelings are that Sun did exactly what they claimed MS was doing, stifling innovation and forcing people to use a specific client etc. You may disagree and that's fine, but I refuse to use Java myself. If a web page or application requires java, well, it never gets installed for any of my machines (momma unfortunately MUST have it for the things she does for her job as a school teacher). If it can't be done in javascript, flash, php, c++, etc, then it ain't getting done on my rigs. Period.

 

No amount of trying to convince me otherwise will convince me since I do have to use it at school on their computers, momma's computer at home, and now in Vista64 for OO, and the truth? It's still an unwieldy, bulky, slow piece of . software that needs to be scrapped for a better programming language or Sun needs to fix it so it doesn't suck so bad. Same reason I hate DFI crap...it's defective for the most part, terrible support, horrible management, etc...nothing can convince me to ever plug in a DFI product for the rest of my life. Because other hardware does it BETTER, for cheaper, and outperforms it.

[old_geekster]

I have used OO Suite for several years. The thing that I like about it is, it recognizes MS documents; although MS doesn't recognize OO docs. MS wouldn't want to admit that there is a suite as good or better than theirs.