Has anyone use OpenOffice?

[Sand]

Has anyone here use OpenOffice, and if so how is it?

 

For those who do not know what I am talking about here is a link: http://www.openoffice.org/index.html

 

It is a free Office Suite that supposedly by comparable to Microsoft Office, but free.

[Diamond]

Well install it and try, it is free.

The worst that could happen is that you waste 120Mb of bandwidth and 30 minutes of your life.

 

 

It is OK for home use, though I can say that MS Office is still more sleek and functional. Some users can't stand OO (I couldn't too!), but I kinda got used to it and even find some features that I needed in MS Office, like saving to PDF or automatic bibliography management (can do it only with EndNote in MS Office).

 

 

So yeah, if you are not super advanced MS Office user, you can find it suitable.

[Sammael]

It's not comparable to MS Office by any stretch of imagination, but it's probably enough for an average user and everyday use.

[Diamond]

Well it has most of Office's features, but they are quite... hidden. So it is even comparable with some stretch of imagination. Anyways, here is comparison table.

[Sand]

Well, I can't afford the newest version of Microsoft Office so I am going to give this a try. I am not a super advance user of office software but I do ike to do desktop publishing. Is there a software like OpenOffice that can mimic that?

[Diamond]

Scribus. But since I know jack about desktop publishing, I can't comment on that one.

[Sand]

Hmmm... Thanks. I'll give it a try.

[Fionavar]

It's not comparable to MS Office by any stretch of imagination, but it's probably enough for an average user and everyday use.

 

I really enjoyed using OO - problem is the compatibility problem. I do a lot of text a e-docs and most people, still use Word/Office as the primary processor/suite. Sand any chance you have a friend in Uni? The academic price is much more reasonable fwiiw.

[karka]

I've been using it for two years I think. Never had major compatibility issues.

[kalimeeri]

I remember reading that OO's memory usage could use some streamlining; it's heavier/slower than it needs to be. Whether that's changed any since I looked at it, I don't know, because I wasn't impressed enough to keep it on my hard drive. A word processor is my main app, though--I'm one of those people who would rather fight than switch. I'd still be with XyWrite if they had managed to stay in business long enough to make a stable Windows release. Word was the closest thing I was able to find, and as said, it is the industry standard ... although I'm not seeing the point in going past the 2K version.

Edited March 6, 2007 by kalimeeri

[Fionavar]

I would echo kalimeeri's observation that there is no real reason to use anything past 2k - especially if you are not working with others who need the entire Suite. For me ,the suite remain necessary due to the integration of the Calendar (Outlook) and lack of a more universal adoption of OO. That may change, however, in the next 5 years with more governments/industry moving toward ODF.

[LostStraw]

I use OO for writing papers. It does what I need it to do, it's free and I've had less problems using it than I have with MS Word. However, when it comes to making spreadsheets and graphs I've found the OO solution to be lacking in ease of use and features so I've stuck with MS Excel for those things.

[Spider]

I really enjoyed using OO - problem is the compatibility problem. I do a lot of text a e-docs and most people, still use Word/Office as the primary processor/suite. Sand any chance you have a friend in Uni? The academic price is much more reasonable fwiiw.

 

How is compability a problem? OOo can save in multiple formats including, but not limited to, .doc. So as far as compability is concerned, it has the upper hand compared to MSO.

 

I use OOo exclusively at home. I vastly prefer it's interface, at least in regards to Writer and Drawer (ie Word and Power Point). I find them to me more user friendly and intuitive. I find the things I want to do much easier.

 

I think I'd say Excel is better than Calc though, although I use either so rarely I don't really have an opinion. Calc does the things I need it to do, but it could be a bit sleeker I guess.

 

The spellchecker is pretty bad in OOo though. It's somewhat of a hassle to install extra languages and I find that the Swedish dictionary leaves a lot to be desired. Although if the only language used is US English, the spellchecker is good enough.

 

So yeah, I like OpenOffice.org and would definitely recommend it.

[Fionavar]

The compatibility comes when converting to a processor (Word mostly) that the majority (of those with whom I work/exchange documentation) use. The document just does not convert (when using (OO) well enough to meet the needs of either my own expectations or my peers. Does that make more sense?

[LadyCrimson]

So it says it's converting to .doc but when you actually try to open up/edit the converted file in Word, it doesn't work so well? Something like that?

[Fionavar]

More the formatting is not as good as it should be. For instance, the use of headers/footers with footnotes does not always convert well. So, if once everyone has a copy of the doc, I have found pages askew, graphs poorly transferred. It makes for a difficult session when there is finally a gathering, regardless of teleconference, video meeting, or face-face :? do not get me wrong, I actually really appreciate OO, but as long as the 'standard' processor/Suite for more formal/institutional environments, I cannot migrate - I tried it for 6 months and the extra work it required to harmonise was counter-productive in my experience.

[kalimeeri]

Formatting has always been the issue, as far as word processors are concerned. If documents are shared between programs, there has to be a standard--there's nothing like seeing your carefully prepared document hashed up so badly it's unreadable. In a competitive market, sometimes you don't get the chance for a do-over, or you just don't have time to mess with it. At one time, the standard was to use NO formatting at all, which was where XyWrite came in; most major newspapers used it because the documents could be easily (and accurately) imported into typesetting software. I think if anything shows Microsoft's dominance, it's the fact that they managed to sell Word's .doc format to other software developers--pure ASCII text is pretty much a thing of the past.

 

But there are other considerations, like spell-checker, dictionary, thesaurus, which come into play ... as well as nerdifying the keyboard file (somewhat, anyway) and being able to auto-expand to the max. I wouldn't say Word is perfect by any stretch, but it's at least competent--although it does fail to recognize perfectly legitimate words sometimes, and its grammar checker leaves a lot to be desired.

[Spider]

As far as as formatting is concerned, I think that is something that'll take care of itself in the future. I recall reading about Microsoft saying they'll move to an open format with their next generation of office. Possibly XML-based.

[Fionavar]

They are having trouble pushing their ODF XML since ODF (a la OO adoption) already has an ISO standard. I do agree Spider - it will just be interesting how much MS resists ... or does a double-speak in the near future, as California, in the US, is looking at ODF mandating for government.

[Diamond]

Microsoft's standard is OOXML. Office sales account for a huge chunk of Microsoft's profits and they won't let this go easily.

[Walsingham]

The formatting can be an issue. BUt then equally, you are encouraged not to go crazy with formatting. Keep it simple.

 

The bottom line is it works fine. You can make stuff word microsofties can read, and read what they send you. And it's effectively free. I use it all the time.

[Sand]

Well, so far no problems with it, though Scribus is a different matter. Not quite as user friendly as Pagemaker.

 

Once I am finished with the document that I am working on I'll post it up in the PnP gaming section. I am working on new rules system for my homebrew Science Fantasy setting Concrete Kingdom.

Edited March 11, 2007 by Sand

[Kaftan Barlast]

A new rules system by none other than the Hades/Visceris man himself? Even with my perverse interest in game systems, this is something I have to see

 

 

My entire Uni Department aswellas all the students use OpenOffice. Its free, it runs on both Windows and Linux, can handle all standard format AND it can save PDF's with the click of a button.

Edited March 11, 2007 by Kaftan Barlast

[Walsingham]

Uni was where I got into it. I had no money to buy Microsoft office. I think Microsoft would lose a lot of its market if it could enforce anti-piracy the way it wants to. Because then we'd use alternatives.