NationStates Jolt Archive

I was thinking of getting the OpenOffice.org suite to go alongside (and maybe replace) Microsoft Office.

However, I've never actually met anyone who uses it, nor have I used it myself. So I thought I should ask NSGeneral their opinions.

For those who have no idea what I'm on about, here's the links:

http://www.openoffice.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenOffice.org

Thanks!

I had it on my computer when I bought it. It's pretty similar to MS Office, except it looks slightly different and doesn't have quite the same stuff.

Due to my microsoft indoctrination being complete, I couldn't get used to it and uninstalled it.

I had it on my computer when I bought it. It's pretty similar to MS Office, except it looks slightly different and doesn't have quite the same stuff.

Due to my microsoft indoctrination being complete, I couldn't get used to it and uninstalled it.

Did it do the job though? Did it work?

I use open office all the time. It works fine. Occasionally I have a problem with a document that was typed in word not being formatted quite right, but other than that I think it is great.

I was thinking of getting the OpenOffice.org suite to go alongside (and maybe replace) Microsoft Office.

However, I've never actually met anyone who uses it, nor have I used it myself. So I thought I should ask NSGeneral their opinions.

For those who have no idea what I'm on about, here's the links:

http://www.openoffice.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenOffice.org

Thanks!

I have

... I also am using the new 2.0 and the beta

Love it (and with the *nix geek that I am it is the best office solution)

Did it do the job though? Did it work?
Works awsome and the new version is even better ... slick and fast

Microsoft has an actual challenger on another front...hmmmm well maybe if I paid for any of those programs I'd have actualy gone with the competition, but I enjoy my pirate ways.

Doesn't look like they support Mac.

Otherwise, I'd look into it.

I have

... I also am using the new 2.0 and the beta

Love it (and with the *nix geek that I am it is the best office solution)

UpwardThrust says so, it must be the truth.

Doesn't look like they support Mac.

Otherwise, I'd look into it.
http://porting.openoffice.org/mac/ooo-osx_downloads.html

Edit or you could build the FreeBSD version from scratch

I use OOo 2.0 as my primary office suite, it does everything I need it to do, and does it in style. I find it to be slightly less clunky and annoying than the MSOffice. And it's free (as in beer and as in speech) and is compatible with a huge range of document formats. It even reads and writes MSOffice proprietary formats passably, which is no mean feat.

And, well, I'm Linux user, so it's just simply the most complete and mature office suite around at the moment (though KOffice is pretty damn nice, too.)

After fiddling around with it for small projects for about a month, I like it. It looks a little different but it's much nicer, once you get used to the format it saves things in.

I say thumbs up on OpenOffice.

I use OOo 2.0 as my primary office suite, it does everything I need it to do, and does it in style. I find it to be slightly less clunky and annoying than the MSOffice. And it's free (as in beer and as in speech) and is compatible with a huge range of document formats. It even reads and writes MSOffice proprietary formats passably, which is no mean feat.

And, well, I'm Linux user, so it's just simply the most complete and mature office suite around at the moment (though KOffice is pretty damn nice, too.)
Yeah I used Koffice for awhile but I don’t use KDE and getting it imported into xfce right is interesting lol so I went with openoffice
Only issue with compiling off source is the java source that you have to go through sun to get … its rather annoying

I liked it but when I had it saving took ages

Yeah I used Koffice for awhile but I don’t use KDE and getting it imported into xfce right is interesting lol so I went with openoffice
Only issue with compiling off source is the java source that you have to go through sun to get … its rather annoying

Yeah, getting KOffice to play nice under Enlightenment can be a bit of an ordeal too, unfortunately.

You're right about the Java source, though. I don't like having to go through Sun either, but it's only a matter of time until that's no longer necessary, I suppose.

I've been using regularly in an office enviroment for about 6months now and it has been working falwlessly (and thats the old 1.1.3 version).

The only thing wrong with it is that it can't open passworded MS office documents (i might be able to now) and cuting and pasting from some excel files can be tricky but appart from that its great.

Yeah, getting KOffice to play nice under Enlightenment can be a bit of an ordeal too, unfortunately.

You're right about the Java source, though. I don't like having to go through Sun either, but it's only a matter of time until that's no longer necessary, I suppose.
Yeah its just more of an annoyance factor … specially when 2.0 beta added a bunch of stuff after the failure so I HAD to output the whole terminal to a text file just to go back and look at the dependency and then download and move the necessary file to /usr/ports/distfiles

Yeah its just more of an annoyance factor … specially when 2.0 beta added a bunch of stuff after the failure so I HAD to output the whole terminal to a text file just to go back and look at the dependency and then download and move the necessary file to /usr/ports/distfiles

Like they say in the movies: "You knew the score when you signed on, soldier."

I've been using regularly in an office enviroment for about 6months now and it has been working falwlessly (and thats the old 1.1.3 version).

The only thing wrong with it is that it can't open passworded MS office documents (i might be able to now) and cuting and pasting from some excel files can be tricky but appart from that its great.

That sort of thing is basically a result of MS refusing to use open document standards and persisting in their use of "here now, gone tomorrow" proprietary formats.

I was thinking of getting the OpenOffice.org suite to go alongside (and maybe replace) Microsoft Office.

However, I've never actually met anyone who uses it, nor have I used it myself. So I thought I should ask NSGeneral their opinions.

Its internationalisation features are brilliant - except that there isn't a Cornish language version yet - and its great to be able to play around with the source code. On the downside, it's user interface needs improvement (but then, so does Microsoft Office's) - to disable word completion you have to go into 'Tools... Autocorrect', but to disable autocorrect you have to go into 'Format... AutoFormat... While Typing'. I don't understand why so many Office suites are implementing things like word completion and autoformat, when it is so annoying.

Its internationalisation features are brilliant - except that there isn't a Cornish language version yet - and its great to be able to play around with the source code. On the downside, it's user interface needs improvement (but then, so does Microsoft Office's) - to disable word completion you have to go into 'Tools... Autocorrect', but to disable autocorrect you have to go into 'Format... AutoFormat... While Typing'. I don't understand why so many Office suites are implementing things like word completion and autoformat, when it is so annoying.
Yeah agreed specialy when you get into computer acryonyms ... it corrects everything

Like they say in the movies: "You knew the score when you signed on, soldier."


Yeah but the old install script did not have that issue:p and 2.0 release does not either lol

Yeah but the old install script did not have that issue:p and 2.0 release does not either lol

Ah, just bad luck that you happened to try installing that version at that particular time, then. I'm sure there's another movie cliche that fits there as well.

Ah, just bad luck that you happened to try installing that version at that particular time, then. I'm sure there's another movie cliche that fits there as well.
Yeah sometimes freebsd's make scripts are interesting as well

Yeah sometimes freebsd's make scripts are interesting as well

Haven't had a great deal of experience with them, myself. Though once I get one of the BSD flavours up and running on my Frankenstein machine (that is, made from scavenged parts), that'll probably change.

Haven't had a great deal of experience with them, myself. Though once I get one of the BSD flavours up and running on my Frankenstein machine (that is, made from scavenged parts), that'll probably change.
FreeBSD is awsome

Their ports system is one of the best inventions ever ... simmilar to debians apt_get but better

Edit: and if you want to see my frankenstine office lol http://geek.upwardthrust.us/pictureone.jpg
and
http://geek.upwardthrust.us/picturetwo.jpg


With a picture of my new dual opteron system
http://geek.upwardthrust.us/picturethree.jpg

I had been using Star Office for a couple of years. When they went "pay" with the newest version, I shifted over to Open Office, which is identical but with a much better price.

After a great deal of experience with MS Office and WordPerfect, I found the Open Office user interface to be intuitive and readily customizable. I have been able to accomplish things in OO that I could only dream of in the other suites.

Well, I've started downloading it.

At 76.8 MB it'll be a few minutes.

And there isn't any musak playing in the background!

FreeBSD is awsome

Their ports system is one of the best inventions ever ... simmilar to debians apt_get but better

Edit: and if you want to see my frankenstine office lol http://geek.upwardthrust.us/pictureone.jpg
and
http://geek.upwardthrust.us/picturetwo.jpg


With a picture of my new dual opteron system
http://geek.upwardthrust.us/picturethree.jpg

Oh man. Mine is just messy and full of junk. Yours actually has (seemingly) useful stuff in it.

Nice looking system in picture three, there. Dual Operton, you say? Nice. I'm stuck with an Intel chip for now, until I scrape together the cash for my next major overhaul.

I'll have to give FreeBSD a try, I think. I'm pretty sure I have fairly recent versions of FreeBSD and OpenBSD around here somewhere.

I believe they are on release 5.4 beta 6.0 (believe beta4 right now)

I use OpenOffice.org even though my computer came with Word 2000 and Works 6.0. The .sxw file format is a lot more compact than .doc, so I generally use that. OO.org doesn't format .doc the same way Word 2000 does, so you might have some trouble if you're creating documents that will be opened by someone else in Word.

my uni makes me work with OO and i like it. i say go for it.

my uni makes me work with OO and i like it. i say go for it.
I wish ours was not an MS bitch

No good where I work. We use MS Access as the front end for accessing an SQL server, so no go.

No good where I work. We use MS Access as the front end for accessing an SQL server, sono go.
Bah what a horrible combo ... access is such a hog