Openoffice.org 3

[leicester_til_i_die]

I've recently got a new laptop andlooking to get MS Office installed but a few people have mention openoffice.org

I've read a few reviews but they all seem to have a possitive spin, but has anyone on here used it? if so what's it like? is it worth the saving of purchasing MS office?

 

[SJN-Fox]

We have quite a lot of students that use it here as an alternative to the MS product. It is fine as an alternative and, as long as you save in the right format, the files are interchangeable with MS Office.

If you are planning on getting the Microsoft version, hurry up as they are changing their pricing/licencing structure for home users very soon.

 

[leicester_til_i_die]

I think the main issue would be the transfer from using MS and openoffice as I'd swap between the two (at work and at home). I read on a website it struggles witht he newer 2007 .docx formats. Would that be easily solved?

 

[SJN-Fox]

If you save as .rtf files they will be interchangeable.

 

[bocadillo]

I've been using Open Office for about 5 years. Since version 3.0 it has been able to open .docx files. You can't save in .docx, but you can save in .doc for transfer back to your work PC. I've never had to resort to saving in .rtf format.

The default document format is .odt (Open Document Text) but, again by default, a document that is opened in another format will be saved in that other format.

I use Open Office Calc for the spreadsheet which runs the Prediction League.

 

[OldGit]

I use Open Office Calc for the spreadsheet which runs the Prediction League.

Must be rubbish then, judging by my current league position

 

[Mawsley]

Wife refuses to use it as it messes up her formatting.

 

[Macky]

is it worth the saving of purchasing MS office?

Yes, it is. A more relevant question would be, is it worth paying up to £400 for MS Office when there is a perfectly good, free alternative that can do, pretty much, everything that Office can do and can handle all the same file formats, and more, that Office can?

I think the main issue would be the transfer from using MS and openoffice as I'd swap between the two (at work and at home). I read on a website it struggles witht he newer 2007 .docx formats. Would that be easily solved?

It can handle them fine, but if you get a .docx or an .xlsx that has some advanced proprietary formatting or macros, it might struggle. I've never had this happen to me though. You can create your own .docx file though, no problem at all, and it can be opened and edited by somebody else using MS Office.

btw OpenOffice was recently bought by Oracle and its future looks ominous. The project forked though into LibreOffice, the beauty of open source software, so this is the version you should go with if you decide that your cash is better spent on fags and beer instead of adding to Micro$oft's coffers.

 

[SJN-Fox]

However, if you decide you do want the MS route, you can get Office 2010 Home + Student for less that £70, assuming you don't need Outlook, Access or Publisher. You don't need to spend hundreds on it.

EDIT: It's also worth noting that Word, Excel and Powerpoint are available as web apps via Windows Live.

 

[Mawsley]

Or, of you work for the NHS or know someone who does you could get the full Monty for less than a tenner - if they are still doing that offer.

Or, you could download a version from torrent if you're feeling naughty.

 

[Cate Fox]

I use open office at home - have transferred stuff to MS Office at work with no problems at all and vice versa. Easy to use.

 

[spionfox]

I use Open Office Calc for the spreadsheet which runs the Prediction League.

Good job you don't use macros if you are interchanging with Excel.

 

[bocadillo]

Good job you don't use macros if you are interchanging with Excel.

I do use macros; I don't interchange with Excel

 

[spionfox]

I do use macros; I don't interchange with Excel

Just as well :icon_bigg