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Office & productivity software: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use?
- 10/3/07 4:58 PM
Microsoft Office / Word
by cadillacdts - 10/3/07 7:34 PM In reply to: false by austinjam76You misunderstand what I am saying. Let me give you another non computer software example.
When I bought my first new card with an electronic fob and push button start, I got in the card with the fob, pushed the button and it started. The dealer's comment was all most all of their custoimer had trouble with the fob and had to be instructed. Those people's robot like simple minded brains told them to get key, insert key in key hole, turn key and magically the car starts. Huh, no key. A problem. My goal is starting the car. I do not waste my brain power on the rote mechanism, I just start the car by whatever means presented.
In Word, I don't worry about were the commands are located, the color of the buttons and exact how a vendor name things. I just perform the function simply, quickly as presented to me.
MS Office is what I know!
by Obfusc8r - 10/3/07 7:17 PM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I've grown up in the MS Office suite and since that is what I know, changing to something else would be initially difficult. I like the way Outlook, Word, Access, Excel and PowerPoint all work with one another. I am not familiar with another application that works as seemlessly.
Just imagine if Apple had been able to keep their software in front of me beyond my first computing experience in high school with an Apple IIe. Wow!
Word, OpenOffice, WordPerfect...
by successdavid - 10/3/07 7:21 PM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have to use Word for my business documents, but prefer Word Perfect, especially Love the "reveal codes"... So often, I get a Word document that is just horrible to work with, because of hidden codes. My staffers use OpenOffice and love it.
I find the new Excel very very hungry for resources, but it does have some nice features.
OpenOffice.org has made some impressive inroads
by Web Webster - 10/3/07 7:21 PM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Sure I use MS Office and MS Word - but I'm thrilled to see Sun throwing their weight behind OpenOffice.org. I have several computers, as do so many of us these days. And I'd like to have equal access to all my files from all my machines. At Microsoft's exorbitant prices, that's NOT going to happen. So here's my strategy: I keep one copy of MS Office on one machine, for absolute compatibility with the outside world. But for day-to-day use, I've installed OpenOffice.org on all the others. Plus, I have OpenOffice.org Portable on a USB drive which I carry with me from office to office every day as I perform my job as a field support technician. Hopefully OpenOffice.org will some day become the standard, instead of only aspiring to it. It could happen!!
I've tried most of them, actually
by tao51nyc - 10/3/07 7:22 PM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I've been doing tech support in publishing and design environments for nearly 24 years. The question is always "Why does everyone use MS Office?" And the answer is always "Because everyone uses MS Office." In other words, there's no real "reason" except that Office is now ubiquitous. Office is the "standard" in corporate America, so everyone tends to use at home what they use at work. (Note to MS-alternative vendors: Most people get their home version of Office for "free", courtesy of their employers' site licenses - then when they change jobs, they somehow "forget" to remove it again.)
I've used OpenOffice and StarOffice on Windows, and now the new Lotus suite, and on the Mac I've I've used NeoOffice, ThinkFree, and the new iWork suite.
I've got news for everyone - an office suite is an office suite is an office suite. I can work in any of those alternative products and save my files in Word/Excel/PPT format and others using Office can read my files just fine just fine, and I can read theirs.
That's the biggest challenge purveyors of alternative Office suites actually face - there's nothing special and compelling about any of them that would make users say: "I LOVE this! This is SOOOOO much better than MS Office! I'm NEVER using a Microsoft product again!" People really don't notice much. They barely notice Office itself, for that matter, in that they probably don't use 90% of the fancy bells and whistles that come with the suite. They just want to see their Word file - in publishing, it's all about the content, not about the tool that made it. There's no religion here. Editors are going to use what their bosses and IT managers want them to use - and they'll use the same thing at home to avoid the hassle.
Point is, no one actually THINKS about it anymore. I use alternatives because I'm a techie and like to see what they can do out of professional curiosity. But am I going to convince an IT manager to switch the enterprise to OpenOffice or NeoOfficeJ simply to avoid the Microsoft Tax? Not a chance.
There's a little more to it...
by rbsjrx - 10/10/07 5:32 PM In reply to: I've tried most of them, actually by tao51nycAvoiding the "Microsoft tax" can be significant to people who "use the same thing at home to avoid the hassle". At work, we use what the boss says. At home, we hope we don't have to spend $200+ just to do homework.
So the real issue, as I see it, is compatibility. Every office suite claims MS Office compatibility, but how compatible are they really? For simple documents, almost any office suite is compatible enough. But not for everyone. I regularly work with large outline format documents and spreadsheets with graphics, and the free alternatives (OpenOffice and its kin) just aren't up to the task. Worse, even though I can only work on one machine at a time, MS's installation is machine specific so I need two licenses for my main machine and notebook.
Some time back, I was looking for compatible office software for Linux and came across SoftMaker Office. It's the first non-MS office suite I've tried (and I've tried a lot of them!) that is compatible enough for my use. Subsequently, I bought several copies (it's not free, but much cheaper than MS Office) and installed it on my notebook, my wife's machine and another Linux box.
For anyone else who finds that OpenOffice isn't sufficiently compatible for their needs, I can heartily recommend SoftMaker Office.
WordPerfect
by edujack - 10/3/07 7:23 PM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
WordPerfect suits me just fine. I have no (zero, not one) serious complaints--maybe a minor quibble--but I can't remember what that might be. I really like the Adobe publishing option and use it quite often. Reveal Codes is such an essential feature, I can't imagine working with out it. The wpd conversion to doc files is good enough and I don't hear complaints from the unenlightened who receive my converted WP files.
QuattroPro does whatever I need spreadsheet-wise. I don't use Presentations.
I've used WordPerfect for 17(?) years and in the early years it might have been a toss-up, those days are gone. WP wins hands-down--except in the race for market share.
Word Perfect for me
by jijo272 - 10/4/07 1:35 AM In reply to: WordPerfect by edujackI agree with your post as I've used Word Perfect every since (if anyone remembers) Multi-Mate????. I also have Word on my computer in case I need to e-mail an attachment and it is the most commonly used word program. I chose Word Perfect all those many years ago because of its superior Merge Program.
Most people use MS Office just because everyone else does
by FrankWoolf - 10/3/07 7:26 PM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Most people use MS Office (and Windoze) just because everyone else does. NOT because its the best product or because it is good value or good quality, etc.
The more people use the alternatives the better they will get. Microsoft's near monopoly allows them to dish out any rubbish they like and people will continue to put up with all the problems and pay high prices for it.
Open Office Not as technically sound as MS Office 2003
by Busycee - 10/3/07 7:26 PM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
There are problems with opening Open Office in the MS Windows environment. The process is slow and at times the appliction crashes before you can save it.
In addition, the graphics elements are not as useable and formatting of graphics feels very unfamiliar.
There are not as many font choices.
Open Office
by gerrym0527 - 10/3/07 7:28 PM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I use Open Office for all functions that one could use MS Office for. I love its functionality and I especially love the fact that it is not MS. I only use MS applications if I can't find any alternative and I look really hard before resorting to the Greedy One's cumbersome and complicated programs. The only reason I use a PC at all is because I can't afford a Mac - yet!
MS Office Suite and Others
by Rol2Pearce - 10/3/07 7:28 PM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Yes, Microsoft has a monopoly and all this changing makes thsoe of us who use the software over the years frustrated because they want to make changes. I know - they get money from all those books and courses offered. I have Open Office and it is really very nice. The fact it is free makes it better. Still there needs be more training of future office users on the system. It seems all the training on finds is only on Microsoft Office. The fact that Microsoft is trying more of its office suite to the internet is for me a turn off. Yes, it would be nice and helpful, but darn, let me decide when i want to use the internet features. Lotus Notes has promise, but they still need get the bugs out of it and for gosh sakes try to make it a little quicker to use. I recommend open office, even if it is the Windows version. The free version sure does a darn good and it has been around a while, it just needs more exposure.
Open document standards
by EtherBunny - 10/3/07 7:36 PM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The future is open document formats. Microsoft is doing anything it can to slow down the inevitable. More and more governments will demand open formats. Google offers free online documents which are easy to share. It seems obvious that Word will either become free or die.
Tru dat
by XMattingly - 10/4/07 10:31 AM In reply to: Open document standards by EtherBunnyI think Adobe is way ahead of Microsoft with the implementation of the PDF format. Case in point: if you've ever done your taxes online, all of the forms are available from the IRS in PDF format (never in Word), and many of the free tax services produce your input in a PDF file. I don't think Word will necessarily die, but they're certainly bound to become a niche player if they don't do a better job of working with open standards. Metro ain't the way to go, either.
MS Office 2000
by whbos - 10/3/07 7:42 PM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Everything after version 2000 sucks! Microsoft made so many bad changes especially with styles. Everything you typed was a style and to change it to a real style was a nightmare. I've stuck with MS Office 2000, but I think OpenOffice 2.X (http://www.openoffice.org/index.html) is better. Why waste money on a crappy office suite from Microsoft when you can get a better one for free?
I only still use Microsoft Office because I got it for free since I beta tested this suite and reported a bunch of flaws (ignored of course). I say go with the freebie from Sun Microsystems' Open Office. MS Office is a waste of money and stinks! At least OpenOffice reads MS Word (and other) files and even saves to them.
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