Simplify your laptop buying
Office & productivity software: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use?
- 10/3/07 4:58 PM
OpenOffice: Frustratingly close but no cigar
by rbsjrx - 10/3/07 11:41 PM In reply to: OpenOffice just works by staunskaerFor a home office or for personal use, OpenOffice is OK. But for those sorts of applications, almost anything is OK. However, if you have to exchange professional documents (i.e. with any place in the corporate world where MS Word is the standard), it's marginal compatibility with MS Word (and even worse Excel compatibility) just doesn't cut it. This is especially evident when working with outline documents (or spreadsheets with graphs).
At one time or another I've played with just about every other word processing package out there. My business is such that I have to have MS Word compatibility, and none of them worked well in that roll. Then, while searching for something to use under Linux, I stumbled across SoftMaker Office. Its Excel compatibility is excellent and its Word compatibility is even better. I bought several licenses for my Linux machines and my dual boot (Kubuntu & WinXP) notebook. I also got a copy for my wife. The Windows only version is $70 and a CD-ROM with both Windows and Linux versions is $100. Not free like OpenOffice, but a lot cheaper than MS Office.
The SoftMaker Office 2008 beta is now available on their web site (http://www.softmaker.com/english/index_en.htm). In addition to its Excel and Word clones, it now includes a compatible PowerPoint clone.
Strongly recommended by this satisfied customer...
Thanks if my wife likes it we may download.
by Dango517 - 10/3/07 11:51 PM In reply to: OpenOffice: Frustratingly close but no cigar by rbsjrxIt's always good to know what available.
Very compatible Open Office.
by Mendieta - 10/3/07 11:45 PM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I'm using Open Office, I started with Version 1.1, I have no problems with it.
I was reading other postings here, someone said: "I use what my clients use", not bad idea, but if you try Open Office it will convince you, not 100% compatible but maybe 99.99%
Oh, I didn't mention, I'm running it on Debian Linux. Every .doc, .xls, .ppt or .pps y receive by mail, I can read them, modify them, save them, forward them without trouble for me or for my friends, relatives or clients.
My Wordprocessing
by Fredks - 10/3/07 11:51 PM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
OpenOffice works as well as and is simpler to use that Microsoft Word - som programs may be a little slower in opening, but this has omproved with the latest version.
ABM .... but Office
by pabo - 10/3/07 11:57 PM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi folks 
For those who take a look at my - few - other posts will see that I call myself a Macboy. And Macboy's don't like Microsoft. I would even go a step further and use the acronym I once saw on forum like these and call myself a ABM user (Any But Microsoft), but .... I use Office nearly everywhere: on my new and shiny iMac, on my old eMac, at the office, etc ... and - I must admit - generally it works (yep even if there are some funny bugs like the recently spotted "display" error http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YYSKSICcME ).
I am even an advocate of OpenOffice and believe that it is a worthy alternative. And guess what, I installed it no later than two days ago on my new iMac, opened my xls files and started even converting them into the osd format. But I could not update the data in my charts and was loosing quite a lot of time in finding a solution, which I didn't found and I went back to my old Office from the Mactopia team.
About iWork, yes it seems quite good, but I still have to pay for it and don't get as much as I need.
For other alternatives I am still too afraid about compatibility issues.
At the end, being a Macboy and ABM user doesn't help to get rid of the Office package. Let's wait for a better open alternative .
PS: My preferred text authoring tool is still and will probably always LaTeX (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaTeX), but that's for good looking and easy documents, not a replacement for the Office suite.
Freebie for me!
by Brillinut - 10/4/07 12:02 AM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Due to an unfortunate accident (pint of beer, laptop, spill - join the dots!) I replaced my laptop with a new one and decided to set the system up with everything being free. So, with that in mind, I set up my Google, Picasa2, Paint.net, PC Tools firewall, AVG 7.5 anti-virus and,instead of Microsoft Office, opted for Open Office.
I have to say, apart from one or two things I was used to on MS Office that i have yet to suss out in Office, Open Office is marvelous.
Having taken the step to abandon Office my only concern now is if I have to send a document to someone who has MS Office, I am sure they will be able to read anything I send, but as it is mainly for personal use, I don't really care!
My advice to people would be to try it. It is free, it works, it is stable, it still has an Office 'feel' about it, and is regularly updated.
There is a lot of good free stuff out there, try it, you may be pleasantly surprised!
Not MS Office
by celtmaiden - 10/4/07 12:04 AM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I won't use MS Office. My main reason is the price. That in itself would put any person off. They could have given me the full version and kept all the garbage they put on my computer and I would have been very happy. But since I have a 90 trial version that expired a LONG time ago, I have used Google Docs and OpenOffice. Now I know of a few others I may want to look at.
Office 07
by kjdinoc - 10/4/07 12:25 AM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Love it. You have to take time to get used to the new Ribbon, but once you do it's awesome.
Serif Page Plus 12
by CEG12345 - 10/4/07 1:45 AM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Its is a combination Word Processing, Desktop Publishing and Web Publishing program in one (You create in one and with one click the DTP becomes a web page.
It does everything Word does and in fact you can export to Word. Compatibility is a goofy non issue today. It exports in RTF and PDF and unless you're doing something incredibly complex that is nota problem.
Most importantly its supremely easier to use, with a huge amount of
control over unusual placement, sizing and compatiablity of text. It cost about $80.
I've used it in business (advertising agency) for the entire computer age and never had a compatiblity problem and best of all, they have free phone support.
I have never needed to buy a Microsoft program, except for Windows and we all know how well every version of that worked. LOL, It is still beyond me why people pay a fortune for Microsoft programs which are bulky, buggy, not state of the art and difficult to use when perfectly good alternatives are there. Course thats why Larry Elison is a billionaire.
Word Perfect is PERFECT
by sibermike7 - 10/4/07 2:03 AM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I didn't own a computer until Windows 3.1. My pastor's wife, a professional secretary, instructed me to install Word Perfect on it. Having never used a computer (or even a typewriter!!) before, I was able to produce very nice documents easily.
Then, I moved to Russia. Horrors! NO WORD PERFECT! I had to install Word. NOw, mind you, I wasn't opposed to the change, but on the contrary, I welcome "new ideas". In fact, I approached Word with all the anticipation of a bridegroom on the wedding day, full of high hopes and dreams!
Thinking that since I had simply sat down at the computer, turned it on, and without any instructions, produced documents without difficulty using WP, I should be able to utilize Word with ease since I was now somewhat experienced, I proceeding down the road of ignorant bliss (for about 5 minutes) until I ran in snags.
First problem: where was the "reveal codes" button??
Second: How do I change the page format, look under the "format" menu, right? Page setup (format) is located under "file." Boy, now THAT really makes sense! NOT!
I began making a list of things that I did EASILY with WP, but couldn't figure out how to do with Word (forget the Help menu!! And, yes, I did try it!)
Repeatedly, as I showed the list to my friends they would look funny and say, "you can't do that with Word."
My Russian friends had tried to convince me that Word was superior but they failed miserably and in the end capitulated to the admission of the superiority of WPerfect.
Alas, I must admit that Word does work well with foreign languages, so I find that I must use Word for this purpose. But when possible, I return to Word Perfect and after Word, it is like putting on your favorite slippers after wearing wingtips all day long!
Corel Wordperfect
by djps_2 - 10/4/07 2:11 AM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
My first word processor was Borland's now long defunct Sprint for DOS, my first spreadsheet programme was Borland's Quattro Pro ver. 1 for DOS and my first database management programme was Borland's Paradox ver 2 for DOS.
Today I use Corel Wordperfect for word processing, Quattro Pro as my spreadsheet and I still use Paradox. I use Opera (my browser of choice - superior functionality to Firefox) for presentations.
My wife and children use Open Office.
I have had to use MS Office as a one time employer insisted on it. Unfortunately I found it counter intuitive and it had real compatability problems with other wordprocessors and spreadsheets. While Lotus, Corel and Open Office make a good to very good stab at importing Micrsoft documents, I found Microsoft products were very poor at importing documents in other formats. Using MS Office I found myself in the embarrassing position of telling non Microsoft Office users that they would have to convert to Microsoft if they were to do business with me. MS Word's tools for handling long documents (something that is important to me) were very flaky. I also badly missed Corel's reveal codes.
I presume that people who find non Microsoft products less intuitive do so only because they have 'grown up' on Microsoft and are so used to Microsoft ways that they feel anything else is not quite right.
And of course Corel products are cheaper to purchase. Open Office costs, hmmmmm ... how much? Wow, nothing at all?
I am constantly baffled by the fact that given Microsoft Office products are so expensive in comparision to the opposition and that Microsoft expends so much resources in developing their products why they are not so much better from the point of the large majority of users than the opposition. With Microsoft's resources really there should not be any opposition at all.
Word Perfect since ver 3.6 DOS for word processing
by Niftydog - 10/4/07 3:27 AM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I am a Word perfect lover since it's 3.6 dos version. As aword processor, no one do just fine what it's suppose to do: word proocessing. It's interface is consistent over the years, as the shortcuts,it is fast, and reliable.The other programs of the suite, except maybe the database are excelent too. Presentation is better program than MS PP, and you can always compile the presentation (thinking on a Microsoft world everywhere). The old Borland Quatro Pro,also deliver. May be in complex tasks, it has not all the bells and whistles of Excel, but for the most common, itjust works fine.
I've had to deal with MS Products because of Corporate Standards, but all word processing task had been done in WP amd then converted to MS format. It's easier.Excel for me is the best program of the MSOffice suite, and I've adopted it, because of my job, spreadsheets for me are more common than word processing tasks.. Access also. Outlook has not counterpart in Word perfect suite.
Respect of the new suite of MS, I recognize its interfase is a bit confusing, but files are notably lighter than previous versions, and it do just right.And it do xml which is the future.I think that MS have done a fine job.
word processing
by andrew.adams33 - 10/4/07 3:45 AM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
i use think 3 for all my word processing because it is easy to use and no software is downloaded to system thus saving on space.
i have used think3 numerous times and would rate it as excellent.
think 3 has other software as well.
I like AppleWorks
by altoid1 - 10/4/07 3:55 AM In reply to: Poll: Which word-processing software do you use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
AppleWorks does all I need and much more without all the baggage and hassle of Office/Word. Sure, I know AW best and am comfortable with all its features (used it since..... Apple II days). I'm OK with Word but don't really need those bells and whistles and mostly use it only for times I need to share files with a Windows person. Like AW's ease of use with all components. Wish Apple would update it for the new Macs.... but even without that likely in the future, I'll probably continue with this solid word processor (and much more).
AppleWorks R.I.P.
by edgedesign - 10/4/07 8:05 AM In reply to: I like AppleWorks by altoid1FYI: Apple has discontinued development of AppleWorks. Take a look at iWork if you haven't already.
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