Everyone should know about a fantastic resource available for free. http://support.openoffice.org/ You should all download the free package OPEN OFFICE, it is great and you do not need M$ WORD as this is a free word processor and a lot of other free office software.
My question for years has been (I have never taken the time to find the answer/try it): Does it open .doc files properly? And the other MS office docs like ppt?
I don't know TOPS, but I am happy with it, I asked when my last box went down about free software and SE sent me here and I downloaded it and saved $150.00 that I would have had to spend other wise because this XPpro box came with nothing on it. They do have a forum over there also. http://www.oooforum.org/forum/index.phtml
I found it and am happy to say it does! It reads and writes .doc files. Same with ppt. I'm a happy bunny. The OS is now MS' last stronghold on my PC! PS for those interested, my blog entry before the last one talks about SyncML which is pretty cool free technology to synchronize (PIM) all your platforms in both ways. Check it out and get rid of all your MS stuff!
http://www.linuxselfhelp.com/ If anyone wants real help on open source it is all linked in the above page.
I like Open Office... But it failed me on few heavy duty jobs. I could not open 30 M - 60 M CSV datafeeds. Excel used to open them with Joy. I must say that it's HTML edit is useful when you really need it.
Why are you using a 2 year old version When a new version was just released!!! Maybe that is why your application is not working PS: Wendy, this is all part of your learning the art of naming threads for forum, LOL that I fooled you......
At first I read this thread as a warning of open source, now i see otherwise. I'm lucky, I get MS Office for $25 or something insanley low. Hubby works at a university and they give major educational discounts.
I put Openoffice on friends computers for them all the time. Then I explain the save as a DOC so that others can read it. great program.
Can others read it perfectly in MS Word with all formatting exactly as intended by the person who typed it into WRITER?
They do have a forum, I left the link in my prior post (see post # 3) for anyone that has questions PS: For all of you that have OpenOffice, you should read this thread because there is an update that you need to be aware of http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.phtml?t=19121
Any reason why NOT to run Open Office and MS Office alongside eachother for a while to 'test drive' Open Office?
Why delete any M$ program, it is not going to hurt to have additional programs on your box. Like I said when my last box craped out because of a conflict between M$ anti-spyware and install shield I got a new box (XPpro) that had nothing on it but the OS and I was not going to spend $150.00 for a word processor. That is why I got OOffice downloaded
It hurts performance to have additional unrequired programs on your machine. You can only install so much on XP until it slows to a crawl. Considering I have a full legal version of Office XP, does OO offer me any benefits?
I don't like having stale shit lying around. If it doesn't move it has to go. FMCGs. Same with software. Not needed then get off my drive. Back in the days having multiple browser could mean major hassle so just wanted to hear whether people do run these alongside eachother OK. Then if satisfactory, MS will be evicted.
I lost the link but some suggest it beats the crap out of MS Office (especially WRITER vs Word) similar to FireFox vs Explorer.
I read in PC Pro it was better but that was mainly because it was free, guess I'll have to give it a whirl.
Not really, but why do you think that one extra valuable word processing program is going to destroy or slow down your box, damn I wish that XP would load my old "Word Perfect" program but it will not. I loved that damned program and hate M$ for not enabling that program to work with their new OS.