Microsoft Office vs OpenOffice

Discussion in 'General Chat' started by UKWebmasterForum, Feb 25, 2008.

  1. wisdomtool

    wisdomtool Moderator Staff

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    #21
    We all should support an Open Source such as Open Office whenever we can, MS Office retails at such a high price while Open Office is free, the learning curve, people are afraid to use it as they think that it is new, but those who try it will know it works similarly to MS Office. 3 Cheers for Open Office!


     
    wisdomtool, Feb 27, 2008 IP
  2. ricelover

    ricelover Peon

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    #22
    I have OO 2.0.2.

    What I don't like about Calc(spreadsheet) is that I can't move any cells(or a block of cells) by clicking it's edge and dragging, which can be done in Excel.

    The lack of this feature can turn into a nightmare of cutting, pasting, deleting, with a high probability of making a mistake. So much fiddling just to move a cell(s).

    I hope they've included this feature in future versions of Calc.
     
    ricelover, Feb 27, 2008 IP
  3. wisdomtool

    wisdomtool Moderator Staff

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    #23
    They are always improving, I remembered when I first used Open Office it was a nightmare, but now it is comparable to Microsoft Office. One advantage about Open Office is it does not have to wait to release a new version, anytime we can have a new version with new features when they are ready.

    This is unlike commercial software, where they waited for the most appropriate time to release a new version and you will be sure that the version you are running won't have the new goodies unless you buy the new version.

     
    wisdomtool, Feb 27, 2008 IP
  4. iceshards

    iceshards Guest

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    #24
    I have use this two, so far I like also the version of OpenOffice.. what I like in openoffice it is free while on microsoft office your require license... I go for openoffice.. easy to use and like the performance of microsoft office...
     
    iceshards, Feb 27, 2008 IP
  5. magiscoder

    magiscoder Peon

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    #25
    In my opinion, even Office XP is better than OpenOffice. Writer (the MS Word equivalent) is the only OpenOffice program that even compares to its Microsoft cousin.

    However, even though MS Office is better, it's not $500 better, so unless you're getting it for free/discount with a new PC or something, I would go for OpenOffice.
     
    magiscoder, Feb 27, 2008 IP
  6. D_C

    D_C Well-Known Member

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    #26
    I agree 100%
     
    D_C, Feb 27, 2008 IP
  7. UKWebmasterForum

    UKWebmasterForum Guest

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    #27
    I've still only got OpenOffice installed, since I have been playing around with it I have figured out how to do stuff very easily now and to be honest MS Office doesn't have many features more than OpenOffice, apart from daft tools which no one uses anyway.

    I love OpenOffice, especially the predictive text, it is so accurate and I would say about 98% of the time, guesses the word correctly which you are trying to type...saves a lot of time.
     
    UKWebmasterForum, Feb 28, 2008 IP
  8. PaddyL

    PaddyL Active Member

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    #28
    Thing is, even if you're getting it at a discount, what happens when upgrade time comes? Then you have to pay good money, again, just to keep the same package.

    With OO, you pay only if you want to donate, and even then only once if that's what you want. You choose the price, from free to whatever.

    I guess that's why so many government and non-government organisations have decided to change over to OO, despite the initial training and installation costs.
     
    PaddyL, Feb 28, 2008 IP
  9. ardley216

    ardley216 Peon

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    #29
    i used open office for my QNVQ ICT... and it was terrible compared, i bet i would have got a higher grade if i used MO.
     
    ardley216, Feb 28, 2008 IP
  10. UKWebmasterForum

    UKWebmasterForum Guest

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    #30
    How come you find OpenOffice terrible compared to Microsoft Office.
     
    UKWebmasterForum, Feb 28, 2008 IP
  11. cmcken1

    cmcken1 Peon

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    #31
    You can do that by the way. That funcion is supported but the method is different than Billyware's excel. It has been there all along.

    Here's how on OSX (for Win-use CTL instead of Command)

    To move one cell:
    1. Select cell
    2. Then hold command and select again until cell turns black.
    3. Drag cell to desired location.

    To move a range of cells:

    1. Select range (all will be blackened)
    2. Drag to location
     
    cmcken1, Mar 30, 2008 IP
  12. cmcken1

    cmcken1 Peon

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    #32
    Open Office works better than Billyware and once I learned how to use it, it was actually easier and less irritating to use. The only thing is that for some that have used Billyware forever, it is hard to retrain. I created all my Word templates that I used to use for my engineering day job in Writer and it took way less time and I had no numbering or bullet list issues like I have experienced with Billyware and; the best part; It was compatible with others and they had no clue that I was using another package. The ultimate is that I never have to use Bill's software again. That's the real benefit; not having to deal with all those bugs. The only app that Office had that was any good was excel and that's because he didn't make it but rather bought it and added to it. Excel is the best MS software that he owns along with Visio, which, he bought that too and didn't make but, over the years, his Redmond team killed it by removing all the engineering tools and templates that once came with that package. Now it's only good for laying out S&M charts and office cubes and maybe for IT and that's it. I think Open Source is going to really hit it big soon along with OSs. It's only a matter of time.
     
    cmcken1, Mar 30, 2008 IP
  13. PaddyL

    PaddyL Active Member

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    #33
    For those that know Word 97/2000/XP, it's easier and quicker to retrain to OpenOffice Writer than it is to retrain to Word 2007!

    That's because Word 2007 is so extraordinarily different from the previous versions of Word.
     
    PaddyL, Mar 31, 2008 IP
  14. Farhan5

    Farhan5 Peon

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    #34
    in my ways microsoft is better
     
    Farhan5, Apr 1, 2008 IP
  15. thunderbolt007

    thunderbolt007 Active Member

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    #35
    I use openoffice because free and reliable. Easy to use, by the way in Microsoft office you must registered it first while openoffice is a free downloadable software. One thing I like from openoffice is that you can view docs from microsoft office.
     
    thunderbolt007, Apr 1, 2008 IP
  16. farooqaaa

    farooqaaa Well-Known Member

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    #36
    I have tried both. And offcourse I like Ms Office. But OpenOffice is excellent for its value.
     
    farooqaaa, Apr 1, 2008 IP
  17. quanchi

    quanchi Active Member

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    #37
    You get what you pay for sometimes, but OpenOffice is excellent for its price. Hopefully more functionally will be added.
     
    quanchi, Apr 1, 2008 IP
  18. thebeacon

    thebeacon Guest

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    #38
    First time that I have hear of it. Downloading it now and see what it is all about. Thats for asking that question. It seems a lot of open source projects popping up
     
    thebeacon, Apr 1, 2008 IP
  19. amanamission

    amanamission Notable Member

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    #39
    I was eager to purge the vestiges of microsoftware from my machine when I downloaded OO, but unfortunately it's just too bulky for everyday use. I know I need more than 1 gig ram, but OO takes forever to load and act.
    So for basic WP functions, I'm stuck with MS 2004. I miss Clarisworks.
     
    amanamission, Apr 1, 2008 IP
  20. drhowarddrfine

    drhowarddrfine Peon

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    #40
    I have not used Microsoft Office in years but I'm sure it has more features than OO and maybe even works better. But most of us don't use half the features in either product so it doesn't matter.

    Fortunately, Google, Sun, IBM and others provide programmers to work on OO full/part time. It will get better.
     
    drhowarddrfine, Apr 2, 2008 IP