Anyone here use openoffice ?

David · Mar 16, 2009, 20:25:52

Just wondering if anyone here uses this, looks good but thought I would ask before downloading

in advance

kinmel · Mar 16, 2009, 20:32:13

I use Open Office on all my PCs, it is a very capable suite and a Microsoft equivalent costs £100's.

Give it a try and you will be surprised by how good it is.

You can still save and open all of Microsoft's document formats

Be sure to install the British Dictionary.

David · Mar 16, 2009, 20:34:03

Thanks Alan have been thinking for a while but gift horses and all that so thought I would ask first

LesD · Mar 16, 2009, 20:35:52

Quote from: badpianoplayer on Mar 16, 2009, 20:25:52
Just wondering if anyone here uses this, looks good but thought I would ask before downloading in advance

I can only concur with Alan, David.

I was a sceptic but once I had it installed I was won over.

It's free and legal and does exactly what it says on the tin.

BWT beware the look alike that you are asked to pay for.

Get it here.

This is the one to avoid.

David · Mar 16, 2009, 20:40:34

That was close,thanks Les I think I was on the cloned site

LesD · Mar 16, 2009, 20:43:26

Quote from: badpianoplayer on Mar 16, 2009, 20:40:34
That was close,thanks Les I think I was on the cloned site

No problem.

Simon · Mar 16, 2009, 21:00:19

I use OO on my laptop, and have no problems, other than a small niggle with opening existing MS Excel documents. I'm sure it's just a setting I've missed, but when opening, say, a blank invoice, or a complete one, for that matter, it displays fine on screen, but when I print the document, zero amounts, which should just be blank spaces, are printed as £0.00, which makes the whole thing look a bloody mess. I don't really need a solution to this, as I have MS Office on my main machine, where I do the accounts, but it would be nice to know what's wrong.

LesD · Mar 16, 2009, 21:12:06

Quote from: Simon on Mar 16, 2009, 21:00:19
I use OO on my laptop, and have no problems, other than a small niggle with opening existing MS Excel documents. I'm sure it's just a setting I've missed, but when opening, say, a blank invoice, or a complete one, for that matter, it displays fine on screen, but when I print the document, zero amounts, which should just be blank spaces, are printed as £0.00, which makes the whole thing look a bloody mess. I don't really need a solution to this, as I have MS Office on my main machine, where I do the accounts, but it would be nice to know what's wrong.

I had a similar sort of issue and I fixed it under Format at Conditional Formatting.

I have attached a screenshot that may give you a clue.

The original document seemed to default to this option in excel but the OO default appeared to be different. My fix may not be the right one for you but it sorted things form me. It's a while since I dabbled with this and I have forgotten some of the details but it involved creating a White text on a White Background Style to be use when certain of the conditions were met. Those wiser than me may be able to expand on this if required.

[attachment deleted by admin]

Simon · Mar 16, 2009, 21:21:23

Thanks Les. It's not something I would spend too much time on, as it's simple enough to do what I need to on the main PC.

David · Mar 16, 2009, 22:06:34

Only been on it for a very short time and its better than I could have hoped, ok I will come clean I asked my daughter to test it,and you cant get a better tester than an 11 year old

Her verdict................"its cool"

Sebby · Mar 16, 2009, 22:26:25

I'm going to have to be different and say I don't like OpenOffice. It's good for a free office suite, but I always found is sluggish and not intuitive. I think MS Office is better, but then it's not free.

David · Mar 16, 2009, 22:28:58

Is this the OO v3 Sebby,this is quite fast and I find itr easy (well with the help of Joanne)

john · Mar 16, 2009, 22:45:29

I found differences when there were links in the cells in Excel, MS Office was okay but OO formatted them differently. As I've already got MS office I'll carry on using it in case there are other issues.

Baz · Mar 17, 2009, 14:58:15

whats the difference with those two Les?

cavillas · Mar 17, 2009, 16:10:24

I find Open Office a very capable application and as it is free well worht the money

I used it in parrallel with MS Office xp but then I "actually" went and "bought" MS Office 2007 from software4students, it was the full package with Outlook and Publisher and only cost £54.00 rather than the £300 odd normally. You can also use it on 2 machines. The only stipulation is that you have to have a child at school or college or be attending one yourself.

If I hadn't bought Office 2007 then I would still be usinng Open Office because of it's pdf features.

David · Mar 17, 2009, 16:36:53

I am impressed with it Alf and you have answered a question I had..

Simon · Mar 17, 2009, 16:50:13

Quote from: cavillas on Mar 17, 2009, 16:10:24
I find Open Office a very capable application and as it is free well worht the money I used it in parrallel with MS Office xp but then I "actually" went and "bought" MS Office 2007 from software4students, it was the full package with Outlook and Publisher and only cost £54.00 rather than the £300 odd normally. You can also use it on 2 machines. The only stipulation is that you have to have a child at school or college or be attending one yourself.

If I hadn't bought Office 2007 then I would still be usinng Open Office because of it's pdf features.

Thanks for that, Alf, just purchased the standard version for my boy, for £37.28.

Rik · Mar 17, 2009, 16:53:31

Curiously, when MS sent me a copy free, they sent me the student edition.

David · Mar 17, 2009, 17:01:29

I didnt read it correctly and thought it was for students only

Rik · Mar 17, 2009, 17:03:41

Just having one you can produce on demand is enough, David.

David · Mar 17, 2009, 17:05:51

Im too honest for my own good Rik

cavillas · Mar 17, 2009, 17:17:52

The only trouble with MS Office and Open Office is that they don't stop your fngers hitting the wrong keys or in the wrong order and I always forget the spell checking facility on this site.

Rik · Mar 17, 2009, 17:18:44

Use Firefox and you don't have to worry, Alf.

vitriol · Mar 17, 2009, 17:20:38

I've been using OO for quite a while now and I think it's really good. v3 is fast and stable. Yes there are some quirks and it does some things a little differently from the MS version but as it's a free application then I can look past all of that.

The pdf feature is a nice touch as previously mentioned.

cavillas · Mar 17, 2009, 17:29:25

Quote from: Rik on Mar 17, 2009, 17:18:44
Use Firefox and you don't have to worry, Alf.

I couldn't possibly leave MS stuff, could I?

I use Firefox for certain sites which will remain nameless for reasons of sanity, mine

Rik · Mar 17, 2009, 17:34:41

How about Opera?

cavillas · Mar 17, 2009, 17:47:35

Rude words not allowed

Rik · Mar 17, 2009, 17:49:22

I do like Xobni.

cavillas · Mar 17, 2009, 19:09:33

Did you notice that it's inbox backwards, very inventive or what?

Rik · Mar 17, 2009, 19:10:57

No, but a backwards inbox suits me well.

LesD · Mar 17, 2009, 21:25:12

Quote from: Baz on Mar 17, 2009, 14:58:15
whats the difference with those two Les?

Baz!

LesD · Mar 17, 2009, 22:02:18

I am no expert with Microsoft (MS) Excel or OpenOffice (OO) Calc but the simple spreadsheet I have does my home accounts by keeping track of direct debits, standing orders and the like so it's no great shakes in the scheme of things. Basically what it did in MS's Excel it does in OO's Calc just by opening the existing xls file in Calc. What I posted about above was cometics. At work we do have some much more tasking Excel spreadsheets, created by others I hasten to add with lots of cell linkage so if I think of it I will bring one of these beast home and try it in Calc and see what I make of how it is handled by this application.

OO's Writer has been a virtual clone of Word 2003 for the relatively straightforward word.doc documents I have transferred to it.
My eldest daughter bought Office 2007, the full caboodle, despite being married to a teacher, because she was told by the network administrator at the Chambers where she works, not to get the Student version as their "nonacademic" network software would block it! It was when she told me that 2007 had a new look and feel, the, "i'm an old dog that does not want to learn new tricks" shutter came down and despite her telling me how good it was and that I would soon get used to it. (Yes like my Vista Home Premium

) As soon as I heard that OO V3.0 was akin to Office 2003 with which I an ofay, I decided it was worth a try and haven't looked back. If they ever get round to upgrading the Office 2003 package that we use at work, the old dog will have to learn some new tricks but for the time being inertia prevails.

I have done nothing more that open a couple of MS PowerPoint presentations in OO Presentations and view them. Once again this functionality was as you would expect it to be. I have not had the need or the inclination to create a new presentation using OO's Presentations so this is virgin territory for me and therefore I can offer no opinion about this.

OO being free and legal, for what I want to do with an "Office" package at home, it is great imo.