My new laptop

[Den]

I'm here to help Clive and then you can learn from my mistakes 

[Clive]

Much appreciated Den. 

[nowster]

LibreOffice is to be preferred over OpenOffice. Although they're both based on the original StarOffice source, LibreOffice has had a lot more love in recent years.

[Clive]

Mrs Clive thought that Den's Office 365 plan was dodgy and she said the last time she did anything dodgy was to marry me.     I tried to download Libre Office but  it wasn't free after all.  It demanded a donation which was optional but there was no option to opt out so I declined.  But Open Office really was free and it opens .docx files for me.  I hope it will make .pdfs for me too!  (Must check).  Kapersky downloaded just fine and seems to work well.  And I've managed to sync my Chrome account and now have all my bookmarks.  I hope AdultSheepFinder is still there!!    Seems my google account changed from googlemail to gmail so I had initially used the wrong login details.  If only Amazon would send me my transfer cables I'd be able to complete the changeover.     (poetic license Simon)     

[Simon]

[nowster]

Libreoffice does not demand a donation. You can download without it, and it downloads in the background whilst showing the donation page. I've done so many times.

[Den]

The Amazon way is not dodgy just a way of saving money and £20 a year for a pensioner is great. You can buy Office 365 from a number of sources (including PC World) it's just that I found Amazon not only the cheapest but also instant.

I must admit it blew 2010 away and I love it.   

[Clive]

The transfer cables turned up today along with Bravura easy transfer software.  They have to e-mail me a product key so that I can use it.    

I tried all ways with Libre Office and the options were $5, $10 etc.  There was no provision for $0.  Not that I mind paying but when it's advertised as free it becomes a matter of principle.     Mrs Clive's worry with the Amazon deal is that she could suddenly end up without software.  The OpenOffice seems to work fine although the acid test will be when *she* wants to use it.  I will take to my bunker until I know it's safe to come out.   

[J!ll]

 

[Clive]

   I know my place Jill.

signed,

Oppressed
(from the bunker). 

[Den]

With Office even though you are paying via Amazon, Microsoft send you an email to remind you and then you log onto Amazon and renew and it's updated straight away. After using it and as I can have it on up to five machines including my iPad I think it's a great deal and product. I should be a Microsoft Salesman and be on commission. 

Go for it Clive, you know it makes sense.

[Technical Ben]

Mrs Clive thought that Den's Office 365 plan was dodgy and she said the last time she did anything dodgy was to marry me.     I tried to download Libre Office but  it wasn't free after all.  It demanded a donation which was optional but there was no option to opt out so I declined.  But Open Office really was free and it opens .docx files for me.  I hope it will make .pdfs for me too!  (Must check).  Kapersky downloaded just fine and seems to work well.  And I've managed to sync my Chrome account and now have all my bookmarks.  I hope AdultSheepFinder is still there!!    Seems my google account changed from googlemail to gmail so I had initially used the wrong login details.  If only Amazon would send me my transfer cables I'd be able to complete the changeover.     (poetic license Simon)     

Open office is as far as I know an older version. Libre Office is the current spin off. Though both are "alive" with development to some extent. You can skip the "donate" button. Usually the download starts, and then opens a "you can donate" button. But the download in the background, it looks like the "download" button takes you to a "donate first" option, when really it's after.

[Clive]

Thanks Ben, you are correct - it has downloaded!     All that matters is what Mrs Clive is happiest with so I'll just wait for the explosion.     I've now had the product key for the transfer software but both laptops are in denial about the transfer cable being connected.  I've e-mailed Bravura for advice.  I actually have a set of Belkin cables and wonder if I could substitute those instead?  I'm not doing very well with this particular Amazon order because I also ordered a kitchen clock which happens to be radio controlled.  It's not possible to set it manually - you have to wait for the radio signal.  It's supposed to be accurate to one billionth of a second in a thousand years.  I'd be delighted if it was accurate to within one minute a year!  It's running seven minutes fast!!    But the wireless mouse I splashed out on for the new laptop seems to work OK.  I can see me sending the cable and the clock back to Amazon. 

[Simon]

I've always found those radio controlled clocks to be useless.  I have one in my kitchen, and it may be accurate to the second, but it's often out by several hours!   

[nowster]

Depends on which transmitter the clock synchronises with. Many of those sold in the UK use the MSF transmitter at Anthorn in Cumbria. Some sold here use the DCF77 station near Frankfurt in Germany. Both will be affected by strong local interference (eg. computer monitors).

[Den]

We have two alarm clocks, both radio controlled and they are always spot on. 

[Clive]

The clock is 2hrs and 2 mins fast today.   

[Simon]

They say time flies faster the older you get!   

[Clive]

It's now 2 hours and 4 minutes fast so it's speeding up!     The Microsoft Office problem has been resolved.  The Office 2010 Starter I bought from Amazon for a tenner and claimed hadn't downloaded appears to have downloaded after all.     I e-mailed a .doc file to the Win 10 computer and downloaded it to see whether Open Office or Libre Office would open it up.  To my surprise, Microsoft Office 2010 loaded up and I was able to complete the installation.  One caveat is that it said I will get adverts with it.  That was not mentioned on the Amazon website!  But I think my Adblock plus is blocking them anyway.  If all is well then I may be able to delete both the open source packages. 

The software transfer people are looking into the reason my cable won't connect but they think it might be Kapersky.  They say I could try going into 'settings' at the top right hand corner of the main application screen but I just don't see such a screen.  I have 'extended download insurance' and wonder if that means I can uninstall it then download it from the website again?  Oops, 8.30pm.  Time for bed.    

[Den]

Kaspersky did not like Outlook 2010 on my computer so I went back to Norton and all was well. I updated to Office 365 on a whim one evening and it ran so much smoother that 2010 so I'm glad I did. 

[dudwell]

I've always found those radio controlled clocks to be useless.  I have one in my kitchen, and it may be accurate to the second, but it's often out by several hours!   

I have a radio controlled wristwatch and it's solar powered too. Not merely is it accurate to a millionth of a second but I'm saving the planet!

[Simon]

From what?   

[Clive]

 

[dudwell]

From what?   

From global warming of course!

[Clive]

My latest e-mail from Bavura tells me to uninstall Kapersky  and try the leads again.  The clock is still 2 hours 5 mins fast but the mouse has been a success story!  It's given birth to five baby mice which are now munching their way through the contents of my food cupboard.