Free Alternative to Microsoft Office

[Jester_11218]

From my TvNewsLIES.org blog:
http://tvnewslies.org/blog/?p=577

Many of us “computer geeks” have been complaining about Microsoft’s utter domination of the desktop computer world for years. We realize that there are better operating systems (Linux, MacOS & even OS/2 in the old days), better software solutions and more choices for consumers. But, the truth is Microsoft pretty much dominates the market.

Well while I was setting up a client’s Vista laptop I discovered two things; Vista is not ready for prime time and Microsoft Office is very expensive! After spending about $1800 on a new laptop my client was forced to buy the upgrade to MS office. He was going to have to shell out a few hundred bucks more just so he can write simple letters and read simple spreadsheets.

So I looked into Sun’s open source free office package and I’ll tell you, it is pretty impressive. It installed cleanly, had all the productivity applications and is FREE! Keeping in line with the theme of my website, informing people about information that is not common knowledge for one reason or another, I thought I would use today’s newsletter to let people know that there is indeed an alternative to MS office…and it’ FREE!

To my Mac Friends…yes, there is a Mac version as well as a Linux version.

You can download the package or order a CD on the Openoffice.org web site here: http://www.openoffice.org/ . I was not asked by anybody at this site to write about this. I just happen to be a 20 year computer professional who is asked about things like this all the time…and finally I found a solution to a common issue that can save a lot of people a lot of money!

So before you go and violate copy right licensing by getting bootlegged or cracked versions of MS software…try Open Office. See, there are good people doing good things out there. You just have to know where to find them! Think about it!

Peace,
Jesse - Editor, TvNewsLIES.org

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Three things about this package

mind you I use it

1.- It is a LARGE pacakge, so you may find it to be slow to load

2.- If you are married to a non geek and you still have MS Office and HE rather use Microsoft since he is familiar with it, on instalation do not ask the software to open all DOC files in Open Office, trust, me, you will apreaciate peace in the home

3.- It does NOT have a grammar checker, as weak as the one in MS Office is, it is better than nothing

4.- It can be used for layout using frames, in fact I'll admit it, I use it for DPT, it is easier than MS

5.- It can be carried in a thumb drive if you should need to do that

6.- This is critical boys and girls, if you need just a word processor Abi Word may be sufficient... it is most like MS Works

[Jester_11218]

2. Abi Word?

I never heard of Abi Word but I'll look into it. Thanks for the info. I just discovered thi package and I thought it may be a solution for many people who can not afford or do not want to pay the high prices of the MS products.

Thanks for the info.
Peace,
Jesse

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Here is a link for you

http://www.abisource.com/

[ChairmanAgnostic]

12. I've been using Open office for me mac for more than a year.

and I am very happy with it. In fact, I prefer it to MSawfull.


please note that storing your files in Open Office format takes 1/2 to 2/3 LESS space than MSOffice. When some of my books and versions of them start loading up, I like the extra space.

[porphyrian]

5. Re: 2.

It is possible to change that default in the settings. I found out the hard way.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. I needed to clean the HD

and I got an external HD so I removed it from C and reaintalled on H and just told it not to.

I guess I now qualify as a geek... but reality is I am IT for this household

And in the recent past I have come to realize just how much I have been able to save over the yaers by learning a little more advanced computer geekness

[Robbien]

8. Thanks for the AbiWord alternative link

Sun is good, but the size and slow load has been a deterrant.

Will check out Abi

thanks again.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

23. Abi has really weird formating on letters and stuff

odd placement of letters, some letters scrunched together, and others that stay apart in the same word.
Can't figure out what is wrong. Neooffice is much smoother and robust.

[papau]

28. Neooffice - OK -thanks for the info - another one to check out! :-) n/t

n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

31. Thanks for pointer to Neooffice.

http://www.neooffice.com/

[papau]

27. The Open Office reading of or creating doc files is easy- but better is the free AbiWord to replace

"writer" - the word processor that is included in open office



Linux Journal - Editors' Choice 2006 - November 1st, 2006
AbiWord 2.4.4 has been selected as Editors' Choice 2006 for Linux Journal. "We want a word processor that is lean and mean, starts up faster than OpenOffice.org Writer, imports Microsoft Word files adequately and offers all the features we need. <...> AbiWord has all of what most people will need in a word processor and then some, without the bloat and long load times of OpenOffice.org Writer."

[slowry]

3. use vi :) n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

6. Say again?

[Jester_11218]

11. It's a text editor

It is mainly used by programmers and systems people. It is great but it is not really a word processor...unless it has changed over the years. I have not used it for a few years.

[brokensymmetry]

13. Shh! And don't you dare tell them about SED and AWK.

Geez! What's a geek to do?

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. You evil

most folks will look at that and go HMMMM

In fact I went.. UNIX text programing editor, AGGHHHHH

[eppur_se_muova]

30. Ah, a fan of the classics. ;^) nt

[Jonathan50]

9. Google has an interesting set of online apps for documents and speadsheets.

http://docs.google.com/

Welcome to Google Docs & Spreadsheets!

With Google Docs & Spreadsheets, you can:

* Use our online editor to format documents, spell-check and more.
* Upload Word documents, OpenOffice, RTF, HTML or text.
* Download documents to your desktop as Word, PDF and more.
* View your documents' revision history and roll back to any version.

Plus, since it's online, you can:

* Invite others to share your documents by e-mail address.
* Edit documents online with whomever you choose.
* Publish documents online to the world, or to just who you choose.
* Post your documents to your blog.

[originalpckelly]

10. Yes, I know, I use OpenOffice.org all the time...

I started out using StarOffice when they had the free version for non-commercial use. It's pretty damn good at word processing, and it has an awesome formula program for those who work on physics. That's my personal favorite!

[Kali]

14. I use it.

I'm no geek (but I'm learning) and I'm no corporate office dweller, but it works for me. It opens excell docs and lets me use them for a group I belong to. Opens word docs and you can save them in that format too.

[Skidmore]

15. Don't assume we are all geeks.

Some of us do not have the foggiest idea how to go about setting up a computer.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. We can help

Serious

The other day we helped a friend of ours set a multifunction printer, scanner et al. I am somewhat of a geek and I was ready to kill the "easy to install" machine

Anyhow for open office or abiword, download the installation package FOR WINDOWS, and then just follow the install instructions

Trust me, if you cannot afford the MS software, they are a hell of an alternative

And if you want an easy to use word processor that is not bloated, just for word processing... I'd recommend Abi Word before Open Office and I have used several word processors over the course of the last three years and now thee Desktop publishing programs, trying to save money in my start up company

I still use Open Office, but as I said, I installed it with the NON Opening WORD documents alternative, since my hubby is very much like you, every time the puter crashes the swearing gets amazing...

[133724]

18. I've used Open Office

and for most applications it is just great...

Unfortunately I am an accountant and need to use Qucikbooks another POS (I don't mean "Point Of Sale). In order to export data into a spreadsheet it requires MS Excel and doesn't work with Open Office.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

24. the Neooffice mac version reads and writes MSEXCEL perfectly

Neooffice rocks.

[dkofos]

19. I have been MS free for 2 years now.

Debian Linux, Open office, Firefox/Iceweasel, Thunderbird/Icedove.
All work great, all are free.

Not another dime to microshaft

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. I wish I could do that

but....

Hubby plays games and setting Linux to run games on WINE is more painful than a root canal with no anesthesia

And... one package of software I use for work, and I NEED IT does not play well with LUNUX any flavor, and trust me, I tried.

Oh and the LINUX alternative to that program is nowhwere even close to where it should be to compete in a commercial setting. For home use, it is more than enough... but commercially, no way

[dkofos]

21. You could always set up a dual boot system.

Boot to windoze for games and the program you need.
Boot to Linux for everything else.

My system is set up for dual boot but I don't go
into windoze very often, (in fact not at all this year).

[ray of light]

22. help me please!

I bought a mac laptop (older version) from a school not realizing that the school removed all op systems. Please tell me how I can update these systems when I can't plug it in and go online.

Can I copy the download onto a regular IBM and then copy that disc onto the mac?

[landdaddy]

25. And take it whever you go

as part of a portable apps suite on a flash drive:

PortableApps Suite (Standard Edition): ClamWin Portable (antivirus), Mozilla Firefox - Portable Edition (web browser), Gaim Portable (instant messaging), OpenOffice.org Portable (office suite), Sudoku Portable (puzzle game), Mozilla Sunbird - Portable Edition (calendar/task manager) and Mozilla Thunderbird - Portable Edition (email client) and runs comfortably from a 512MB drive.

Everything, or most everything, you need on a 512MB flash drive.
http://portableapps.com/suite#download_details

[gravity]

26. Open office has its flaws

I use it, mostly because of money reasons, but if I had a choice, I would go for Microsoft.

The problem is that open office isn't 100% capitable with Microsoft Office, which can cause problems sending important files to to other computers. Lack of grammer check also sucks, but other than that Openoffice has all the features you'll ever need.

[piedmont]

29. I've used OpenOffice for two years and I'm happy with it. nt