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Any Open Office users out there?

NedLudd
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Registered: ‎20-10-2012

Any Open Office users out there?

I'm looking at using Open Office instead of buying a more up-to-date copy of MS Office. Mine is Office 2007!
I'm running Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit.
Any input/advice/horror stories would be most welcome.
Geoff,
York.
13 REPLIES 13
thejudge
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Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: Any Open Office users out there?

I rarely had problems with OO (although my own use for it was quite narrow), but it might also be worth looking at LibreOffice, whoch forked off (if you'll pardon the expression) OO two or three years ago.
As ever, it depends on what you need to do with it.
picbits
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Registered: ‎18-01-2013

Re: Any Open Office users out there?

I've been using Libre Office - some incompatibilities with Excel / Word etc but generally it does the job.
If you're not after major compatibility and mainly using it for your own use it should be fine Smiley
Strat
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Registered: ‎14-04-2007

Re: Any Open Office users out there?

I've been a Libre Office user for some time with no issues.
I have a copy of Outlook for my email and have had more problems with it than Libre Office.
Windows 10 Firefox 109.0 (64-bit)
To argue with someone who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead - Thomas Paine
twocvbloke
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Re: Any Open Office users out there?

Quote from: NedLudd
Mine is Office 2007!

And? Mine is Office 2003...... Grin
(If it ain't broke, well, excluding the fact it's a permabroke MS product of course!!)
Oldjim
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Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Any Open Office users out there?

snap
and the only time I use Libre Office is for csv files with too many rows
Off Topic
I still haven't found whether Office 2003 will work with Win 10
ITWorks
Superuser
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Registered: ‎05-11-2008

Re: Any Open Office users out there?

I use WPS Office 2014 (Beta 3, which is the last version of WPS Office before it became a feature-limited trial)
http://www.ksosoft.com/product/office-free.html
Regards
Mike

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

shutter
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Registered: ‎06-11-2007

Re: Any Open Office users out there?

I used to use MS Publisher 98.. for all my letters and documents.... ( still use it for quickness on some things )... trouble was.. nobody else could read the files...!.. so I had to find a prog that would read them.... eventually.. I found that I could do a double "translation" using Lotus 1-2-3  and then another prog to translate that... it worked but was tedious...
then along came Open Office... and it opens the originals no problem.... I also use Open Office for a spreadsheet /list that I need to continually update.. and have no problems with that...

on the whole... OO and LO work... ... as a bonus... if you are passing files of docs on to someone who uses Linux.. it is compatible .... both ways...
Mav
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Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Any Open Office users out there?

I have Office 2007 on the desktop and 2010 on the laptop. I don't like the look or feel of 2010 and am happy with 2007. I doubt if I'd update any time in the near future as all my needs are met.
I have tried both OO and LO having installed each in turn on my mother's PC. Both worked well and quite easy to adapt to from Office.
I think that if I had to re-install 2007 but lost the original disc I would probably move to LO.

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Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear - Mark Twain
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Mayfly
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Re: Any Open Office users out there?

I use MS Office 2003 too and love it.
I tried various O Office software but I couldn't get on with any of them. If you only use them for basic letter writing etc I found they were fine but I need mine to do mail merge as the like and just couldn't get them to connect to excel to consistent standard.
nanotm
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Re: Any Open Office users out there?

I tried open office but the kids kept moaning the files weren't able to be read at school, bit the bullet and got office 365 and haven't looked back, best part is it will cost the same over 5 years for 5 copies as a single office 2007 licence did ........
just because your paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you
NedLudd
Grafter
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Registered: ‎20-10-2012

Re: Any Open Office users out there?

Thanks everyone for your replies!
I've passed over your help to the Financial Services Manager who is now mulling them over. Quite why she needs to mull over free software I haven't a clue! Undecided
Once again, many thanks for all your help!  Smiley
Geoff,
York.
IanSn
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Registered: ‎25-09-2011

Re: Any Open Office users out there?

But beware using 'Base' if familiar with Access!
I've given up on Base (the database) as it just doesn't seem to work properly. Issues not resolved by the ever helpful forum folks either.
Few formatting glitches with Word if sharing.
Think pivot tables work differently from Excel as well. Couldn't get mine to run.
I started with enthusiasm and gradually wandered away.
Libre seems to interfere with other OpenOffice docs as soon as you open it (Libre). Not sure what's going on there. Can anyone confirm this?
colintivy
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Registered: ‎07-03-2008

Re: Any Open Office users out there?

I have used Libre Ofice for some time having given up Word for financial reasons. LO updates itself occasionally without much trouble. I find that it has a much better ability to open many rarer types of files that sometime appear from others. I have been using it quite satisfactorly with a series of spreadsheets which first were created in Exel (98?). Writer is a bit dissimilar to Word in some details, but when you find where they are lurking,  they are generally the same in function. I have a small niggle with Labels and Envelopes in that it is not quite as simple as in Word to get an address transferred from a letter straight onto a label or envelope. LO does not join the programmes up while Word has them together.