[Jay150]

Hi

Does anyone have experience of using the open source Open Office software?

If so, is it compatible with Microsoft Office applications like Word, Excel or Powerpoint?

[vikulenka]

Originally Posted by Jay150

Hi

Does anyone have experience of using the open source Open Office software?

If so, is it compatible with Microsoft Office applications like Word, Excel or Powerpoint?

I have used it for a bit on my Mac. It's compatible, yes.

[solaris]

Originally Posted by Jay150

Hi

Does anyone have experience of using the open source Open Office software?

If so, is it compatible with Microsoft Office applications like Word, Excel or Powerpoint?

The translation from English to my Scandinavian language somehow went frightfully wrong

Since we started using Open Office at my school, my students have become much worse at grammar (in their own language) because Open Office is so 'English'

For instance: You English speaking people rarely join two substantives (which are standing next to each other), while there are NUMEROUS examples of that in my language - and even if my students rightfully join these words in their essays, then Open Office tells them that what they are doing are wrong

I HATE Open Office - it REALLY SUCKS

[gluteus maximus]

Originally Posted by vikulenka

I have used it for a bit on my Mac. It's compatible, yes.

I think it's safer to say 'mostly compatible'. Document layout may change slightly when opening Office documents in OOo and vice versa, support for Office macros isn't 100%, and there isn't an Outlook replacement.

But for everyday use it should work OK.

gm

[gluteus maximus]

Originally Posted by solaris

I HATE Open Office - it REALLY SUCKS

IMHO it's a really bad idea to let software check your grammar. It's the first thing I disable in Word

gm

[jasn]

Open Office has been on our home computer for almost two years now and it's been working fime. The trick is to modify the default formats in which you save documents so that they are compatible with MS Office docs. Otherwise you can't share them with others not also using OO.

And it's free...so give it a shot.

[vikulenka]

Originally Posted by solaris

I HATE Open Office - it REALLY SUCKS

And this is why it is no longer installed on my Mac

[rolly]

You English speaking people rarely join two substantives

What are these substantives you speak of?
If two people say "we are leaving,then three people should say weeeeeeeeee are leaving?
Yep.
That's fer sure wrong.
Open Office is right.

[solaris]

Originally Posted by rolly

What are these substantives you speak of?

Time bomb, ice dessert, fruit juice etc., etc., etc., etc.

You guys have millions of these 'split up' substantives - all of which are just one 'joined' substantive in my language...

And it makes my students confused, when something they write correctly is deemed inaccurate by OpenOffice

Originally Posted by rolly

If two people say "we are leaving,then three people should say weeeeeeeeee are leaving?

Yep.

That's fer sure wrong.

We are talking substantives/nouns - NOT pronouns...

Originally Posted by rolly

Open Office is right.

Nope, OpenOffice SUCKS BIG TIME, if you want to use it to write in anything but English (said in all honesty (and being a teacher from a NON-English speaking nation))

[Nightfly]

But how do you really feel about it.....