Author Topic: That Microsoft Office sure is spendy (Read 8605 times)

Regolith · « **Reply #25 on:** April 09, 2009, 07:00:25 PM »

Quote from: CNYCacher on April 09, 2009, 03:13:05 AM

Interesting approach. Buy Office now in case you might ever run into a situation where you need it? Are you expecting it to not be available in the future?

That's not quite what I meant. As others mentioned, the formatting doesn't always carry over well when an OO file is opened with MO, and if MTP here is going to be spending a lot of time sending word documents to other people who are using Microsoft Office, Open Office will probably not suit his needs very well. However, if all he needs it for is simple word processing before printing out a document, or if the people he is sending the document to are also using OO or don't care too much about formatting, it will work just fine.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #26 on:** April 09, 2009, 08:17:20 PM »

Quote from: Regolith on April 09, 2009, 07:00:25 PM

As others mentioned, the formatting doesn't always carry over well when an OO file is opened with MO, and if MTP here is going to be spending a lot of time sending word documents to other people who are using Microsoft Office, Open Office will probably not suit his needs very well.

Yeah, that's the sticking point. A lot of assignments are turned in as Word documents, and they MUST be Word documents, not PDF or anything else. The last two were due by 6 am, and I finished them at 4. It would be nice to be able to at least check those out in Word, without having to leave the house at 4 in the morning.

I'll probably put Open Office on at least one of my machines, but I think I'm going to buy Word anyway.

Quote from: lee n. field on April 09, 2009, 06:38:16 PM

Get it, try it. What are you out if it doesn't do what you want?

20% of my grade.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #27 on:** April 09, 2009, 10:46:12 PM »

Downloading it now, onto the box I'm setting up for Mrs. Tactical Pants. Will test it with a certain non-critical document I need to publish right away.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #28 on:** April 09, 2009, 11:08:21 PM »

OO wants me to install a Java Runtime Environment. Please advise.

Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas · « **Reply #29 on:** April 09, 2009, 11:17:34 PM »

Quote from: Tactical Pants is my name. on April 09, 2009, 11:08:21 PM

OO wants me to install a Java Runtime Environment. Please advise.

You can do that, or go to Java's site for the newest-est JRE (JRE allows you to run the Java plugins and similar stuff that is on many pages, IIRC):
http://www.java.com/en/download/inc/windows_upgrade_xpi.jsp
[May popup a download window]
Newer JREs should have less security vulnerabilities.

Headless Thompson Gunner · « **Reply #30 on:** April 09, 2009, 11:51:41 PM »

Quote from: mtnbkr on April 09, 2009, 10:07:49 AM

I liked OO, but it's formatting of documents is just different enough that I couldn't send a critical OO generated document without checking it in Word first. It did nasty things to my resume.

That mirrors my experiences exactly.

There's got to be gobs of unused MS Office 2003 licenses floating around. Software purchased with new machines, for which the new machines are now dead. Is there any way to lay claim to one of those licenses? I can't stand the new '07 version of MS Office.

Gewehr98 · « **Reply #31 on:** April 10, 2009, 12:48:10 AM »

I can't stomach Office 2007, either, but I'm already getting documents thus formatted from other folks, and they don't always make their filetypes Office 2003 compatible. You take a chance if a Word document has a docx vs. doc filetype.

Outlook 2007 was painfully slow in loading, until I found the trick of cleaning up the Tools/Trust Center/Add-Ins area.

That made a big difference.

lee n. field · « **Reply #32 on:** April 10, 2009, 08:17:56 AM »

Quote

OO wants me to install a Java Runtime Environment. Please advise.

Let it.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #33 on:** April 18, 2009, 12:40:16 AM »

OK, I like OO now. If only because you can ditch the Save button in the toolbar and replace it with the Save As button. Or have both. Way handier.

Since I found a free monitor today, and bought a new keyboard and mouse, I went ahead and set up the wife's very own personal computator. Just in time, 'cause we both have to write papers this weekend.

It is not "online" right now, so I uninstalled Avira and Firefox. Feels a little bit 1990.

She's even going to use floppies to get the doc's to my computer for printing.

Bogie · « **Reply #34 on:** April 18, 2009, 12:47:42 AM »

Frankly, I like Open Office. Basically, you're looking at 95% (or more) of the functionality, and if you need that remaining 5%, well, spend some money.

Grape Ape · « **Reply #35 on:** April 20, 2009, 01:52:45 AM »

Quote from: Gewehr98 on April 10, 2009, 12:48:10 AM

I can't stomach Office 2007, either, but I'm already getting documents thus formatted from other folks, and they don't always make their filetypes Office 2003 compatible. You take a chance if a Word document has a docx vs. doc filetype.

Outlook 2007 was painfully slow in loading, until I found the trick of cleaning up the Tools/Trust Center/Add-Ins area.

That made a big difference.

There is a free patch (from MS) to allow you to open 07 files in 03. Of course you will still lose any features and formating not supported in 03.

Grape Ape · « **Reply #36 on:** April 20, 2009, 02:02:35 AM »

Quote from: Headless Thompson Gunner on April 09, 2009, 11:51:41 PM

That mirrors my experiences exactly.

There's got to be gobs of unused MS Office 2003 licenses floating around. Software purchased with new machines, for which the new machines are now dead. Is there any way to lay claim to one of those licenses? I can't stand the new '07 version of MS Office.

You might find a 5-6 year old, possibly dead computer on craigslist pretty cheap. If it care with office and the seller still has the disks & paper work you should be good to go. I think I have also seen copies of obsolete software used computer stores (AKA recyclers).

lupinus · « **Reply #37 on:** April 20, 2009, 05:09:29 AM »

I have open office and it has always served me just as well as MO. It takes some getting used to but no more so then any other change in program, and for the most part I've found problems between OO and MO to be limited as newer versions of OO come out.

zahc · « **Reply #38 on:** April 20, 2009, 10:24:00 AM »

I just spent an hour yesterday on the phone with Mom because she bought a new computer, and couldn't do anything with it of course, since it came with Vista and no useful software. Last time I was home I installed Ubuntu and tried to get them to use it, but it won't run the crapware their digital cameras came with (which they think they need to use the cameras). She downloaded an Office 07 trial and went ballistic because she couldn't even use it, cause all the buttons were different. She remembered hearing something about Openoffice (probably from me) and spent $16 to download if from who-knows-where on the internet. After I helped her get her file permissions straight so they would open in read-write mode, she was very relieved because to her, Openoffice 3.0 was more like Office than Office 2007.

K Frame · « **Reply #39 on:** April 20, 2009, 10:56:42 AM »

"She remembered hearing something about Openoffice (probably from me) and spent $16 to download if from who-knows-where on the internet."

There are sites that will charge for the open office download?

What the hell is up with that?

mtnbkr · « **Reply #40 on:** April 20, 2009, 11:08:42 AM »

Maybe she grabbed StarOffice, which is the commercial version of OO.

Chris

zahc · « **Reply #41 on:** April 20, 2009, 11:29:37 AM »

I don't think it was StarOffice.

It's completely legal and ethical, and even encouraged to charge money for open-source software. You're still generally a sucker if you pay for it, though.

http://www.fsf.org/licensing/essays/selling.html

K Frame · « **Reply #42 on:** April 20, 2009, 11:43:40 AM »

"You're still generally a sucker if you pay for it, though."

Yeah, my point exactly.

mtnbkr · « **Reply #43 on:** April 20, 2009, 11:47:59 AM »

Did it at least come with some support or anything that would add value to what she bought?

Or did she just pay for the privilege of downloading from these folks?

Chris

zahc · « **Reply #44 on:** April 20, 2009, 11:51:56 AM »

The latter as far as I know.

The crazy thing is that hundreds of people had downloaded it too (it was renamed, but the product was nothing other than Openoffice 3.0). The reviews, mostly by students, were all ecstatic at how good it was and how much cheaper it was than Office. But anyone suggesting that they could download the same thing for free was ignored or flamed, and told that software piracy is wrong and that "no software is free". By charging a small price for it, people were willing to try it because it was all the sudden legitimate. People (including my mom) are really ignorant.

Headless Thompson Gunner · « **Reply #45 on:** April 20, 2009, 12:27:11 PM »

nevermind

Balog · « **Reply #46 on:** April 20, 2009, 01:48:38 PM »

Quote from: zahc on April 20, 2009, 11:51:56 AM

The latter as far as I know.

The crazy thing is that hundreds of people had downloaded it too (it was renamed, but the product was nothing other than Openoffice 3.0). The reviews, mostly by students, were all ecstatic at how good it was and how much cheaper it was than Office. But anyone suggesting that they could download the same thing for free was ignored or flamed, and told that software piracy is wrong and that "no software is free". By charging a small price for it, people were willing to try it because it was all the sudden legitimate. People (including my mom) are really ignorant.

Sweet merciful crap, that's the best business idea I've ever heard. Start up costs would be fairly low too, amirite?

roo_ster · « **Reply #47 on:** April 20, 2009, 02:26:48 PM »

Quote from: zahc on April 20, 2009, 11:51:56 AM

By charging a small price for it, people were willing to try it because it was all the sudden legitimate. People (including the IT Support and software acquisition folks at my place of employment) are really ignorant.

Personalized that for me, rather than, "FTFY."

I have often thought of creating a "software pass-through" company that would charge good money for free (GPL & other licenses) software I downloaded & burned to CD.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #48 on:** June 22, 2009, 01:57:59 AM »

Word 07 is the bomb. As long as you:

a) minimize the ribbon, and move the Quick Access Toolbar above it.

b) go to the Office button, Word Options, Customize; and select all the buttons you actually use and put them in the Quick Access Toolbar.

mtnbkr · « **Reply #49 on:** June 22, 2009, 07:47:12 AM »

Fisty, you rule. Great suggestions.

Chris

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Author Topic: That Microsoft Office sure is spendy (Read 8605 times)