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Why OpenOffice? Why Microsoft Office? Each one makes their argument
Shades:
You are very probably right, but their software is the only time I have seen it and that it works.
The only reason I have installed Powerpoint (well, the OOo version of that) is because people sometimes send me jokes in this format. Word, Excel and Outlook are the only pieces of the MSOffice suite that I use on regular (non-extensive) basis, but not by choice. And from this set Outlook is the application I despise the most. Besides the issues that DC member superboyac reported on this forum, I would not suggest to do low level coding using its full MAPI implementation (yes, there are two of them). That is if you do not want to pull out your hair out of sheer agony about the misinformation that MS TechNet feeds you.
Long story short, I do not like Office software and limit my exposure to that kind of software on purpose. At the time (2001) I saw that RagTime was doing their thing I thought that their idea about Office software was a whole lot better than any of their competitors at the time and to a extent even now.
It is unclear to me how long OLE has been around and maybe they were implementing it already in their software, I do not know (and can't be bothered to look it up). Sorry if this post sounds like a rant, it is not intended as such.
Tuxman:
OpenOffice.org is free software, supporting free standards and still usable without any "ribbon" things that waste your screen space. Why Microsoft Office? A really good question indeed!
f0dder:
OpenOffice.org is free software, supporting free standards and still usable without any "ribbon" things that waste your screen space. Why Microsoft Office? A really good question indeed!-Tuxman (February 21, 2010, 10:16 PM)
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As already mentioned: because OOo is slow, clunky and bloated. As for the ribbon, have you actually tried using it, or are you just jumping onto the anti-anything-new bandwagon? As I've already mentioned I personally use OOo even though I think it kinda sucks, but several of my classmates are using Office2007. The ribbon certainly means you can no longer rely on muscle memory, but when using friends laptops it hasn't been slower getting used to the ribbon than it was hunting through the menus in previous office versions (or OOo, for that matter) - and because of it's context-sensitive nature, it often make stuff easier to find.
Not a fan of the morons who add every new feature MS introduces to their apps blindly, though - far from every app benefits from a ribbon.
Tuxman:
OOo is slow, clunky and bloated.-f0dder (February 22, 2010, 12:55 AM)
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So is MSO. 8)
As for the ribbon, have you actually tried using it, or are you just jumping onto the anti-anything-new bandwagon?-f0dder (February 22, 2010, 12:55 AM)
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"Know your enemy". Tried it for about 10 minutes, laughed and closed it. Seriously, this might be neat for rather inexperienced users; for me, it is not. I can see the benefits because the bars have names now, but I also see that it eats productivity by shrinking your screen; not to mention that it does not even fit into any OS's GUI.
I have been an MSO user for years ('95 - 2003), maybe this is another reason why I prefer the good old way. Small buttons, no screen waste, no buttons for very, very blind people, only pure productivity.
(The ~ three seconds OO.org needs to load are OK for me.)
Josh:
For the record, I have both OOo and O2K7 running on a netbook with a 1.6GHz Atom, far from the fastest thing on earth.
I have used and still continue to use both suites depending on the need. I leave OOo installed for those few sites where I find the authors relying on ODF, a poor choice in formats IMHO. But that said, I have put OOo through its paces and I still cannot make it function as fluidly and smooth as O2K7. OOo is slow, unnatural, and appears to just be attempting to copy O2K3.
Tried it for about 10 minutes, laughed and closed it.
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That is not trying it. That is a waste of 10 minutes. The fact that you claim it "shrinks your screen" shows you really have not given it a fair chance either. If you choose to Hide the ribbon, enabled by default on all NON-ENTERPRISE copies, it disappears until you need it.
I have watched as many users quickly gain in productivity in a unit where most of the personnel are former infantry and thus against anything computer related. I have watched them go from taking 2 minutes to find a feature buried in menus to being able to work very quickly on developing the many reports they use and create. The ribbon puts everything out in the open and makes everything accessible via hotkey combo so you can develop that muscle memory in a very easy fashion.
Again, OOo is a decent product and I do recommend it when appropriate. But for business level productivity, nothing beats MS Office.
PS. I am not a fan boy of any particular product. I recommend products as appropriate based on the situation. I also do not blindly jump onto any bandwagon which is extreme in one nature or the other. I do not base my opinions off of what I read online or hear from some "expert" on a blog, I base them off personal experience and actual testing.
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