As some regular readers would know, I had installed and used Microsoft Office 2007 for a little while now.
Well one of the big things that has always frustrated me is Word's drawing capabilities.
I do a lot of sales proposals with diagrams and the like. Word's drawing system mystifies me. The inconsistencies in the way that things are laid out and objects sometimes do not snap to where you'd expect them to have caused countless hours of frustration. I guess Microsoft figured that their Visio application is specialised for this sort of thing but I have always found Visio quite chunky and clunky and not integrated enough with Word. Having used it before from time to time as a Microsoft Office alternative, I have found Open Office to excel in this area.
Using Open Office Draw, however Open Office 3.0 has given me an all new appreciation for the Open Office suite. This is a very well put together application. Even though I am now used to the ribbon (which is apparently to feature quite heavily in the new Vienna edition of Windows), I am constantly drawn to the classic and simpler to use Open Office interface.
I don't want to turn this into a Microsoft Office 2007 vs Open Office 3.0 debate, because for the time being I'm happy to run both side by side. Most computers these days can handle the additional space and processing power required.
I was once compelled to use Microsoft Office because of the integration of things like Outlook, the synch and Business Contact Manager. However frustration with these applications has reduced my reliance on the integrated approach. I still find Outlook's calendaring and invitation system (because many other clients also use it it can be handy), however I now use these apps independently of each other. An open standard for calendaring and meeting invites would be the icing on the cake. So I've really started to question whether I am locked into Office 2007 at all (aside from its obvious buying price).
I really think that Microsoft Office 2007 has matured as a product and while using the Open Office suite, this is very evident. The Writer is, in more opinion, more solid than Word. I've found that it supports almost everything I need to do. I've used the Calc application as an Excel and found it to be just as good. I've also used the Impress application, which is the equivalent to PowerPoint and can confidently say that it offers everything that PowerPoint does. To top it off, even though I know Open Office 3.0 runs using Java, it does seem a lot snappier, possibly moreso than Microsof Office 2007. However I do get these annoying Java pop-ups from time to time on Windows Vista (doesn't happen on my XP machine) that I'm not sure yet how to turn off.
Anyway, I'd just like to share with you the fact that integrated features in Open Office are truly impressive and has come a long way. I would definitely recommend giving it another go.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I in general agree with your thoughts, have a couple of exceptions and a point or two to add.
First, Microsoft Draw does have the problems mentioned and can be MORE THAN FRUSTRATING. I second your opinion. Open Office Draw (and I have reloaded it twice on XP) also has some issues still. One, which I have wasted untold hour trying to sort out is doing something very simple, Curving text. It's impossible...period. Another is saving a jpeg file as an svg file....hand onto your hats...I got 300 pages of "save" all in those wonderful characters. My file had 20 words and one minor graphic in it...pain.
As for Word and Swriter you are right the transition is easy and compared to Office 2003 I think it is more intuitive. For new users definitely start with FREE...it will get better. On the other hand perhaps because of the many years I have been using Word I did stumble and still occasionally have to remind myself I am not in Word. If you already have word it's probably not really worth the transition for the normal user. If you have to BUY....don't... make the jump to Open Office.
Office 2007 I would rate a bit better than Open office at the moment but.......and it's a big but. Microsoft can't compete long term...they will lose. Their size and long dominance is over. They are now competing with free and a talent pool they cannot rival.
In a way....and this may be an interesting aside...they defeated themselves. How? By being slow, by not being innovative (Word Perfect was the champ) and doing the me too copy routine and....very importantly....they have built a world army of smart people who became smart because they could not get problems resolved on a timely basis (or at all in some cases).
The other parts of Open Office are functional, well thought out and do what most of us need. It might also be added that most of us don't need all those tools very frequently so learning the differences in the equivalent in Open office even if you are (were) a M$ fan is not a big deal. A lazy Sunday with bad weather and it's done. End (and probably a begining)
Post a Comment