skip to main content

OpenOffice

15 years ago

Is it good, bad or in between? I currently have Office 2000 on my XP PC and can't afford an upgrade. WIll I gain anything if I download and try OpenOffice? Are there likely to be bugs?

Thanks,

Nancy

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

owbist
15 years ago
Probably the most important thing is to decide what Office 2000 does not do for you that you think Open Office might.

Once you have done that then install OO and if you are unhappy simply remove it again. It is a large download, somewhere over 600 megs I think.

No bugs but your safety program should scan it as you download anyway.
azinoh
15 years ago
If you're writing simple .docs and working simple spreadsheets, OO will be just fine. If you use any advanced features in Office, you may have to relearn how to perform the same operations in OO. If you are sharing files with other Office users, you'll have to remember to save your files in MS format instead of the default Open format. Nothing to lose by giving it a test drive.
Related Discussions
Open Office software
Q
Comments (3)
pippi, You can use OO Writer to make a list of your plants, highlight the list and then choose Tools>Sort at the top. The default is set to put them in order alphanumerically. Click on OK and your list is alphabetized. I use spreadsheets for my garden and have a different workbook for each bed. To sort a spreadsheet, enter your plant names one by one beneath each other in Column A. Highlight Column A, click on Data at the top, then click on Sort, then click OK. It will alphabetize your plant names. Let me know if I'm not being clear. :)
...See More
Question about Open Office Program
Q
Comments (6)
I've used the text and spreadsheet applications and they work pretty darn well given the price. The only thing you need to remember is that Open Office is not 100% compatible with Microsoft Office. If you are in a business environment were the office uses Office, then you need Office.
...See More
Open Office?
Q
Comments (7)
Go to openoffice.org site. That way you'll get the right version. I've been using it since, well probably since it came out and it's on my "essentials" list for new machines and machines I set up for people. It has advantages over MS Office and disadvantages. But it's free and quite compatible with the M$ version. It's a hefty download of course so you'll want a broadband connection or a downloader. I usually check about every 6 months to a year for updates. Just go to Help/Check for Updates to see about a new version. Here is a link that might be useful: OpenOffice
...See More
Open Office quit working
Q
Comments (7)
If you intend to continue with OO, I would suggest you uninstall what you have now then download and install the latest version. Depending on what happened during the crash, you may find that any .docs you had open when it occurred may be corrupted and unrecoverable. I remember having similar "registration" issues with OO and finally got fed up. I've since installed Libre Office and never looked back. Here's another thing to try: Use WORDPAD to open the .docs you were working on. If you can open them, make a few simple changes and save them. That might smooth things over when you try to reopen them in OO.
...See More
mike_kaiser_gw
15 years ago
I use Open Office and it's been pretty stable. There are some minor conversion issues from Word documents - odd stuff like a different bullet points or page headers that don't follow "different, first page".

I think you'll find it to be a lot like Office in terms of function layout, so you won't be hunting for, say, the bold button.
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
15 years ago
I only use Open Office now on all my computers. Works great I always use the drop down menu when saving a file and save it in the .doc format instead of the default OO format that way if I do have to send it to someone using Office they can access it.
DA_Mccoy
15 years ago
OO v3.3.0 is currently 136.79 MB. It will not conflict with your Office 2000 so you can leave it on your system without concern.

If you want compatibility with Office the only thing you will have to do is remember when you create a document in OO to save it in the format you wish; .doc. If you don't it will default to .odt

DA
canibus
15 years ago
In OO go to tools/options/load & save/general/ always save as "Microsoft word 97/2000/zp/2007

Then you want have to remember, it does it auto....

Related Stories

LIVING ROOMS Living Room Meets Dining Room: The New Way to Eat In

By Toronto Interior Design Group

Banquette seating, folding tables and clever seating options can create a comfortable dining room right in your main living space

Sponsored