Yes.

Hahahaha

Depends on what you are doing. If you have very precise formatting requirements (like I do for my law writing) it just doesn't do the job. If you're writing papers for undergrad or a book, probably.

I've really grown to love the "ribbon" in the newest version of Word though, so that's a huge downside of Openoffice.

That's crazy talk, my fine /g/entleman. That's akin to saying that GIMP is as good as Photoshop.

>>3049224
I really does depend on what you're doing. Just like Gimp, if the only image editing you're going to be doing is resizing pictures, Gimp is just as good as Photoshop.

Likewise, if your just going to be writing paragraphs and turning in hard copies, open office does the job just as well as MS Word.

Open Office is open source, just so you know.

In other words, no.

>>3049218
huh i prefer the old way

but yeah it does pretty much the same stuff although the powerpoint program is inferior in my opinion.

OK, for someone who is used to Word 2000, is it just as good?

it's just as good unless you need office 2007 compatibility.

>>3049241

But they're all free.

Why would you use shit software just because what you usually do with it isn't challenging?

>>3049218
>I've really grown to love the "ribbon"

>>3049244
I hated the Ribbon at first as well, but the contextual nature of it is great. I never have options on the screen that I wouldn't be using.

The options available for the right click are also far better, providing most everything you could want to do to some highlighted portion of your paper.

The new file format is far more compact as well, so it takes up far less space.

-4/10

You think you're trolling but you're not.

>>3049252
Actually Open office can read (but not write) Office 2007 files. Go see for yourself if you don't believe me.

>>3049251
probably
>>3049242
newsflash retard free != worse. or do you think everything microsoft makes is better?

Talk to people outside /g/

You will find out that no one likes the ribbon at all.

No one, at all.

>>3049254
They aren't all "free." While you can obtain some software illegally for for little cost to yourself (besides the opportunity cost) that's effectively comparing the price of illegally obtained goods to legally obtained goods.

>>3049251

Let me put it this way. I typed a term paper in Open Office once.

The works cited page was entirely in caps, was not the font I asked for, changed the size of the text three times, and added symbols like < and > plus periods and quotation marks everywhere.

Fortunately it left the actual paper alone (works cited was saved as a different file) and for whatever reason it left my actual paper alone, but I didn't actually try to print it out until the morning it was due and that was a near disaster.

>>3049295
All of my friends love the ribbon and none of them post on /g/ as far as I know.

>>3049295
who cares, people are always afraid of change. it's the biggest problem microsoft has.

>>3049273
Only the stuff that isn't free. This is why Win32 is far superior to Singularity.

Some of it is a bit clunky. The styles thing - a bit clunky.

And then there's the (horrific) visual basic for applications, which is in MS but not OO. But that's probably an advantage.

TLDR most people would be happy with Abiword - small fast neat and works.

OpenOffice is just as good as MS Word 97 right?

>>3049298

Yes it is.

And?

>>3049310
That's why I said for anything requiring precise formatting, open office just doesn't do the job.

Citations can count you off if they have even one extra space, so I wouldn't use it if you're citing anything.

Underaged-banned users are probably fine using open office though, as are people who are just checking the spelling of their Emails before they send them off.

>>3049254
>But they're all free.

Some of them are legally free of cost, which is important to some people.

those birds are shitting all over open office

>>3049313

It doesn't matter how many Microsoft employees claim to have friends that love the ribbon. No one likes the ribbon outside Microsoft's fantasy land. And when MS adds shit people don't like, they don't revert it back the way it was, they simply call the person retarded, released internal studies saying that whatever they did was totally awesome and the user must just not realize how awesome it is, and say their way is better even if everyone hates it.

The corporation will take absolutely no feedback whatsoever. Suggest things that could be improved, go ahead. They don't give a fuck.

>>3049349

Those are all people who are able to pay the license for a copy of Word, though.

>>3049320

>who cares, people are always afraid of change, it's the only thing keeping microsoft alive

>>3049313
not so tough now when youre alone huh? nobody here likes the ribbon, take that back before you start crying

>>3049310
I've had MS Works fuck up papers too. However, if you ave it as a PDF(omething supported in OpenOffice, no matter where you take it, it'll be the same. If you need to edit it later, you can use the Latex support. It can't stop you from being an idiot. No software can.

>>3049363

Your point is clearly evidenced by the the fact that they never add any value at all to subsequent releases of windows right? I mean, after all, Windows 7 doesn't fix most of the problems with Vista, and XP didn't avoid all of the issues with Windows ME right?

Just because YOU don't like the ribbon doesn't mean that everyone else doesn't as well. It takes a bit getting used to, as any change in the UI does, but once you get used to and and become professinent in the use of it the value provided by it really shines through.

>>3049242
BECAUSE FIREFOX SUCKS COMPARED TO INTERNET EXPLORER, AMIRITE?

>>3049397

It sucks compared to Opera.

OO would do just fine, but after growing accustomed to W07s interface and features, I'd rather use that.

Also the new notepad is basically drastically slimmed down W07. It's almost not even worth it to buy/pirate 2007 unless you are a student.

>>3049393

My point is no one likes the ribbon, everyone outside /g/ Microsoft viral marketing fantasy land thinks it sucks.

Microsoft doesn't care what people think about things like this.

There's a good review of OO 3.0 in the current issue of PC Magazine:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2332502,00.asp

>>3049393

You are a faggot.

I'm not saying that because of your opinions, I'm saying that because you think I'm the guy who hates the ribbon. I've never used Word 2007, I still use 2003 because it does everything I want it to.

/g/ - ribbons

>>3049397

Firefox started out as Netscape, which was proprietary until their demise. Hence the first line of code was written with usability in mind instead of imaginary freedom.

>>3049218
>If you have very precise formatting requirements (like I do for my law writing) it just doesn't do the job

...but then neither does MS Word. So you'd be using LaTeX.

>>3049403
A your wrong and B dont start this shit
>>3049393
seriously i havnt met anyone who likes the ribbon either. microsoft are idiots deal with it

>>3049422

I don't care who you are. My point is everyone fucking hates that ribbon and think it is the stupidest shit ever, but Microsoft responds by telling people that they just must be stupid and not know how to use it, and if they did know how to use it they would think it was awesome.

It is amazing that a corporation can get away with a business model of not giving a fuck what the end user thinks of the product.

>>3049403
No it doesn't. Nobody likes Opera. Chrome outgrew in a day just for kicks.

>>3049412
What are you talking about? I'm no Microsoft fanboy. I own a macbook, yet I love Word 2007. My friends most of whom own windows computers (I do, oh so hate how apple tries to pretend their computers aren't also "PC's") also love the Ribbon.

They know very little about computers compared to /g/ or myself, so one could hardly consider them Microsoft fanboys as well.

Really, you're just trying to expand your own views to encompass everyone.

>>3049464

Lol, yeah, I just happen to be running Linux on my 8 core Mac Pro and I just FUCKIN' LOVE INTERNET EXPLORER.

>>3049464
>I own a macbook
there goes your argument.

>>3049363

Many people feel stuck with Word when they don't really need it. Some of those people pay for it.

It's a shame because many of those people really don't need MS Word. Abiword would do fine for them.

>>3049462 It is amazing that a corporation can get away with a business model of not giving a fuck what the end user thinks of the product.

You do realize you and the people who use the product aren't the product's audience, right? Word is targeted towards some executive or someone similar, and the only thing they care about is how fast the employee completes a task, not how ergonomic the experience is for that employee. If the ribbon increases their workrate (fuck if I know if it does, fyi), then the product has succeeded, and Microsoft DID listen to their customers.

>>3049464
i thought the mac version didn't have the ribbon

>>3049320
you do mean their only advantage right?
most people use windows because its basically what they're used to, despite being an old crippled leper.

fear of changing keeps people from considering alternatives and keeps ms on top.

>>3049530
It doesn't. I have multiple computers including a desktop and a netbook, both of which have Word 2007.

My version of windows through windows in bootcamp also has Word 2007.

Open office just feels archiec now.

>>3049558
but the only alternatives are overpriced stuff with no games or free stuff that most people would find way too confusing

Ever have to write equations in OpenOffice.org?

Or have to download engineering papers with equations in MS Word format?

OpenOffice.org sucks ass at doing that, Word is necessary for shit like that.

>>3049530
it doesnt, stop feeding the troll.

>>3049577 free stuff that most people would find way too confusing

Or the fact that open source software genuinely unusable in some situations.

I built an HTPC a few weeks ago. What, am I supposed to put linux on it? How the fuck am I supposed to watch blu rays, then? Yes, its the MPAA's fault, we know, but that doesn't change the fact that linux can't play blu rays. You don't claim linux is better when these problems exist.

>>3049577
windows is already 'way too confusing' for most of those people. Having spent 20 years with it, people like my parents still have headaches trying to make it work, and it doesn't help when it's perfectly happy just breaking on its own without any user input.

If they came fresh to Ubuntu or similar nowadays, their learning curve would be far shorter, and more productive, and once they got used to it, it'd reward them with function, instead of failure.

>>3049577
Ubuntu is easier than Windows. Ubuntu from an OEM would be less hassle for almost anybody.

>>3049619
Blu-ray is an irrelavent format, get that shit out of /g/.

'Hurr HD durr'

>>3049623

You have a good imagination, kid. I'm sure your parents would love to learn bash commands.

>>3049639
They wouldn't have to. All their email, browsing, music, and stuff comes supported out of the box, anything else, I can SSH to their terminal and do from here with a few commands, but I can't think of where that would be necessary.

You do know how Ubuntu works don't you?

>free stuff that most people would find way too confusing

THEY DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE WINDOWS.

I am trying to Skype with a childhood friend of mine who moved away, and they find using Windows volume control a confusing and frustrating ordeal and end up slapping their keyboard angrily in frustration because they can't even figure that basic simple shit out like changing the microphone volume.

And now you want them to try to learn how to use the ribbon! Regular people don't understand how to make this shit work at all.

>>3049656
Why would he? He uses Vista.

I don't understand what all this shit is about the ribbon. I haven't used MO7 myself, but as far as I can see from the screenshots, it's just a larger-than-normal toolbar. I imagine you can customize it to make it smaller by removing the things you don't use, so why all the whining?

Anyway, I use Open Office. It's got a few glitches here and there, but nothing that has actually given me trouble. /g/ gets so emotional over these things.

>>3049639
this is why i dont like linux. i know nothing about bash commands, CLI or coding. and i dont like having to download programs and drivers to play mp3s or use 2 monitors.

>>3049683
>I imagine you can customize it
-3/10

>>3049656

I'm using Ubuntu right now, dipshit.

I like how you said people don't know how to use windows and then came up with three examples of things supported by windows on a fresh install.

And it would be necessary whenever they try to USE their operating system.

>anything else, I can SSH to their terminal and do from here with a few commands

You literally just claimed that Ubuntu is better because you can install software for your parents so they don't have to. You are an idiot.

>>3049686

I know, right?

Oh, and the two monitor thing is much better nowadays, not because of open sores, of course, but because ATi and nVidia have stepped up to fix it.

>>3049698
i have an intel GMA on this laptop but i may consider dual booting ubuntu on my desktop im going to build

>>3049690
So, 5 minutes and a couple of setup commands to get everything they need working, rather than hours and days figuring out how the FUCK they managed to remove all USB support from the thing.

Besides, it's not like the manufacturer wouldn't just ship with this shit done anyway. You don't have to install windows when you get your new laptop, so why would a fully functional Ubuntu boxed in be different?

>>3049698

Yeah, I tried the open sores drivers. HOLY CRAP! Stuff is busted.

>>3049686
all mpeg patents are almost up, so they won't have to install the restricted extras in like two years.

>>3049698
Closed Source and capitalism FTW!

>>3049689
I said right there that I haven't used it, so I don't know. The toolbars were customizable in previous versions of Office, so it's not too wild of an assumption. But no, let's just sage the thread and throw out negative-number-out-of-10 troll ratings to show how ANGRY we are instead of actually using words to explain ourselves.

>>3049729
yeah, reverse engineering isn't easy. however, the things that weren't reverse engineered are better when open source.

>>3049698
Well maybe if ATI and Nvidia would release specs we could have working open source drivers.

I've been using Debian as my desktop for 4 years, and I never could figure out how to make OpenOffice skip the page number on the first page.

>>3049722 So, 5 minutes and a couple of setup commands to get everything they need working, rather than hours and days figuring out how the FUCK they managed to remove all USB support from the thing.

And now you compare a problem of setting a computer up versus the problem of a user destroying the OS. Of course this is ridiculous because you'd be there to set the OS up for your parents but won't be there when they use (and it (and somehow render it useless). Another logical fallacy, another point against open sores.

You sound like a mac user trying to convert people.

>>3049722
If you cannot re-install USB drivers (something Xubuntu has had a habit of removing every time I attatch a new device, lolinux) you have no chance of keeping any Linux install viable past the first update that ruins everything you have spent months configuring. Enjoy losing wireless support for 2 weeks because of an Open Sores bug for netgear usb adapters that goes unfixed.

>>3049752
MS hates customization almost as much as Apple. They've finally given you a different option for toolbars and let you change the order in a windows list in win7, something that's been standard in linux DE's forever.

HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN

>>3049759

Intel released their specs and there's no good dual monitor support with Intel GPUs.

Hell my laptop literally thinks that one of my monitors is inside the other. I'm not even using two monitors on the machine, it won't let me tell it that I'm only using one monitor.

HAHA GTFO FAGGOT OPENOFFICE IS A PILE OF SHIT

PIC VERY RELATED

>>3049788
yeah, closed source fixes shit really quick. Like that bug that's lets remote code be executed since IE6.

>>3049788
another thing that pissed me off. i ended up buying a 10m long network cable instead of getting the wireless working

>>3049799
An Open Source does not guarantee anyone will ever work on improving the drivers. That takes time and effort, something usually rewarded by money, but mostly Linux distros are funded by hopes and dreams.

>>3049788
What?

You can't remove USB support from linux unless you do one of two things:

1. Your kernel compiled it statically, and thus you rebuilt your kernel and omitted it like a moron (you shouldn't be building your kernel if you don't know what the fuck you're doing.)

2. You tracked down the kernel module and deleted it, like someone who knows just enough to be dangerous but not better.

>>3049803
You didn't capitalize the first word of a sentence, you fucktard.

>>3049819
Ubuntu forums described it as Xubuntu automatically rewriting all the other device configurations with the correct configuration for the new device. I then have to go and reconnect all my old shit and reinstall all the drivers again, then I have a working printer, USB wireless adapter, 200buttan mouse, and whatever I was trying before.

>>3049821

Microsoft word does that automatically when you type a sentence

>>3049780
It's a lot harder for them to break linux if I tell them to stay away from the system.

No maintainance required on their end.

Wheras with windows, stuff slows down slowly over time, until eventually, it requires intervention, and then disaster strikes.

>>3049841
OpenOffice autocorrects shit too. I know it corrects it WHen YOu ACcidentally hold the shift key too long.

>>3049803
>HAHAHA SHIT THAT'S BEEN IN IT SINCE 3.1 BUT GOT BLOATED AND MORE BLOATED WITH EVERY SUBSEQUENT RELEASE

>>3049906

>BAAWWWWW I CANT AFFORD MORE THAN 256MB OF RAM CUZ IM IN HIGH SKOOL AN WRK AT MCDONALDS

>>3049919
Because a high hardware requirement is a pro when we're referring to a WORD PROCESSOR.

I just cummed all over myself

>>3049943

Wow, that's handy.

>>3049943
Someone has kaspersky!

>>3049937

then use notepad you stupid fuck

>>3049593
>Ever have to write equations in OpenOffice.org?

>Or have to download engineering papers with equations in MS Word format?

No. As an engineer I'd use the right tool for the job, and for equations that means LaTeX.

>>3049943
WHY DO YOU HAVE ALL 4 WEB BROWSERS ON START BAR?

WHAT THE FUCK?

ARE YOU STUPID?

WHAT?

This thread is now about Fishing Cat.

facepalm.org

open office sucks pic related

>>3049906
actually, OOo3 is faster and lighter. try and keep up.

>>3049978
lol icons

>>3049855 It's a lot harder for them to break linux if I tell them to stay away from the system.

Not true at all.

>Wheras with windows, stuff slows down slowly over time, until eventually, it requires intervention, and then disaster strikes.

While it is true that Windows suffers from malware far more than any other OS, the simple problems of trying to get from point A to point B in linux without learning how to use a CLI and/or google are going to be just as problematic.

No, linux is not a "solution to a windows problem" or whatever it goes by in your head.

>>3049964
Notepad cannot produce publishable work.

However, shit like clipart and the ribbon features is overkill in the extreme.

Clipart stuff makes me reject a document right out of hand. It has absolutely no place in word. If you need a relavent image for your document, google one, or use one of your own.

>>3049972
i love how you dont count safari

>>3049807

That's a good thing. Wireless sucks.

>>3049993

He's probably a very practical, intelligent person and hence made the mistake of only counting software meant for practical intelligent people.

In b4 complaints about me saying IE and Chrome are for practical people. Even if they don't succeed, they at least try towards the proper audience.

>>3049988
Linux has user privileges correct. You have to run almost everything as admin and they've just started to fix it. windows devs haven't adjusted yet so Vistafags turn UAC and put themselves in the same danger as someone who runs everything as root.

Anyone use Abiword? It does alright with .docs, and is pretty lightweight without a lot of extra crap like Word or OO.