Are there any alternatives to Microsoft office?

[Remobz]

Hi there,

Any free or cheap alternatives exist?

Specifically, I need something like microsoft word and excel to type letters an do spreadsheets.

 

[ArisVer]

http://www.openoffice.org/

 

[nForce2]

http://www.libreoffice.org/default/

 

[oynaz]

Libre Office is the obvious alternative.

 

[Morbus]

LibreOffice's Calc miles ahead of Excel in usability terms, in my opinion.

I use LibreOffice since it's debut in 2011, and before that I used OpenOffice.org (which was not as good, despite being nearly identical), and haven't used MS Office since 2008/2009. I don't miss it for a second.

 

[Charlie98]

Is there Office compatibility? So, if I send a document to a customer built on LO, they can open it with Office?

How about security? With MS discontinuing support of O'03, which I'm still using parts of, I'm searching for an alternative, too...

 

[oynaz]

Yes, there is Office compatibility. Both ways actually - MS Office can open LibreOffice file, and Libre Office can open MS Office files.

There was some issues a couple of years ago, but it has become much better. Very advanced documents can still present problems - especially spreadsheets.

Security is not a huge issue. About comparable to MS Office. There are probably fewer people working on fixing security. but fewer people working on exploiting it as well.

 

[bbhaag]

Is there Office compatibility? So, if I send a document to a customer built on LO, they can open it with Office?

How about security? With MS discontinuing support of O'03, which I'm still using parts of, I'm searching for an alternative, too...

I use LO at work on my Peppermint machine and so far I haven't had any issues opening excel files or documents.

Once I dl the excel file I usually put the numbers in I need and then save and resend to my vendors and so far no one has said anything to me about not being able to open the files I send them.

I'm not sure about the security of LO so maybe some else can chime in about that.

 

[crashtestdummy]

Is there Office compatibility? So, if I send a document to a customer built on LO, they can open it with Office?

How about security? With MS discontinuing support of O'03, which I'm still using parts of, I'm searching for an alternative, too...

I still have problems opening complicated Word Documents (think formatted drafts of journal articles) in LibreOffice. The formatting is still somewhat different. It's not LibreOffice's fault, but it's unfortunately the main thing that keeps me from being able to leave office.

 

[nForce2]

I still have problems opening complicated Word Documents (think formatted drafts of journal articles) in LibreOffice. The formatting is still somewhat different. It's not LibreOffice's fault, but it's unfortunately the main thing that keeps me from being able to leave office.

Yep, and that happens between different versions of MS Office too. :\

Is there Office compatibility? So, if I send a document to a customer built on LO, they can open it with Office?

Do your customers need to edit the documents? If not, consider using a format like PDF... Even if you both have MS Word, it can save a lot of hassles.

 

[Morbus]

Yep, and that happens between different versions of MS Office too. :\


Do your customers need to edit the documents? If not, consider using a format like PDF... Even if you both have MS Word, it can save a lot of hassles.

This. So much this.

This man knows. He KNOWS!!!

Also, LibreOffice comes prebuilt with "save as PDF", which rocks.

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

I use openoffice, but I might switch to libreoffice, since libre is the continuation of the original openoffice (right?)... but I'm too lazy / unsure to switch.

Whenever I turn in something at school, I export as PDF for two reasons. Nothing can be edited by the recipient, and the formatting will stay the same, so I don't get docked points - just in case.

 

[lxskllr]

I use openoffice, but I might switch to libreoffice, since libre is the continuation of the original openoffice (right?)... but I'm too lazy / unsure to switch.

Whenever I turn in something at school, I export as PDF for two reasons. Nothing can be edited by the recipient, and the formatting will stay the same, so I don't get docked points - just in case.

LibreOffice is a continuation of the "OpenOffice" used on GNU/Linux. Sun were dicks about accepting patches, so it was forked for the various GNU/Linux distros. It was the regular Ooo, but included patches people wanted. That project was immediately rolled into LibreOffice, and ended. LibreOffice has done much more development since Oracle gave Ooo to Apache, and the projects are diverging. Due to licensing, LibreOffice can take code from ApacheOpenOffice, but the reverse isn't true. Theoretically LibreOffice will always be more developed since they have more sources to code to choose from.

 

[Morbus]

Due to licensing, LibreOffice can take code from ApacheOpenOffice, but the reverse isn't true.

It should be said that this is not LibreOffice's fault, but rather OpenOffice's. From what I understand, OpenOffice's license states that OpenOffice's code is originally written for OpenOffice, and LibreOffice doesn't care about that. So OpenOffice basically says "this code is our invetion" whereas LibreOffice goes "this code is LibreOffice, and it's made by people all around the web, and gather from many different places".

 

[lxskllr]

It should be said that this is not LibreOffice's fault, but rather OpenOffice's. From what I understand, OpenOffice's license states that OpenOffice's code is originally written for OpenOffice, and LibreOffice doesn't care about that. So OpenOffice basically says "this code is our invetion" whereas LibreOffice goes "this code is LibreOffice, and it's made by people all around the web, and gather from many different places".

ApacheOpenOffice uses the Apache license, and LibreOffice is lgpl. To use the lgpl, a work has to be separate, and only link to a library. An example would be a media converter that links to a lgpl mp3 library. That library can be removed, and the basic function of the converter would remain. If that library was woven into the converter it would be a derivative work, and disallowed unless the total work became lgpl, or gpl3.

Apache is a libre, but non-copyleft license. That means a gpl licensed project can take the code, and then change the license of that code to gpl, but the gpl prevents the reverse from happening. by using gpl code, you must give others the same rights you had when you appropriated the code. Apache code can be taken, and then hidden in a proprietary license. There's no requirement to distribute the code.

 

[Morbus]

That was strangely enlightening, even though I don't I understood half of it. Thanks.

 

[GeekNick]

It all depends on users need. Frankly, I use Google Docs because for work I don't need heavy formating of the text. And It's automatically on the cloud, so I have all the files whenever I need them from any device.

 

[Batmeat]

Since nobody has said it, I will. Corel WordPerfect. Current version is X6. Much cheaper than office and IMO much better and easier to use. Offers compatibility with MS file types. Used heavily in the legal field. Not as bloated either. Picked up my complete version for around $60.00

That being said, I've also used openoffice and like it quite well too.

 

[corkyg]

Since nobody has said it, I will. Corel WordPerfect. Current version is X6. Much cheaper than office and IMO much better and easier to use. Offers compatibility with MS file types. Used heavily in the legal field. Not as bloated either. Picked up my complete version for around $60.00

That being said, I've also used openoffice and like it quite well too.

Good call! That goes for me too.