[Hoovooloo]

What are people's thoughts/opinions on OpenOffice?

http://www.openoffice.org/

How compatible is with Microsoft Office? I'd need to be able to swap and edit files with other people.

I'm considering downloading it as I'm stuck on Office 2002 which is missing Publisher (which I use quite a bit), and don't feel too inclined to fork out over £100!

Thanks in advance for your input.

[The Villan]

Why the question then?

You don't want to pay the money and open office is free and is very compatible.

Well worth it for now't.

In fact I don't know why anybody in their right state of mind, would want to pay for MS Office if they can get away with OO.

[Hoovooloo]

Well becuase I want to know if it's a good set of programmes from the point of view of an end user. I'm hoping to hear what the people who have lived with it for a while think of it.

Sure it looks good in principle, but does it live up to the hype, so to speak?

[The Villan]

Well its capable of doing most things that office does at an advanced level.
Most people never get to 20% of what an application offers.
Its a very professional package.
It works the way MS Office does and overall is compatable

[Hoovooloo]

Certainly sounds like the business. Thanks Villain.

What do others think of it?

[slurpee55]

I don't use OO because of some more advanced level limitations (no support for VBA being the biggest) but for most users it will do everything they need and then some. So whether you choose to use it largely depends on what you need to do. If I didn't find VBA so useful - or if OO had an equivalent - I would be more inclined to use it.

[Hoovooloo]

No idea what VBA is, but thanks for the feedback slurp.

[slurpee55]

Visual Basic for Applications - basic coding language that all MS Office programs use. It is what you will see if you look at a macro that you create, but there is a lot more to it than that.

[Hoovooloo]

I've never created a macro in my life! lol

Thanks tho. Sounds like it wouldn't be a feature I'd need.

[slurpee55]

If it isn't something you do, you are probably in the vast majority of users. In that case, I would use OO. Free and, hopefully soon, will be able to handle MS Office 2007 files as well.

[caraewilton]

I always recommend that people try it, it does not cost anything so what's the harm. If you don't like it, then look at ms office. On the other hand, if it does what you need then great!

[slurpee55]

ah. what do you know. cara mia? LOL

[Hoovooloo]

ah right - so it's not compatible with the latest MS office versions then? hmmm

but you're right cara, only one real way to find out.

[slurpee55]

There is a fairly simple add-on that gives it compatibility with 2007, but it is expected that the next version will be compatible with 2007 by itself.

[Hoovooloo]

OK, and is there any indication when the next version will be released?