US Edition ZDNet. Summary: Four months after I swore off Office for Mac in favour of Apache OpenOffice, I'm happy to say that the change has stuck. OpenOffice may not have everything Office power users need, but for the other 99 percent it's capable, reliable, and more compatible with Word than even Apple's Pages. It's been over four months since I publicly announced my move away from a reliance on Office for Mac, that bland and sort-of-reliable office suite that Microsoft has long run as a hobbyist project for a devoted but marginalised team of Mac developers. The massive response to that piece suggested to me that I wasn't the only one who had become disenchanted with an office suite with a fluid feature set, outdated interface and whose biggest benefit was that its document compatibility was mostly as good as that of the Windows version. Word for Mac's compatibility was sure better than Pages, Apple's attempt to make a page-layout program behave like a word processor – and to impose the bloated and unsupported .pages file format on the world. It's a gesture of sheer contempt for reality and it is one of the main reasons I have repeatedly declined to shift my word-heavy working patterns to Pages. I simply cannot justify having to export a separate .DOC file every time I want to send someone a Word file – which is, I'm sorry to tell you folks in Cupertino, every single freaking day of my life. While I initially turned to OpenOffice as a freely available alternative when I couldn't locate my Office for Mac install disks, the reasons I've stayed with it revolve around reliability and compatibility. In the years that I was using Word for Mac, crashes were a monthly occurrence and the very act of cutting and pasting even a simple line of text could at any time send Word into a death spiral. Given that Microsoft never got around to implementing file-recovery that's anywhere near as good as that found in the Windows version, these inexplicable and repeated crashes were major interruptions to my workflow and resulted in lost work on numerous occasions. When your ability to make a living depends on a reliable word processor, this is understandably problematic. OpenOffice is now loaded on both my main work iMac and my portable MacBook Pro, using Microsoft Word's .DOC format to ensure broad compatibility no matter what I do with my documents. OpenOffice runs smoothly, reliably, and consistently. It is quick, robust, and capable of running on a laptop for months at time without corrupting itself or requiring a restart. It handles words, numbers and images well and does everything I need, when I need it to. No fuss, no muss. Here's the real kicker: Word compatibility in OpenOffice is so good that Apple should be ashamed of itself. On numerous occasions, OpenOffice has loaded complex Word documents with a higher degree of fidelity than Pages: form boxes that come out in strange shapes and disjointed lines in Pages, for example, are correctly and beautifully joined in OpenOffice. Shading works well. There are none of Pages' ubiquitous warnings about certain fonts not being available. On numerous occasions, OpenOffice has loaded complex Word documents with a higher degree of fidelity than Pages: form boxes that come out in strange shapes and disjointed lines in Pages, for example, are correctly and beautifully joined in OpenOffice. I've found similar excellence in the spreadsheet and presentation functionality in the office suite, which is snappy and capable for my needs. I will also readily admit that your needs from Excel and PowerPoint may be far more complicated than mine, which rarely extend beyond organising numbers in rows and columns, and totalling them. Sure, OpenOffice has its problems, but they are generally small and easy to work around. Command-A, for example, does not work in file-save or any other file-selection dialogue. Writer's the default font doesn't display smart quotes correctly and adds trailing and leading space; I've switched to Arial and all is good. The Track Changes interface could be prettier. Fonts in loaded PowerPoint documents sometimes look different than you would expect. These are small things, but on the whole OpenOffice has been a big step up – for my needs – from could-crash-at-any-second Word for Mac. I have settled into it nicely, and none of the people I've sent OpenOffice-generated .DOC files has complained about having any issues at all. It has become part of the furniture. That said, just because it works for me doesn't mean it will do the same for you. Power users are going to struggle to transfer their detailed Office workflows to OpenOffice or any other platform. That said, they can't switch those processes to Microsoft's cloud-based Office, Office for iPad, or any other office suite either. Customisation of this type simply isn't readily portable. Is it ready for large-scale enterprise use? Not necessarily; here, again, the growing ecosystem Microsoft is building around Office is likely to make it more appealing for many; OpenOffice is still heartily a desktop product and doesn't aspire to be anything else. I obviously cannot speak as to the reliability and relevance of the upcoming update to Office for Mac. However, for now OpenOffice is a surprisingly capable, unobtrusive and likeable office suite that has cured me of any desire to load Office for Mac. Those put off by experiences with previous versions, may well find it's worth another look. Australia’s first-world economy relies on first-rate IT and telecommunications innovation. David Braue, an award-winning IT journalist and former Macworld editor, covers its challenges, successes and lessons learned as it uses ICT to assert its leadership in the developing Asia-Pacific region – and strengthen its reputation on the world stage. Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it. I tried OpenOffice and LibreOffice. Both offer excellent alternatives for the 99%. As a bonus, neither has issues with vendor lock-in or never-ending subscriptions just to keep opening your documents. Great to hear OpenOffice works for you. Some how I can't get over not having out of the box individual launchers for the portions of Open/Libre Office for Mac. Windows has separate launchers for the apps, so does linux. We're temporarily in maintenance mode, which means you won't be able to sign up for a newsletter. Please check back shortly to resume the subscription process. Thanks for your patience. ZDNet Must Read News Alerts - US: Major news is breaking. Are you ready? This newsletter has only the most important tech news nothing else. Oracle Sales Cloud enables sales reps to sell more anytime, anywhere and on any device. It will empower them to grow their own pipeline without waiting for marketing. Watch this short video to learn more. Download your trial of AppAssure™, an advanced data protection tool that unifies backup, replication and recovery in one software solution. Recent technology and social connectivity trends have created an opportunity for companies to embrace the power of cloud. Learn more in this white paper today. Oracle Sales Cloud enables sales reps to sell more anytime, anywhere and on any device. It will empower them to grow their own pipeline without waiting for marketing. Watch this short video to learn more. Apple v. © 2014 CBS Interactive. All rights reserved. Select Site CBS Cares CBS Films CBS Radio CBS.com CBSInteractive CBSNews.com CBSSports.com CHOW Clicker CNET College Network GameSpot Last.fm MaxPreps Metacritic.com Moneywatch mySimon Radio.com Search.com Shopper.com Showtime SmartPlanet TechRepublic The Insider TV.com UrbanBaby. Funny dichotomous key Para que son las pastillas amphetamine salt Chuyen cuoi ngan Finishing quotes about geothermal energy Austram company austria Co ed confidential on netflixo ed confidential on netflix Lotr conquest score Goat masks templates Gunnison beach reviews Conclusion of bullying Stag handle steak knives Baby dedication sayings Does ooma consider att uverse to be a dsl line Play meez on facebook Illustration of dog playing guitar Free sample of an explaining a dui What podcasts mean Armstrong alterna vs duraceramic Tavior mowry Hero certificate templates I want auth code for hackfacebookpassword online How long will mixed amphet salts last in a urine test What intensifies the effects of hydrocodone apap Most intimidating names boys Free wildcat offensive playbook Caption femdom q caption femdom Bambi blaze adventures comic In depth clomid and nolvadex profiles Tnewsletter template for preschool classroom Fake marriage certificate online from londonake marriage certificate online from london Crystal bottoms flickrrystal bottoms flickr Eszopiclone and fluoxetine How to chang updates on minecraft Company picnic invitation letter The princeton rub Nortel load commands Sophie simmons breast Lego guns sale Worksheet on viruses Nip slippage asia Td preschool lesson plans Beautiful sentences generator Journal impact factor 2007 excel Good truths question The book thief vocabulary My wifes big camel toe Somalian porn star Answer for scavenger hunt aero and officer mike Nursing self eval example Cheetah life cycle worksheet Sample letter to army officer promotion board Mom teaching son to masturbate Tthermometer template students 7 minutes in heaven quiz dirty story Boy senior pictures poses Neopets mystery island the beach Steers rib marinade recipe Drinking her urine from the toilet The pantry inc e payroll number Cheap retin a europe What does the bible say about teaching a man to fish Oxycocet oxycodone hcl acetaminophen white pill tec on it buzz Best skin care for african american Cocoon crochet pattern baby Anton chekhov powerpoint Best sports wardrobe malfunction ever Stephanie abrams breasts size Genital beading tool Money clip as seen in maxim Funny class president slogan ideas Bangbros accounts 2012 blog Discount code for midi fighter Red rock opium shop Where to view free john persons comics Pictures of lsd and other drugs Clearing team name Mami ki mast chudai stories Ppd results letter Mario crossover 2 unblocked Cocky status updates Maryville tn newspaper obituaries Tprintable personality test for classroom for the big 5 Nicki minaj nip pics Emy coligado nudemy coligado nude Family guy foot worshipamily guy foot worship Fun mover 27c for sale Bitchy quotes to your ex Graffiti names list What country is marijuana legal in Glencoe spanish 2 solutions manual pdf Ladies retreat themes How much can an airport scanner see Grand opening flyer medical template Left side back painhurts when i cougheft side back painhurts when i cough Hairstyles for full figure faces Lego harry potter nds romulation Free jester hat instructions List your site under carisoprodol Buy cheap altace Dog knotted with older women Constipation in korea Cute knock knock jokes to tell your boyfriend Examples of a letter of intent for a teaching job Flight lesson plan sherman alexie Residential lease agreement california .doc Top 40 countdown with ryan seacrest Hairstyles for full figure Text message truth or dare dirty Cosmid.net videos Dog knott a woman from behind H1b recommendation letter1b recom Catchy fundraising names Obama is freemason Action replay code for soulsilver complete pokedex Great soprano karaoke songs Free pics of priya from babeststion Can a lad finger him self Animal castration by women Drexel repertoire Arabic quotes about life in arabic First grade newsletter template free Red light district high tail hall Jewelers flat hone Lainie kazan playboy Castration men video Hid brightness chart Aching legs following viagra use 2 guys 1 hammer mobile video Christy canyon smoking Spacial coumadin study Drag racer v3 unblocked in schools Alcohol anonymous convention round up Desi gand picturs 49ers tattoos desings Quotes from the great gatsby with page numbers Teacup puppies for sale in houston texas Minecraft logins and passwords Celebration of grandfathers summary Free construction job cost spreadsheet Digital playground logins Searchable pdf image Buy domain valium tripod com Example of country club recommendation Eyes sensitive to light on adderall Nuclear physicist job requirements Mastrubate with mom Cheats for sims free play on galaxy s3 Shooting range danbury ct Black balls picslack balls pics Letter of recommendation teaching assistant Learning zone.taco bell.yum Mrskin.com premium member Fuck you symbols Kindergarten go math centers Sample resume for business analyst in human resource domain Fake coach purses buy Is being knotted by a dog possible Naskah pidato maulid nabi Nims 703a answersc Mild 2 wild exhaust Lower rightside back pain Free unused nx codes Perfect dating site tag line Example of graduate essay for counseling psychology Asc2 art birthday Low hangers chatroulette Costco watches return policy Bot runs away from ivy College diploma templates Definition of an inverted bob Manhas age of empires 2 Catalog large scholarships that are automatic guaranteed based on stats alone (gpa act sat rank). Cost of alcohol in ontario Atv bill of sale template Durango inmate information Angel pumpkin carving photos Minecraft cracked parkour server Before and after brazilian wax pictures Speak quotes and page numbers Dental insurance narratives template How to make the batman symbol with a keyboard Shooting up hydrocodone Learning zone.yum.com How to make a gun from the keyboard Adult nursing relationship photos Scorpio men like what kind of woman How to improve your graffiti handstyle Foster s home for imaginary friends hentai Good truth questions to ask a boy dirty Special ideas for 70th birthday party House treasure hunt clues for adults Maduras follando con hijo incesto Free cardinals blackberry tour theme Ms time sheets Mocking bird piano sheet Celtic symbols aubrey Free custom ambigram name tattoosree custom ambigram name How to make laplander hat Ceu substance counselor How big is dog knot
留言列表
