Is OpenOffice.org a Threat? Microsoft Thinks So

[Somnus]

I use MS Office for one simple reason. My Blackberry.

Nothing else out there syncs as well as Outlook. I have tried Google Sync as well, and it either created duplicate calendar events, or made 15 entries for one contact.

I would love nothing more than to use Thunderbird or Evolution for my email, but they will not sync with my Blackberry nearly as well as Outlook does.

[Udedenkz]

OO for me is buggy.

Sometimes the doc / rtf files have bugs when they are created with Open Office.

Sometimes, you can save a file in OO and then open it again in OO and formatting will be messed up or something like that.

Sometimes files that look nice in OO - are a total mess in MSOffice.

And that is legacy formats - I am not talking about the 2007 format.

I also had it stop responding.

What really urks me is the interface. It looks prehistoric.

OO is a joke, not a threat.

[Xenomorph]

You can use Evolution and Thunderbird with Exchange.

I would love to read info on using Thunderbird with Exchange.

I'm not talking about IMAP access.

[ichi]

I would love to read info on using Thunderbird with Exchange.

I'm not talking about IMAP access.

I don't know if Thunderbird does actually work with Exchange (probably not, other that through IMAP) but Evolution does quite nicely, at least for the stuff I need and hence use: mail and contacts.

[Glen]

I haven't used OO, but I can tell you that every organization in which I've worked uses Microsoft Office. So, for the sake of familiarity I use it at home as well.

[ahhell]

Anti-Microsoft FUD article from the Slashdot??? NO WAY!!!!

[still1]

I am one of only 2 people in this thread that PREFERS OO over MS Office. I just find it to be a nicer program to use, and I have yet to run across anything I've needed to do that it couldn't.

Good to see most people leaning toward MICROSOFT *Cough* office!!

Edited December 30, 2009 by still1

[LiquidSolstice]

What many people fail to realise is OpenOffice doesnt have 1/10 of the budget Microsoft Office does.

If you give 2 children different amount of ingrediants to create the most extravagent meal they can, the one with the more ingrediants surely has the better chance?

So MSO is fantastic but that's only because it was given a lot more resources and technology than OO and that's why it's bad? That's kind of pathetic.

[markwolfe Veteran]

Anti-Microsoft FUD article from the Slashdot??? NO WAY!!!!

Yes, indeed!

The article comes from Slashdot, so they obviously hacked Microsoft's servers and PLANTED the job openings that specifically mentioned OpenOffice.org.

Yeah. FUD and lies all the way!

[Sethos]

Open Orifice will become a threat once it stops looking like a Windows 2000 native application.

[Growled Member]

OO for me is buggy.

Sometimes the doc / rtf files have bugs when they are created with Open Office.

Sometimes, you can save a file in OO and then open it again in OO and formatting will be messed up or something like that.

Sometimes files that look nice in OO - are a total mess in MSOffice.

And that is legacy formats - I am not talking about the 2007 format.

I also had it stop responding.

I've used OO in Linux and in Windows and I've never had any problems.

[Xilo]

OO for me is buggy.

Sometimes the doc / rtf files have bugs when they are created with Open Office.

Sometimes, you can save a file in OO and then open it again in OO and formatting will be messed up or something like that.

Sometimes files that look nice in OO - are a total mess in MSOffice.

And that is legacy formats - I am not talking about the 2007 format.

I also had it stop responding.

I've had the EXACT same problems and it ****es me off to no end.

[FloatingFatMan]

Regarding OO's look. It's Open Source, right? So why doesn't someone update the UI? :p

[Syanide]

Open Orifice will become a threat once it stops looking like a Windows 2000 native application.

And when they start working more on performance issues. Luckily, they're doing just that. I posted a link to 3.1 RC, haven't tested it myself, but one of the goals is making it perform better. The next goal is UI overhaul.

[Diabolii]

At work we have automated report generators that use the open format

were stuck using openoffice for now, editting docs anywhere between 40-400 pages. And lemme tell you, even on the 40 page docs with graphs/diagrams/tables etc, its AWFUL

Openoffice is the worst piece of software ive used in years, it freezes alot, its slow, visual weirdness when scrolling through docs, its slow.

[toadeater]

what's next ? .... Abiword :rolleyes:

The once and future king:

Yeah, just kidding, it'll never come back now that there's OO. Some of you probably weren't even born back when WP was the de-facto PC wordprocessor. It was only when MS put together a complete office suite that WP was sidelined.

Openoffice is the worst piece of software ive used in years, it freezes alot, its slow, visual weirdness when scrolling through docs, its slow.

Hmm, maybe Wordperfect does still have a chance?

[4CxbqFxVnstmA Veteran]

And when they start working more on performance issues. Luckily, they're doing just that. I posted a link to 3.1 RC, haven't tested it myself, but one of the goals is making it perform better. The next goal is UI overhaul.

Yes, some of the ideas put forward for the UI overhaul look a bit like the Microsoft "Ribbon" or Blender. I hope they don't go down that route, to be honest. Or at least I hope that they allow you to switch between "Classic" and "New" modes, according to your taste. Maybe they should run with the best three UI designs and make them all available to users.

For the record, I've used OO.org for more than two years as my only office suite and it has never crashed on me. I use it on Linux every day. It's fast, clean, and consistent, and it does all I need.? (Y)

[thealexweb]

People pirating MS Office is a much bigger threat to MS.

[TruckWEB]

Once you're used (and get used to the ribbon) Office 2007 and now Office 2010 Beta, OO seems so old, almost feels like using Office 95. It's SLOW (on Windows) compared to Office and yes, there is bugs.

The only good thing going for OO : it's FREE. Microsoft Office is far from free, even if they do have good price for home/student, it's still not free.

[markwolfe Veteran]

People pirating MS Office is a much bigger threat to MS.

Indeed.

In a presentation Ballmer did less than a year ago (on Windows, not office), he stated that Windows' biggest competitor was pirated versions of Windows. He even made a joke at what a great price it is offered at. :p The next biggest threat he talked about was Linux. It surprised me, as I would have thought he would have picked Apple, since they have a much larger desktop market than Linux. But I suppose that you can include server, embedded and such markets. Also, Linux can be legally gotten for free and copied, and installed on the same PCs that are currently running Windows. Features that Apple doesn't allow.

When you have a near monopoly on a market, your biggest threat is yourself. Either from illegal copies of you, or by your own mis-steps in the market.

[Maple Arrow]

People pirating MS Office is a much bigger threat to MS.

A threat, but they can't do anything about it at the moment. If they want to eliminate pirates, make it impossible for pirates to pirate their software; make the software free and open source. :D

[TruckWEB]

A threat, but they can't do anything about it at the moment. If they want to eliminate pirates, make it impossible for pirates to pirate their software; make the software free and open source. :D

They "Wish" to eliminate pirate, but at the same time, they know it's because of pirate if they rule the world. They sell enough to make money, and recoup on Server stuff. But if they could really stop ALL piracy, then you would probably see an increase of use of Linux/OO and other free software. Microsoft would loose without piracy.

[Maple Arrow]

True, because pirating Windows gives pirates something to do with Windows, and without that, people would turn to free, and better things.

[Growled Member]

People pirating MS Office is a much bigger threat to MS.

To hear MS tell it every speck and mote out there is a threat to them. It's sad when you have to invent competition. :D

[Subject Delta]

Indeed.

In a presentation Ballmer did less than a year ago (on Windows, not office), he stated that Windows' biggest competitor was pirated versions of Windows. He even made a joke at what a great price it is offered at. :p The next biggest threat he talked about was Linux. It surprised me, as I would have thought he would have picked Apple, since they have a much larger desktop market than Linux. But I suppose that you can include server, embedded and such markets. Also, Linux can be legally gotten for free and copied, and installed on the same PCs that are currently running Windows. Features that Apple doesn't allow.

When you have a near monopoly on a market, your biggest threat is yourself. Either from illegal copies of you, or by your own mis-steps in the market.

That's just the point though, I don't think Microsoft see Apple as a threat in the desktop sector, and the reason for that is that util they either open OSX up to all computers, or get real with their pricing, Apple will always remain in a niche part of the market. Because you can, as you eluded to get Linux free and simply install it on any computer you wish, it has a lot more potential to take off which is why Microsoft see it as more of a threat.