LibreOffice 3.3.0 (fork of OpenOffice.org) final released

By +Frank B.
in Back Page News

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Grand Master

DjmUK

Posted
Posted
Considering that most of the OO.org community moved over to LibreOffice...

Most have moved over? I haven't, and neither have my buddies. They haven't heard of LibreOffice until I pointed out this thread, and in the workplace we've all heard of OpenOffice but not Libre.

However, one shall keep an eye on Libre's progress ;)

Grand Master

+Frank B. Subscriber²

Posted
  • Author
  • Subscriber²
Posted

Most have moved over? I haven't, and neither have my buddies. They haven't heard of LibreOffice until I pointed out this thread, and in the workplace we've all heard of OpenOffice but not Libre.

However, one shall keep an eye on Libre's progress ;)

Most of the community of OO.org developers at least has moved to LO. It's what will get new features and fixes in the future rather than OO.org.

Grand Master

Growled Member

Posted
  • Member
Posted

Most of those complaining about the OO.org/LO GUI - myself included - simply prefer the Ribbon UI as introduced with Office 2007 over the old-style UI. To me the ribbon UI is much more logical than the old menus and toolbars; YMMV.

We all have different preferences but I've never cared for the ribbon myself. I can use it fine but I prefer menus. I am use to them and I can work faster. But to each their own.

Grand Master

HawkMan

Posted
Posted

It's why MS removed all easter eggs. you're no longer allowed to include undocumented features in apps. I think it's a side effect of a law against backdoors/malware/trojans or something. I also think it's a US think but noone will remove the easter eggs just for the US.

Grand Master

Elliot B.

Posted
Posted

It's why MS removed all easter eggs. you're no longer allowed to include undocumented features in apps. I think it's a side effect of a law against backdoors/malware/trojans or something. I also think it's a US think but noone will remove the easter eggs just for the US.

I personally very much doubt that's the reason Microsoft stopped adding easter eggs in their software.

Grand Master

HawkMan

Posted
Posted

I personally very much doubt that's the reason Microsoft stopped adding easter eggs in their software.

you can personally believe anything, but that's why, that's why the easter eggs stopped after that law, and why MS said that's why they stopped them.

Grand Master

The_Decryptor Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

It's why MS removed all easter eggs. you're no longer allowed to include undocumented features in apps. I think it's a side effect of a law against backdoors/malware/trojans or something. I also think it's a US think but noone will remove the easter eggs just for the US.

I'm like 90% sure that's just for apps being used on governmental computers.

Veteran

neo158

Posted
Posted

They're not getting it back, because it works. Unlike cheaply-made context browsing... like the Ribbon.

Drop-down menus work. And you can remove the toolbars.

Every person that needs a office suite that: just works, is gratis, works with legacy files, works in a plethora of platforms.

xP7EU.jpg

Being a dial-up user: **** off.

Here's an example of how the "cheaply-made context browsing" is far better than menus and toolbars:

Inserting Clip Art:

Office 2003

Insert Menu > Picture > from Clip Art

Office 2007/2010

Insert Tab > Clip Art Button

Yes, I know that you could use a button on a toolbar or drag and drop, but the method above is what the average user would do.

So, two clicks with the ribbon and three clicks with menus and toolbars. Which would you say is faster?

Veteran

Frylock86

Posted
Posted

There are many examples that could be listed. But one of the biggest benefactors of the Ribbons is that each function has its own icon, is grouped together by function, and allows otherwise hidden features to be brought forward.

The more menus people have to dig through, the more likely that a specific feature will be ignored.

Grand Master

tiagosilva29

Posted
Posted
So, two clicks with the ribbon and three clicks with menus and toolbars. Which would you say is faster?
None is faster because you are doing it wrong in believing that HCI is just about benchmarking presses. Your "Ribbon" "just works" because it removes contexts blocks. Do you want an example? Where is the "Save" context block? There isn't one as a context block.

The "Ribbon" or context-browsing interfaces are completely legitimate to use, but never in this grade of application.

The more menus people have to dig through, the more likely that a specific feature will be ignored.
It's exactly the opposite. Unless you're mentioning something sort-of related... but that's a whole different chapter.
Grand Master

HawkMan

Posted
Posted

None is faster because you are doing it wrong in believing that HCI is just about benchmarking presses. Your "Ribbon" "just works" because it removes contexts blocks. Do you want an example? Where is the "Save" context block? There isn't one as a context block.

The "Ribbon" or context-browsing interfaces are completely legitimate to use, but never in this grade of application.

It's exactly the opposite. Unless you're mentioning something sort-of related... but that's a whole different chapter.

you know there's about 50 miles worth of use cases that proves you wrong. Microsoft put a lot of work into the ribbon, more so they put a lot of testing into it to make sure it was a better, and more efficient way to use Office, and that it actually gave people easier access to all the functions they needed when they needed them, even functions they never knew about. and the save block is in the system/app/file "menu".

When they put out the claim that the ribbon makes all functions faster and more easily accessible and that people find them faster and use hem more and use functions they would otherwise never use, that wasn't empty statements with nothing to back them up. Not being an open source developer with no funds, MS can afford to spend millions on use cases and focus groups to test their new innovations.

Grand Master

tiagosilva29

Posted
Posted
and the save block is in the system/app/file "menu".
Which is not a context block.
When they put out the claim that the ribbon makes all functions faster and more easily accessible and that people find them faster and use hem more and use functions they would otherwise never use, that wasn't empty statements with nothing to back them up
They can back up with all the studies and money they want. In the end, given my personal/university/state's experience with Microsoft's focus groups and research I know we will frown on most of what they throw at us.
Grand Master

HawkMan

Posted
Posted

you know, focus group on a FOSS centered group that goes into the room already expecting to dislike the system, and thusly not even trying it properly. they're not proper focus groups. hence why there are use cases, you've heard of those right ? even though they're something the FOSS community doesn't use, cases it takes time away from the coders to code their UI's. afterall why should you have special people to design UI's and test stuff and do usability when a coders can do all that just as good.... right...

A whole county in Norway is now ditching OOo and going back to MS Office, you know what ? because it'll save them millions. In fact it'll save them more than what they said they would save on switching to OOo years ago. Most of it because of it being faster and better to use, partly because Outlook makes Thunderbird seem like a kids toy, and partly because of support costs. And they're not the only ones.

Grand Master

hdood

Posted
Posted

The "problem" with the Ribbon (and anything else new) is that it still has to be learned. It doesn't just magically make everything better and more efficient with no investment. That's what most of the complaints really boil down to. You need to invest time and money in retraining people who are already proficient in the previous interface. You might see some return in the long run, but there is a need for large immediate investment that can be difficult to defend.

Enthusiast

WindowsFanatic

Posted
Posted

Source?

The Story of the Ribbon

The Why of the New UI (Part 1)

Ye Olde Museum of Office Past ( Why the UI, Part 2)

Combating the Perception of Bloat (Why the UI, Part 3)

New Rectangles to the Rescue? (Why the UI, Part 4)

Tipping the Scale (Why the UI, Part 5)

My linkInside Deep Thought (Why the UI, Part 6)

No Distaste for Paste (Why the UI, Part 7)

Grading On the Curve (Why the UI, Part 8)

The Size Of Things

Grand Master

tiagosilva29

Posted
Posted
you know, focus group on a FOSS centered group that goes into the room already expecting to dislike the system, and thus not even trying it properly. they're not proper focus groups.
Improper usability design exists in both FLOSS and proprietary development alike.
hence why there are use cases, you've heard of those right? even though they're something the FOSS community doesn't use, cases it takes time away from the coders to code their UI's. afterall why should you have special people to design UI's and test stuff and do usability when a coders can do all that just as good.... right...
They use them... somewhat properly at best, improperly at worst. If you want to name names: Ubuntu. And I'm one of the special ones, but I don't do accessibility assessments anymore.
A whole county in Norway is now ditching OOo and going back to MS Office, you know what ? because it'll save them millions. (...) And they're not the only ones.
A country is a country is a country. Whatever works in your boat may not work in ours. But then again, our studies are commissioned by Microsoft and the officials are bribed by Microsoft.
Community Regular

buckaroo

Posted
Posted

No, I mean a reliable, objective, unbiased source.

Let me quote your "source"

My name is Jensen Harris and I'm the Director of Program Management for the Microsoft Windows User Experience Team.
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