Question for readers: office suites

[KevinReichard]

All --

I'm working on a review of StarOffice as a small-business computing tool, and I was wondering how many folks here use SO or use some other office suite, such as Microsoft Office, Corel WordPerfect Office, or OpenOffice, and why.

--Kevin

[doctordon]

I use MS Office because it's what my customers usually use. I can use other proucts to usually get whatever I want from them but I am quite an experienced user.

[susu306]

Personally, I use OpenOffice.org. It is the open-source version of StarOffice. (Actually, StarOffice is built on OOo.)

The word processor is more intuitive to me than MS Word. The spreadsheet app is just as powerful as Excel and the presentation app works fine for my needs.

The best part about OOo is that it is free! I have turned on a couple of clients to it who would rather not pay for MS Office.

So far, I have not run into any lack of features as compares to MS Office. In fact in some ways, it is superior! It can open and save Office files as well.

My only complaint is that it is a real memory hog.

BTW: Even though the name of the software is OpenOffice.org, it is acutal software that is installed on your Windows or Linux PC, Mac (OS X beta) or Sun workstation. It's not an ASP-type Web-based service.

[KevinReichard]

But what do your clients say when you're pushing an office suite that lacks a spell checker? Free doesn't mean anything when you're not offering something of value, and without a spelling checker in the word processor, I can't imagine many would want to stay with OpenOffice for long. You also say that OpenOffice isn't lacking anything found in MS Office, but what about spelling checker, templates, and clip art?

Also, OpenOffice is basically StarOffice with all the commercial goodies -- spelling checker, clip art, templates -- stripped out. StarOffice has been around for at least 10 years; Marco Boerries developed it in Germany and then sold it to Sun several years ago.

--Kevin

[susu306]

I don't know what version of OpenOffice you are talking about, Kevin. I am using version 1.0.1.

It has a spell checker that is every bit as good as the one in MS Office (in fact, it is almost identical in function).

It certainly has templates. They work very well.

As far as clipart goes. It does come with some. Most people don't use a quarter of the clipart that comes with MS Office. If you're really into clipart, you can use the money you didn't give to Microsoft to buy a professional clipart collection.

[KevinReichard]

Yes, you're right that 1.01 does have a spelling checker now. 1.0 did not. I will have to check it out. As for being as good as Word's spelling checker -- or even StarOffice's -- I will retain some HEAVY skepticism.

Tell you what: tell me what the OpenOffice spelling checker says when you enter Owensboro, mudcat, and Sexton.

Thanks!

--Kevin

[susu306]

Owensboro is a proper noun, so I wouldn't expect it to recognize that.
Mudcat is not in the dictionary either.
It had no problem with sexton. Of course my mother is a church sexton so I may have added that one to the dictionary at some point--which brings up the point that it is very easy to add a new word to the dictionary (right-click, choose "add"). Henseforth it will be recognized as being correct.

I would not judge a spell-checker by the number of words in its dictionary, since they can be added as needed. Rather, I judge it by its ability to suggest the correct replacement for my misspelled words. OpenOffice seems to do that pretty well.

[KevinReichard]

> Owensboro is a proper noun, so I wouldn't expect it to recognize that.

Why not? The spell checker in Microsoft Word recognizes it. Same with Wordperfect. If you're saying the OpenOffice spelling checker doesn't recognize any proper nouns, then it's clearly not as good as a commercial spelling checker. Nothing wrong with that.

> Mudcat is not in the dictionary either.

Nor should it be, but a good spelling checker would suggest mud cat as a replacement. Did it?

> It had no problem with sexton

I didn't say sexton -- I said Sexton. As in Richie Sexton, who was batting for the Brewers when I posed my note. :)

> I would not judge a spell-checker by the number of words in its dictionary,

I never brought up the number of words as a criteria.

> Rather, I judge it by its ability to suggest the correct replacement for my misspelled words.

Again, did it suggest mud cat? ;)

--Kevin

[DavidM]

If memory serves, the makor difference is the lack of a database in OpenOffice.

Keven, how does the database component compare with MS Access?

Does it include ODBC support?

David

[bhafner]

Again - I am turning to a user that supports USA made software (being a developer) but as far as Office products go - for the current round - Microsoft Office is head ans shoulders above the rest.

1) Tighter integration
2) Better help files
3) Less bugs (Yes far less bugs - they have a lot but less than others)
4) Better updates (Yes again not enough but far bette than the rest)
5) Go with Star Office if you....Have tons of GDI/SYS resources - Microsft is bad - Star Office is a total pig in eating resources
6) More users use it - more peopel to ask help - more samples, temnplates etc.

For a small business there, at the current time, is only one choice. Ask me again in a year - I might change my mind