I Mean It… Open Office

Monday, 21 July 2008 11:35

The following is a copy of my blog post from coachblog.com. CoachVille is my day job, and I actually do serious things over there from time to time…

Today’s Coach-Tech Minute centers around a product that technically doesn’t give Microsoft Office a run for it’s money – because it doesn’t actually cost anything – and, as Martha Stewart would say, that’s a good thing.

The term ‘open source software’ always gives me shivers of joy – people getting together to make a computer program, then not charging a plug nickel for it – how in the world can that happen in America, retail capital of the world?

Actually, it happens all the time. Colleges, companies, programmers with time to kill, they write stuff up, and feel that your using it makes it all worthwhile. Although a donation here and there wouldn’t hurt… You can actually get much more involved with the process than a regular software product; reporting bugs, making suggestions. Some program for the sport of it, to see if they can create a certain product, others make a point of noting that they can create something that others charge an arm and a leg for, others just want to contribute to the computing field in general. Whatever the programmer’s reasoning for working on the project, you reap the main reward: using the software.

Sun Microsystems actually funds most of the work on the Open Office.org project – and I don’t want to know all the reasons behind it – but they are open about it and all is explained at the open office web site. My goal is using the thing. And using it, I do – I haven’t touched Big M’s “Office” for over a year. And I’ve made the suggestion of Open Office to those who were looking for an alternative, or looking to save money, and it has never disappointed.

Open Office is all the basics: word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentation software and drawing program, and performs each task in an efficient manner. There are more than enough options, and, thankfully, very little of the infamous Microsoft bloat. I don’t think I’ve ever used all the supposed “bells and whistles” in office. I usually just want to type a letter, or put together a quick spreadsheet. I want to get in, get my stuff done, and get out. Open office allows just that.

Will it work on your computer? If you are running Windows, Linux, Solaris or Mac OSX, the answer is yes. And, since that covers all the major players, just about anyone with a computer can run a copy of Open Office – that actually tops Microsoft’s compatibility and availability.

Yes, but what about the business world – isn’t everyone playing with Microsoft? The answer there is an obvious yes. But, depending on your level of interactivity with major businesses and corporations – it is possible to use Open Office fairly seamlessly. As an example, Dave (a coaching maven that you may know) has a nifty new laptop running Windows Vista and the newest version of office. I can open everything he sends me, both from Word and from Excel. I have no troubles, whatsoever, and can actually save back into a Microsoft compatible format after I’ve made my edits, and send it back into his Microsoft world. Neither of us go crazy with extremely special features, so I’ve never yet run into a problem.

True, there’s no Outlook. For e-mail, you will need another solution. This may be the deal-breaker, but I can assure you that there are alternatives out there. All the teenagers around the world use them every day. I’ll get a run down up here on the blog – feel free to post alternatives in the comments section, if you have a favorite.

Open Office is truly a professional piece of software, put together with care, well thought out, and updated regularly. Giving it a test drive is really a no-brainer: it’s a free download. Why not check it out? Click here and take it for a spin.

Special note to Mac users: There is another group of programmers who take the basic Mac version of the Open Office program, and completely Macify it, adding all the bells and whistles of OSX. Their version is called Neo Office, and is available here.

• Links:
• Open Office – Available for Mac, Windows, Linux and Solaris
• Neo Office – Mac only