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General discussion

OpenOffice & XP Home

Nov 25, 2003 4:35AM PST

Any one using OpenOffice with Xp and if so any Problems? Am interested in Installing but, to try and solve any potential problem before hand. Thanks in advance

Richard

Discussion is locked

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Yes. It may...
Nov 25, 2003 4:43AM PST

Save too much money.

Bob

PS. I do own other Office's but this is the one I use.

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Re:OpenOffice & XP Home
Nov 25, 2003 5:24AM PST

I use it exclusively. I unloaded MS Office as soon as I got used to using OO. OO is a little slow to load and has a learning curve, but the price is right. Also, it has a good help flie.

Ken

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What can OO do that Word can't?
Nov 25, 2003 9:48PM PST

I am wondering if it is worth the learning curve to use a product that is substantially equivalent to Word? (reinventing the wheel?)
Similar question with respect to Quattro Pro (Word Perfect's spreadsheet)

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Re:What can OO do that Word can't?
Nov 25, 2003 9:58PM PST

"I am wondering if it is worth the learning curve to use a product that is substantially equivalent to Word? (reinventing the wheel?)"

I had no learning curve. Already used Word, so that may explain why. Same old issues with trying to use it as a typesetter or page layout, but nothing harder than before.

"Similar question with respect to Quattro Pro (Word Perfect's spreadsheet)"

I don't have that. Always used 123 or Excel. A mismosh of other sheets like 20-20, VisiCalc, SuperCalc (the CP/M OS one), so they all sort of blur on me.

-------------------------
IN DIRECT ANSWER TO THE QUESTION IN THE SUBJECT:

Word can't be had for free.

Bob

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Reworded Question, if I have Word, does it pay to learn OO? nt
Nov 26, 2003 8:15AM PST

.

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Re:Reworded Question, if I have Word, does it pay to learn OO? nt
Nov 26, 2003 8:18AM PST

Yes.

But if you know Word, you may know how to do some 99% of what you need to know in OO. Outside of one paper setting (change from centimeters to inches), I haven't had to look up anything in the help.

Bob

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Re:What can OO do that Word can't?
Nov 26, 2003 2:15AM PST

I don't know for sure, but I doubt that OO is as susceptable to malware as MS products. I have yet to see any problem with OO in this area, whereas Office users have to be constantly vigilant.
Like Bob, I too have used QuatroPro and Lotus 123 and liked them both, but the problem of sometimes having to buy an upgrade for a new OS is expensive, i.e.; Lotus Approach Millenium is not completely comaptable with WinXP.
The setup (preferences) is different in OO than in XL and Word, but once you get it figured out everything seems to work smoothly.
And besides, I ain't got nothing else to do.

Ken

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Check the install doc...
Nov 25, 2003 9:22PM PST

Since XP can have multiple accounts, you do a network install and then a small setup on each account. Ran into a bug or two but they were reported and are being fixed.

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And program running at startup...
Nov 25, 2003 9:40PM PST

In systray (after install on each user account), right-click on OpenOffice icon and select "Load OpenOffice.org During System Start-up" if it has a checkmark beside it (i.e. disable it). You might have to restart windows to get the icon to show up in systray. It's a bit of a memory hog.

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Re:And program running at startup...
Nov 28, 2003 12:26AM PST

I find Open Office superior to MS Office 97. I am using XP Home Edition.

Instead of having OO in SysTray, I have it in Quick Launch. It starts in Writer and if I want any of the other Office Suite functions they are there just by clicking FILE/NEW, then selecting what you want.

After you have installed Open Office, You can copy the following,...

"C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org1.1.0\program\soffice.exe" -writer

IF "C:\Program Files\, is where you have OO installed, then paste in START/RUN, and OO Writer comes up. Save to DeskTop, then add it to Quick Launch. That way it is not running til you need it. You can remove it from MSCONFIG/ STARTUP.

If you have any problems, this site has expert advice on OpenOffice.

http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=2


Ben

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And to start spreadsheet program....
Nov 29, 2003 6:25AM PST

"C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org1.1.0\program\soffice.exe" -calc

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Remove OO running at startup
Nov 28, 2003 12:29AM PST

I find Open Office superior to MS Office 97. I am using XP Home Edition.

Instead of having OO in SysTray, I have it in Quick Launch. It starts in Writer and if I want any of the other Office Suite functions they are there just by clicking FILE/NEW, then selecting what you want.

After you have installed Open Office, You can copy the following,...

"C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org1.1.0\program\soffice.exe" -writer

IF "C:\Program Files\, is where you have OO installed, then paste in START/RUN, and OO Writer comes up. Save to DeskTop, then add it to Quick Launch. That way it is not running til you need it. You can remove it from MSCONFIG/ STARTUP.

If you have any problems, this site has expert advice on OpenOffice.

http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=2


Ben

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I prefer...
Nov 29, 2003 6:29AM PST

to use the program's settings to stop it from running at startup. Although I don't think OO has the problem, some programs will put themselves back into startup if they were disabled using msconfig and you start the program manually (WMP and Real Player come to mind...).

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Re:OpenOffice & XP Home
Nov 28, 2003 7:23AM PST

I use it daily and am glad for it. Does everything the MS office monster does and runs flawless in XP home