Alternative to MS Office

[He Man]

i learned to use MS office on office 7. before that all i knew how to do was change fonts and make different color text, and i had no idea what excell was.

but going to school and using office 2003, the old one, the learning curve was much more level. things made more sense cause its more windows like. office 07 is kind of like windows vista from windows xp, everything got dumbed down that nothing made sense. why do i have to click 9,000 things to get to my printer in the control panel? so +1 on that.

[herm]

i am still pissed that i paid for Office07...and then went back to 03.

[mitt]

i am still pissed that i paid for Office07...and then went back to 03.

My work had a deal w/ MS - $20 for full office 07 for your personal computer at home, and that might have been too much. 

After using it for 2 years, I still suck at it compared to 03.

mitt

[herm]

if open office would/could add an email client..........DA BOMB!!

[derby]

if open office would/could add an email client..........DA BOMB!!

why does your "office" suite need an email client?

[herm]

why does your "office" suite need an email client?

maybe just preference based on past experience?
there is a lot to be said for the seamless integration that comes with an office suite like MS office. especially for folks who are not all that technically proficient.

[derby]

maybe just preference based on past experience?

i'll buy that, though that's really not a valid technical reason.

interesting article re: outlook inertia vs google apps:

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/168248/outlook_separation_anxiety_holds_back_google_apps.html

there is a lot to be said for the seamless integration that comes with an office suite like MS office. especially for folks who are not all that technically proficient.

but what does that "seamless integration" really consist of? send document as email/attachment?

collaboration/shared calendar's etc are a completely different consideration (and they require a backend server).

[herm]

i'll buy that, though that's really not a valid technical reason.

interesting article re: outlook inertia vs google apps:

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/168248/outlook_separation_anxiety_holds_back_google_apps.html


but what does that "seamless integration" really consist of? send document as email/attachment?

collaboration/shared calendar's etc are a completely different consideration (and they require a backend server).

interesting article. touches on my feelings pretty well, i think.
1) gmail is pretty good. its even better that i can read my gmail in outlook. i like that i can check it from any machine.....but its not outlook.
2) google apps is a great idea..........until you lose your connection.
3) the idea of doing away with machine based applications is interesting, from the standpoint of saving space on the hard drive......but what if you lose your connection, or (god forbid) have really slow service?

i still feel that open office is the closest the MS office available. if they integrate a mail client, it has a far better shot at competing than google apps/gmail.

almost forgot....my early experience with MS office definitely had the benefit of the server tie in, allowing the functionality of the shared calander, etc...

[derby]

i still feel that open office is the closest the MS office available. if they integrate a mail client, it has a far better shot at competing than google apps/gmail.

almost forgot....my early experience with MS office definitely had the benefit of the server tie in, allowing the functionality of the shared calander, etc...

but unless you have that backend server doing all the "collaboration" stuff, you have just another email client.

besides, i don't really see a need for the open office guys to develop their own outlook replacement when somebody has already done it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_%28software%29

[herm]

yeah,...........but if we go back to the OP, he is looking for just that.

[derby]

yeah.. op says:

The e-mail portion must have the same features as Outlook.

but outlook as a LOT of features... if this is for home use, i doubt he's talking about exchange integration and collaboration.

probably should've gotten clarification on that since i seriously doubt he needs exchange integration.

either way, open office + evolution... there ya go.

[gojira]

Open Office + Windows Live Mail may be a freebie solution.

Just noticed this email program since Hotmail is moving to POP access. Not sure of its capabilities and no FHE though.

[Big Troubled Bear]

To clarify I went from 03 to 07 and didn`t like it at all and after downloading Ooen Office and Thunderbird am now back to using MS O 03

[herm]

haha...
you should check out the article derby linked in. pretty interesting, and spot on IMO. i have also looked for other options.....and found them wanting.