OpenOffice is dead; long live LibreOffice!

[VeryBigBeard]

I tell myself next computer, I'm getting Word again. I've had issues with comments--which editors use extensively--on both OpenOffice and LibreOffice.

Maryn, disgruntled but unarmed (you'd be disgruntled if you had no arms, too)

There are issues with comments on Word, too.

The problem, I suspect, is that the comments use different formatting in each different program. Not so much the formatting the user can control, but the formatting of the way the information is displayed in the programs UI. So Word won't read OpenOffice comments well and vice versa. If you're working back and forth quickly with Track Changes and comments it's usually worth at least checking in advance and then establishing a workflow that solves the problems, either by using the same program (expensive) or finding a workaround for the comments (requires more knowledge of Word and OO's inner workings).

FWIW, I kind of hate Word's comment interface. Actually, I hate almost all of its interface and most of its feature set. So I'm biased here. Especially post-2007, Word has been complete corporate user crapola. I don't want a bar with pretty styles, I want tools efficiently laid out. In fact, Word's old comments used to transfer fairly well. Then MS made .docx, which was the bane of my existence for 2-3 years while I worked on a small newspaper because our Mac layout box couldn't easily convert any article sent in .docx. Not to mention the entire purpose of making .docx was to try and force people to use MS products by limiting their compatibility.

The surest workaround for comments is printing them. Saving the Word file as .doc will often keep your comments, though. .rtf sometimes, too. The more basic you go in file type, the less crap you get from Word. This is also useful when pasting anything into a web form. Go too basic and you may lose the comments, though. It's been awhile since I tried this with word so I'm not sure how well the .doc or .rtf options work with comments.

 

[fivetoesten]

Version 5.0 is out with lots of improvements, including better doc and docx filters. Here's the low-down.

 

[maggiee19]

I switched from LibreOffice to OpenOffice because in LibreOffice, it was too difficult for me to add page numbers. Adding page numbers to a document in Open Office for me it was almost like adding them to a document in Microsoft Word.

 

[fivetoesten]

I wish I could look over your shoulder at your computer screen. It took me about 5 seconds to add page numbers to a test document in LibreOffice. I'm glad you have it worked out, though.

 

[blacbird]

I switched from LibreOffice to OpenOffice because in LibreOffice, it was too difficult for me to add page numbers. Adding page numbers to a document in Open Office for me it was almost like adding them to a document in Microsoft Word.

That's not exactly a compliment, considering how arcane even the most recent version of MS-Word can be with things like pagination and section breaks.

caw

 

[Jamesaritchie]

That's not exactly a compliment, considering how arcane even the most recent version of MS-Word can be with things like pagination and section breaks.

caw

Do you actually use Word? I think I have every word processor in existence on my computer, and none are as easy to use as Word. Pagination and section breaks are a snap.

I suspect most people open Word, but never really take the time to learn how to use it properly.

 

[Latina Bunny]

I had both LibreOffice and OpenOffice on my computer at one point, but they seemed the same to me? *confused*

Anyway, I'm just glad I have Word as well, as evil of corporation as it is, lol.