Microsoft Word alternatives

If you need something closer to DTP than word processing, have a look at Scribus.
 
I get Microsoft Office for free so I don't really look at alternatives, but whenever a friend has asked I usually point them in the way of Google Drive/Apps, totally free and a quite a lot of functionality!

Can't comment on OpenOffice as never used it though
 
Libre office is pretty good , and free as well
 
Depends what you are using it for - if you are using it for business you are best off sticking with MS Office or Word - Open Office gives us endless problems when we receive attachments from it at work
 
Really

Both Libre and open give the potential to save as a word file so thats more down to user error than a software issue
 
I've not used Libre, but the first page of the first file I opened in OpenOffice was formatted differently to MS Word. For a WYSIWYG, system, they need to format identically if you ever want to swap files.
 
arad85 said:
I've not used Libre, but the first page of the first file I opened in OpenOffice was formatted differently to MS Word. For a WYSIWYG, system, they need to format identically if you ever want to swap files.
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Thats exactly what we found! Its a total PITA!
 
big soft moose said:
Really

Both Libre and open give the potential to save as a word file so thats more down to user error than a software issue
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They format differently and are a nightmare.
If you want to send a word file use Word don't be a cheapskate.
 
I do chuckle at these threads.... The business section rants about people not valuing photography, and how people want it for very little or free... I wonder if there are people on a programmers forum moaning about how people don't value software!
 
cambsno said:
I wonder if there are people on a programmers forum moaning about how people don't value software!
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I am involved on a daily basis with "pro-software writing". I have been for close to 30 years. Not once have any of our customers actually paid what it costs to write the software they are using. It basically comes "free" with the hardware.

Having said that, if we had software that presented pictures (actually videos - we build set-top boxes) differently to how they should be/others do, we wouldn't even have a business - no matter how good the hardware we supply is (or isn't!)
 
cambsno said:
I do chuckle at these threads.... The business section rants about people not valuing photography, and how people want it for very little or free... I wonder if there are people on a programmers forum moaning about how people don't value software!
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its not really the same thing - this is more like people not wanting to by overpriced tat from venture or similar - I have no problem paying for niche software, scrivener for example is an outstanding buy for 40USD (there's another option for writing reports etc, although its mainly meant for authors)

what I object to is the near monopoly that windoze gives Microsoft and the lazy lack of concern for the customers wants and needs that this engenders in there software creation

(which is why I'll be swapping all my home computers to Linux in the near future)
 
big soft moose said:
its not really the same thing - this is more like people not wanting to by overpriced tat from venture or similar - I have no problem paying for niche software, scrivener for example is an outstanding buy for 40USD (there's another option for writing reports etc, although its mainly meant for authors)

what I object to is the near monopoly that windoze gives Microsoft and the lazy lack of concern for the customers wants and needs that this engenders in there software creation

(which is why I'll be swapping all my home computers to Linux in the near future)
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Its totally the same thing Word/Office is the acknowledged standard - in the same way Canon or Nikon are! How come you aren't using a GE or Vivitar camera after all they take pictures too?
If you want to create really bad first impression of yourself send a important document by Open Office to someone who hasn't got it/doesn't want it - who the hell wants to have to download a piece of second rate software to have to open your document and then have to convert it and it doesn't format properly - just because you think its great to have a free Office type programme. I bet you've got a Betamax video recorder too!
 
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I can understand why some people may prefer to use the free alternatives, but....

Assuming that you are a professional photographer or someone invested in Photography and you use the following

DSLR: £1000 - £4000
Fast Lens: £500 - £2000
Adobe Lightroom - £100
Adobe Photoshop CS6 - £750

Not to mention the grip, batteries....

In comparison to those costs, is the £8.40 a month for Office 365 or £149 for Office 2013 Home and Business really THAT much of a deal-breaker.

You could say the same about photography software, why pay Adobe for Photoshop when you could use Gimp? But the general concensus is that Adobe Photoshop is superior. Same scenario, different software.

Just trying to play devil's advocate....
 
Overexposed said:
If you want to create really bad first impression of yourself send a important document by Open Office to someone who hasn't got it/doesn't want it - who the hell wants to have to download a piece of second rate software to have to open your document and then have to convert it and it doesn't format properly - just because you think its great to have a free Office type programme. I bet you've got a Betamax video recorder too!
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oddly enough everything created in libre at home opens fine in office at work

But come to that if i wanted to send an important document to a stranger with no knowledge of what system they are running, i'd use a pdf as thats what they were created for.

Otherwise you could create the exact same problem by sending a docx file to someone still running pre 7 windows, or by sending a doc/docx to a client only to find they are using Mac

Anyway the OP asked for advice on alternatives to office - he didnt ask for a diatribe on why microsoft are the one true god
 
big soft moose said:
oddly enough everything created in libre at home opens fine in office at work

But come to that if i wanted to send an important document to a stranger with no knowledge of what system they are running, i'd use a pdf as thats what they were created for.

Otherwise you could create the exact same problem by sending a docx file to someone still running pre 7 windows, or by sending a doc/docx to a client only to find they are using Mac

Anyway the OP asked for advice on alternatives to office - he didnt ask for a diatribe on why microsoft are the one true god
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You are referring to Libre - my post was actually about Open Office !
I think the only diatribe exhibited was why you think that MS is not the true god. If you want to be different fine but I'd rather use something that I know works and I haven't got to spend valuable work time messing about with.
 
Overexposed said:
You are referring to Libre - my post was actually about Open Office !
I think the only diatribe exhibited was why you think that MS is not the true god. If you want to be different fine but I'd rather use something that I know works and I haven't got to spend valuable work time messing about with.
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Yes but my response to the thread was to answer his question - if you want a free alternative, use libre :shrug:
 
big soft moose said:
Yes but my response to the thread was to answer his question - if you want a free alternative, use libre :shrug:
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Just to prove a point, I downloaded LibreOffice 4.1.0.4 portable (4.1 is the latest Libre Office release) and opened a MS Word document I have here in it. Whilst it opened OK, the first page has the correct heading but no body text - that is placed on the second page. The document in Libre Office has 26 pages. Also, some of the diagrams don't render properly (although the space is left for them).

MS Word places the text on the first page with the heading and has 20 pages and renders all diagrams correctly.

The bottom line is that if you never want to swap a document in editable format with anyone else, Libre/OpenOffice (Libre is a fork of OO) will do you fine. If you ever want to be able to swap source files with anyone else, you really need to stump up the money for the MS version.

It's also a really good indication why Linux will not replace Windows/OSX as a broadly installed operating system. It just isn't compatible enough to work seamlessly.
 
There is also training costs, A poweruser/admin will be able to switch between them, but the average user? No.

I have tried with people to save them money, they have all purchased Microsoft Office, 2 main reasons is they sent it in the wrong format or it looked wrong (ms office was the default save format), the other was the menus were different etc.

If you want free and are on the internet, use docs.com or use Office web app with your Microsoft Live ID (hotmail or outlook.com email address)
 
arad85 said:
The bottom line is that if you never want to swap a document in editable format with anyone else, Libre/OpenOffice (Libre is a fork of OO) will do you fine. If you ever want to be able to swap source files with anyone else, you really need to stump up the money for the MS version.
.
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I can't speak to your experience but i do all my work at home in libre and swap it seamlessly with my work computer which is running office 2003, so long as you save the libre file as an office compatible its fine (much the same as swapping mac to pc or for that matter swapping between 03 and 07/10 )
 
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big soft moose said:
I can't speak to your experience but i do all my work at home in libre and swap it seamlessly with my work computer which is running office 2003, so long as you save the libre file as an office compatible its fine (much the same as swapping mac to pc or for that matter swapping between 03 and 07/10 )
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Perhaps your document layouts are simpler than the ones I have here (the file I opened today was an external customer spec.) or perhaps the fact you create them in Libre helps by minimising the formatting information. What I can say is I've now tried Libre/Open Office twice. Both times they have formatted the first document I have opened differently to the way Word has.

It doesn't really matter if you have no problems, the point is, compatibility problems do exist (and it is not just me - see above). If you want 100% compatibility (and I agree, not everyone does) then you will not get it from current versions of Open/Libre. Yes, they will open the file, but you cannot guarantee the files will be rendered the same way, and with a WYSIWYG editor, that's pretty important.

Clearly, they are an alternative, but if you go with them, expect some surprises if you do need to swap documents.
 
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